Ten Questions: 2. Does Northwestern have enough depth at wide receiver?
Second of ten questions that will determine Northwestern’s 2025 season.
The difference in Northwestern’s transfer portal philosophy and capability have been apparent this offseason after a streamlined admissions process enabled the Wildcats to get players admitted in early January. The Wildcats brought in 14 new players this year out of the transfer portal compared to just six last season. They brought in talent and shored up depth on the offensive line, linebacker and secondary, among other places.
They landed a signature quarterback out of the portal in SMU’s Preston Stone, the subject of the first question in this series, and a potential No. 1 receiver in Griffin Wilde from South Dakota State.
Wilde posted a stellar year for the Jackrabbits in 2024, with 71 catches for 1,154 yards and 12 touchdowns. He rejoins offensive coordinator Zach Lujan, who was hired away from SDSU in 2023.
Wilde is a key addition and, with two years of eligibility remaining, a testament to the program’s expanded ability to be aggressive in the transfer portal. But is he enough? The rest of the room has struggled with injury, inconsistent production or youth. Sometimes all three.
The Wildcats lost their top two receivers in AJ Henning (59 catches for 603 yards) and Bryce Kirtz (39 catches for 598 yards) after the 2024 season. Their third-leading receiver last season, Calvin Johnson II (11 catches for 121 yards), transferred to Tulsa in a move that surprised many.
Returning production is limited
That leaves Frank Covey IV the leader in the clubhouse for returning talent with 10 catches for 98 yards last season. Covey played in eight games in 2024, missing some time for injuries. But that was a marked improvement from his first year in 2023, when he appeared in only in three games without recording a catch.
Covey is the only receiver in the room this season with five or more career catches for Northwestern. Hayden Eligon II appeared in nine games and walkon Drew Wagner appeared in six as true freshmen last season. Eligon recorded just four catches for 83 yards and Wagner logged three catches for 31 yards.
Two options without their first catch that should make an impact in 2025 are redshirt sophomore Ricky Ahumaraeze and redshirt freshman transfer Chase Farrell.
Ahumaraeze has prototypical size at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, but hasn’t been able to find the field consistently due to injury. He redshirted his first season in Evanston in 2023, and then appeared in just one game in 2024 before being sidelined for the rest of the campaign. The staff has raved about his potential. Head coach David Braun went so far as to compare his versatility to Ohio State superstar Jeremiah Smith after spring ball, but he remains an unknown.
Farrell is a speedster with a much smaller frame than Ahumaraeze, measuring 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds. His speed is undeniable; the high school track star ran a 10.38-second 100-meter dash. But he didn’t record a snap while redshirting for a 3-9 Stanford team last season. With four years of eligibility remaining, Farrell is an exciting additionto the room with real upside potential, but he may not be physically ready for Big Ten play out of the gate.
History of development
Wide receivers coach Armon Binns has proven to be one of the most capable identifiers and developers of talent at Northwestern. He brought in Cam Johnson out the transfer portal, a veteran receiver looking to play his sixth season of college ball after mustering just 10 catches for 84 yards the year before at Arizona State. Johnson led the team with 54 catches for 715 yards in 2023.
Binns also brought in Henning from Michigan. A special teams ace for the Wolverines, Henning had just 25 catches for 198 yards across three seasons. Over his two at Northwestern, he logged 104 catches for 1,021 yards and eight touchdowns while becoming a leader in the room.
Although Kirtz was often hampered by injury, Binns oversaw his breakthrough, too. After 482 yards across his first three seasons, Kirtz posted 701 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. Injuries and quarterback uncertainty plagued his 2024 campaign, but Kirtz still posted 39 catches for 598 yards in 10 games.
Even in a best-case scenario where Stone and Wilde both reach their ceiling, defenses will adjust to take away the top option. If the Wildcats want to make a bowl game in 2025, they need Binns and Co. to work their magic to create a reliable second option, or they’re going to wish they focused more on proven production at this position in the portal.
