Ten Questions: 4. Can an influx of transfers boost the defense?
At Northwestern, the transfer spotlight is almost always focused on the offense, specifically at quarterback. The Wildcats have brought in at least one signal caller out of the portal in five of the last six seasons.
But on defense, Northwestern has extensively relied on homegrown talent. Of the 11 players the Wildcats landed out of the portal in 2023 and 2024, just four were defenders.
The leading transfer tackler on last season’s defense was defensive tackle RJ Pearson, from Bethune-Cookman, with 21 stops. Then defensive lineman Jaylen Pate, from Wyoming, with 18. Those marks were 14th- and 17th-most on the team overall. The next highest tackler that Northwestern didn’t recruit out of high school? Luke Akers, a punter from UCLA, with four.
In the 2025 cycle, however, the defense brought in five players, more than in the last two classes combined. Offense and special teams were still the priority, accounting for 10 of the 15 incoming transfers, but five newcomers is still a program record for defensive players in one cycle in the portal.
And, after a frustrating end to the season where the Wildcats allowed 33.7 points per game and went 1-5 in their last six, some new blood could be just what the doctor ordered.
TEN QUESTIONS SERIES: 1. Can Preston Stone return to form? | 2. Does Northwestern have enough depth at wide receiver? | 3. Will Anto Saka be an elite pass rusher?
Northwestern’s Incoming Defensive Transfers
| Name | Position | Previous School | Year |
| Yanni Karlaftis | LB | Purdue | Graduate |
| Fred Davis | CB | Jacksonville State | Graduate |
| Miguel Jackson | DT | Utah State | Graduate |
| Dillon Tatum | DB | Michigan State | Redshirt Junior |
| Jack Sadowsky V | LB | Iowa State | Junior |
Which players can contribute right away?
Frankly, all five of them could have an immediate impact. Each player already has a significant body of work, though the two most likely to start straight away are Fred Davis at corner and Dillon Tatum at defensive back.
Davis was a Top 100 recruit, the No. 8 cornerback in the nation in the Class of 2020. He played in 27 games for Clemson from 2020-22, transferred to UCF for 2023 where he only played two games and redshirted, then spent last season with Jacksonville State.
He played in all 14 of the games with the Gamecocks, starting nine and putting up 18 tackles and four PBU. The Wildcats already have two other talented players at corner in Josh Fussell, who started eight games last season, and Ore Adeyi, who missed last season with an injury. But if Davis can come close to his ceiling in his last year of college ball, he’ll have one of those starting spots.
Tatum is a key addition from Michigan State, coming to Evanston to reunite with assistant coach Harlon Barnett. Barnett recruited Tatum out of high school to play for the Spartans before his move to Northwestern as safeties coach and assistant head coach. Tatum spent most of his time at cornerback in 2023 but was playing nickel for the Spartans in the first week of 2024 before a season-ending lower-body injury. He projects to slot in at nickel for the Wildcats.
Miguel Jackson comes in at defensive tackle from Utah State, where he played in the first four games of the season before suffering an injury. He started three of them and recorded 12 tackles a season after he posted 16 tackles and two sacks for Charlotte as a junior. The Wildcats have two veteran tackles in Carmine Bastone and Najee Story, but head coach David Braun and defensive line coach Christian Smith favor a rotation, with each tackle getting about 25-35 snaps per game in some order. So, even if Jackson doesn’t start, you can expect to see a lot of him.
Linebacker is a little trickier. Both Yanni Karlaftis and Jack Sadowsky V have proven, Power Four experience. Karlaftis had 50+ tackles in each of his last two seasons at Purdue, while Sadowsky had 25+ tackles in each of his last two seasons at Iowa State, including 33 as a true freshman.
The Wildcats favor a nickel base defense with two linebackers. Mac Uihlein, Northwestern’s leading tackler last season, is a lock in his Mike role. Braydon Brus will likely start at the Will position. But Sadowsky will no doubt get some reps at Will, while Karlaftis, a more physical presence with pass rushing skills, likely slides over to the Sam role when the Wildcats go to three linebackers. That spot was held last season by Kenny Soares, who transferred to NC State.
Can the defense make more plays?
A stingy defense that controls the game and creates turnovers was foundational for Northwestern’s success in 2023 in Braun’s first season at the help. The Wildcats ranked third in the nation with a +13 turnover margin that season and had the 42nd-best scoring defense.
In 2024, as Braun turned over defensive coordinator and play-calling duties to newly promoted linebackers coach Tim McGarigle, the defense dipped. They finished 79th in scoring defense and a -2 turnover margin that was tied for 78th in the nation.
Northwestern’s defense was solid last season, but they need the unit to make more big plays in 2025 if they hope to get enough wins to earn a bowl bid. The Wildcats have key talent returning across their defense but they also have several talented new transfers to work into the mix.
If the defensive brain trust can find the right mix of old and new, the Wildcats could rediscover their winning formula.
