Northwestern head football coach David Braun was the second coach to speak Wednesday in Las Vegas on the second of three Big Ten Media Days. Braun answered a question Wildcat fans have been asking for nearly seven months.
David Braun finally answered Northwestern’s quarterback question Wednesday in Las Vegas on day two of Big Ten Football Media Days.
Last season the Wildcats relied on quarterback Jack Lausch, a dual-sport athlete who plays in the outfield for Northwestern baseball. Lausch was on the Wildcats’ 2025 spring ball roster, but came to the decision to pursue baseball after talks throughout May and June, according to Braun.
The media’s one question for Braun centered around whether Lausch’s decision meant SMU transfer quarterback Preston Stone would take on the starting role for Northwestern. The head coach’s response was immediate and confident.
“Preston Stone will be our starting quarterback in 2025,” Braun said. “The decision that [Lausch] made is something that I think everyone involved strongly supported.”
In the time Braun has gotten to know Stone, whose Dec. 24 commitment was a sort of Christmas Eve present for the program, he’s enjoyed the quarterback’s attitude and off-field persona more and more.
“I've been impressed with his football knowledge, his process, his accuracy, his leadership, but what I'm most excited about, most impressively, is his ability to quickly build relationships with his teammates,” Braun said. “He is someone that our team truly values around, enjoys being around, and is a special leader, especially with that quarterback position.”
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Braun is confident in Stone and his ability to lead the Wildcats this season, but college football analysts aren’t as sure. On3’s Andy Staples snubbed Stone from his top-10 conference quarterback list last week and Cleveland.com’s Big Ten Preseason Media Poll projected Northwestern to finish 17th of 18 conference teams.
To top off the skepticism, Braun was ranked worst Big Ten football coach Tuesday by CBS Sports, but he’s not letting it get to his head. At the end of the day, it’s not about him.
“Good teams are well led from coaches. Great teams are well led from players,” Braun said.
According to Braun, Wildcat football athletes and staff spent the offseason completely reevaluating nearly every aspect of their program.
“Those in the locker room and what we see going on with our team right now is a level of accountability, a level of ownership from the young men on our team that I could not be more excited about,” Braun said. “A frustrating 2024 campaign, you know, ultimately provided an opportunity for all of us, starting with me, to evaluate everything and the timing around that is important.”
Category: General Sports
