Northwestern football needs to make a lot of improvements in 2025, if they are to recover from last year’s 4-8 season. Improving the passing game is job 1, right at the top of the do list. Northwestern has a great transfer portal quarterback in Preston Stone, and thus, a good foundation to build around.
However, Stone is going to need some stellar wide receivers to work with.
Their top two wide receivers from last year, Bryce Kirtz and A.J. Henning are now gone. The speedy Henning, as profiled on RG.org, will be especially missed. Both Kirtz and Henning had decent careers, so this is a changing of the guard for sure.
Additionally, Calvin Johnson II unexpectedly left the program, despite the fact that he was destined for a major increase in playing time.
The top receiver returnees for the Wildcats this season are redshirt sophomore Frank Covey IV (10 catches for 98 yards) and Hayden Eligon II (4 receptions for 83 yards).
Have you noticed a trend here? IV, II, etc. This is kind of like auto racing- a lot of legacy names among the performers here.
Anyway, this year’s Northwestern football team returns less than 15% of its receiving yards at the wideout position from 2024 to 2025.
There is some good news though. Reinforcement, at least to some extent, has arrived in the form of Griffin Wilde. The South Dakota St. transfer posted the second highest grade from Pro Football Focus, for any Big Ten receiver this upcoming season.
The #1 entry, of course, comes from Wide Receiver U., Ohio State, and it’s Jeremiah Smith.
Wilde put up a 1,000 yard season at the FCS level last season, but it will be interesting to see if he can replicate that success and production at this level in 2025.
If Wilde proves to be a fruitful signing, and meanwhile Covey and Eligon step up, with Stone getting him the ball, and the offensive line giving him solid protection….well, this Northwestern football team can have a decent chance of improving their air attack.
If that all comes together, NU should have an improved record this season.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter