With Big Ten media days fast approaching and fall camp slated to open shortly thereafter, the 2024 college football season is right around the corner. In year two of the Luke Fickell era, Wisconsin has further revamped its roster but faces a daunting schedule littered with marquee matchups.

Throughout July, BadgerBlitz.com will break down each game on Wisconsin's slate. We'll continue with Northwestern, a team that handed Wisconsin its most embarrassing loss of the season last year.

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Regardless of what unfolds on the gridiron, you can't say it won't be an intriguing campaign for the Wildcats. Northwestern will host its home football games at a makeshift stadium on the school's soccer and lacrosse fields right on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Aside from the facilities, or lack thereof, the Wildcats are looking to stack momentum after a heroic coaching effort by David Braun, the man who replaced the face of Northwestern football Pat Fitzgerald following his unceremonious exit in the wake of a hazing scandal. Braun led the team to an 8-6 record and a Las Vegas Bowl victory with a roster that many imagined was one of the worst amongst the power conferences, especially after the team went 1-11 the year prior.

In year two of the Braun era, the Wildcats are looking to reach their second consecutive bowl game for the first time since 2017-2018. It's a daunting schedule, with games against Washington, Michigan and Ohio State. Nonetheless, this team could very feasibly post another respectable record in conference play (5-4 last season) and contend for a bowl game.

One of the main reasons for optimism is the amount of production and experience the Wildcats return, especially at the skill positions. Offensively, they'll trot out a new starting quarterback but bring back their leading rusher and top three receivers.

Mike Wright is the gunslinger expected to start for Northwestern. And while he's new to Evanston, he's not new to college football: he's played in 36 games over four seasons. His best statistical season came in 2022 at Vanderbilt, when he tossed for 974 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 57.4 percent of his passes. That year, he also tacked on 517 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. The dual threat quarterback now figures to be handed the reins to the Wildcats' offense in his fifth season.

Wright will have an array of returning receivers to throw to. Back to lead the wideouts are Bryce Kirtz and Calvin Johnson II, both of whom hit the 700-yard mark last season. Also back is the dangerous AJ Henning, who stung the Badgers last season with 70 yards and a touchdown, including a miraculous one-handed catch over Hunter Wohler for 41 yards.

At tailback, Cam Porter returns after compiling 651 yards and four scores. At 3.9 yards-per-carry, he wasn't the most efficient runner, but his experience and hard-nosed style are very welcome in the Wildcats' backfield. He'll be joined by Joesph Himon II, who tallied 35 carries last year. After those two, the experience in Northwestern's running back room falls off a cliff, but the rushing ability of the quarterback Wright should help to mitigate that.

The offensive line is easily the unit with the most turnover. It returns just two starters, Caleb Tiernan and Josh Thompson. The rest of the line is expected to be populated by two transfers and a true sophomore. How well and quickly those five mesh will be one of the biggest keys to success for this offense, up there with the play of Wright at signal-caller.

If you thought Northwestern returned a lot on offense, take a look at the other side of the ball. The Wildcats bring back 88 percent of their defensive production, per ESPN, good for tops nationally in that regard.

The biggest loss is inside linebacker Bryce Gallagher, who paced the team with 120 tackles last fall. His instincts and propensity for the big play will be missed, but in theory, Northwestern has the pieces it needs to replace him. It helps that Xander Mueller, who tallied 110 tackles from his inside linebacker spot, returns. It also helps that the Wildcats brought in two transfer linebackers, Nigel Glover (Ohio State) and Noah Taylor (Cornell).

In the secondary, the safety tandem of Coco Azema and Devin Turner return. Two of the top four cornerbacks return, while three of the Wildcats' four most productive defensive linemen also elected to run it back in Evanston.

Last season, this defense was the 35th-ranked total defense in the country. Northwestern particularly excelled against the pass, checking in at 15th in terms of fewest passing yards allowed. The cornerback room might be the most shuffled unit on the defense, so it'll be interesting to see if the Wildcats can replicate that in 2024. Regardless, one of the more experienced defenses in the nation should be the driving force behind Northwestern football this fall.

Mueller absolutely stuffed the stat sheet last season, and he's back for more in a year where he should be one of the faces of the Wildcats' defense. We mentioned his tackling numbers (110 of them all told), but the linebacker also recorded five sacks, three interceptions, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Mueller obviously has a fondness for the splash play, and that's plenty of reason to keep an eye on him. But in 2024, he now has the chance to be the man on this Northwestern defense following the departure of Gallagher. Watch out for Mueller to emerge as one of the better interior backers in the conference.

We spoke to Matthew Shelton of WildcatReport to get the inside scoop on Northwestern:

1. What’s the buzz on the quarterback battle in Evanston?

I don’t think there is much of a battle, frankly. The staff really liked what they saw from Jack Lausch this spring, but they brought Mike Wright in from Mississippi State/Vanderbilt for a reason.

He has played in nearly 40 games to Lausch’s 11 and while Northwestern’s staff is loath to make guarantees, it’s doubtful he picked somewhere he wouldn’t start in his last year of eligibility. Keep an eye on Lausch for 2025.

2. What can David Braun do for an encore after an impressive 8-5 season a year ago?

This team and Braun’s aspirations for an encore should be another bowl game. They have a really tough schedule with Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan as four of their last six, but it’s on the table with an energized staff and the academic progress rate to get a nod even with five wins.

3. What’s your take on the Wildcats’ makeshift football field?

I think there’s a ton of genuine, and maybe a little bit malicious, excitement in the fanbase right now. A few of the early options would have meant hour long trips from campus, now they’re playing on their front porch.

Northwestern fans and players have always loved the mythos of forcing opponents into the 11 am game at Ryan Field with the long grass. It’ll be a turf field this season but, in the same vein, there’s going to be some satisfaction making Duke, Indiana and Wisconsin play in a 15,000-seat stadium.

4. Who or what is the biggest X-factor on this team?

I already mentioned Wright at QB, so I’ll pick Mac Uihlein, the prohibitive starter at middle linebacker. Bryce Gallagher graduated as a two-time captain with back-to-back seasons with 100+ tackles.

Uihlein was the No. 1 player out of Illinois in the Class of 2021, but has made just 21 tackles the past three seasons backing up Gallagher.

It’ll be a really experienced defense with 7-8 returning starters, depending on the formation. If Uihlein can step up and step into Gallagher’s shoes, it could be an elite unit.

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