Northwestern names SMU transfer Preston Stone team's starting quarterback

Another starting quarterback has been named ahead of the 2025 college football season. Northwestern is riding with Preston Stone at the position, coach David Braun announced at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday.

The news came shortly after Braun announced that Jack Lausch will be leaving the football team to focus on baseball full time. Lausch was the team’s primary starter a year ago.

“Preston Stone will be our starting quarterback in 2025,” Braun said, answering the lone question directed at him during his time on stage at the annual media event. “Jack worked through that throughout the course of May and June. And ultimately the decision that he made is something that I think everyone involved strongly supported and understood why Jack was making that decision.”

Lausch’s departure leaves Northwestern without much continuity at the position, having to rely on a transfer in Preston Stone. Lausch threw for 1,714 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago, while also throwing eight interceptions. He ran for 213 yards and two scores, as well.

Stone will take up the mantle now after playing sparingly at SMU in 2024. He was the guy at the position for the Mustangs in 2023, though, throwing for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns — against just six interceptions.

He’s a player that analysts around the country were eyeing as a major potential difference-maker going into the fall. Former ESPN analyst David Pollack of the See Ball Get Ball podcast was among them.

“I’m going Preston Stone,” David Pollack said of his player in the spotlight at Northwestern. “The guy that you saw last year at SMU. Kevin Jennings takes his spot late in the season last year. He already knows he’s leaving. He’s had some inconsistencies. He’s had some ups and downs, but he’s got good athletic ability. He can throw the football.”

In 2024, Northwestern went just 4-8 overall and 2-7 in Big Ten play. Issues on offense were a major part of that, particularly in the passing game. The Wildcats would finish 111th nationally in passing offense, averaging just 185.9 passing yards per game. As a team, they had seven passing touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

Can Preston Stone be a difference-maker? Pollack opened up.

“Can they come in and be competent? Because here’s the thing. Northwestern always struggles at the quarterback spot,” Pollack said. “It’s not been a good spot. It’s not been anything that they’ve highlighted over the years. They’ve put guys in the league and you’ll see guys sporadically jump up at offensive line and those big strong guys.

“But getting the quarterback, the trigger man that makes everything go. Can he be that guy that can run, pass, buy time? Because he’s going to need to be that guy. He’s going to need to scramble around and make plays if they’re going to have any chance of being successful.”