Ten Questions: 7. Can the offensive line find consistency?
Seventh of ten questions that will determine Northwestern’s season
After a difficult 4-8 campaign in 2024, Northwestern had a clear point of emphasis in the transfer portal: offensive line. Four of their 15 incoming transfers are up front, and three have the chance to come in and make an immediate impact: tackle Xavior Gray from Liberty, guard Evan Beerntsen from South Dakota State and swing lineman Martes Lewis, who could play guard or tackle, from Minnesota.
The trenches were a key reason for Northwestern’s struggles last season. The line didn’t project to be a strength from the get-go, and then went through a maelstrom of injuries. Nine different players started, seven different starting lineups were used, big reasons why the Wildcats finished 128th in the nation in scoring and averaged just 3.3 yards per carry in the running game.
The Wildcats want to flip the script in 2025. If they want to be more productive offensively, they’ll need better play from the offensive line
The starting five is a work in progress
“That starting five, you know, every practice, and even throughout practice, is constantly changing,” said head coach David Braun about the offensive line at his first press conference of fall camp. “There is truly competitive depth in that room… You can walk off the practice field and start to feel like you have eight guys that can play a full game in the Big Ten and play winning Big Ten football.”
There’s good news and bad news there. Braun is clearly more confident in what his team can be up front, but it’s also indicative they are still shuffling the puzzle pieces less than three weeks before the season, and our practice report confirmed it.
Jack Bailey and Gray are practicing but could be still working back into shape from injuries. Bailey tore his ACL against Washington in Week 4 last fall, while Gray suffered a lower body injury that caused him to miss most of spring practice.
Regardless, Northwestern may feel good about their depth in this unit, but they’re still trying to figure things out in fall.
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? | 4. Can an influx of transfers boost the defense? l 5. Can Northwestern find production at tight end? | 6. Will Northwestern’s corners be better this season after losing Johnson?
Time is of the essence
““There are plenty of guys in that room right now that have no clue whether or not they’ll be the first one running out against Tulane,” Braun said. “Competition is good for everybody.”
Competition and depth is good. Injury is a brutal fact of the sport, and having more and better players ready to step up to the task is crucial. But offensive line is a unique position and the more time the starting unit can spend together, the better off they will be.
The Wildcats don’t have much time to work out growing pains. They’re 6.5-point underdogs at Tulane in their opening on Aug. 30. They have a brief respite against FCS Western Illinois, but then they’ll host Oregon in Week 3. Their clock starts straight away.
Success on the offensive line is built by chemistry and connection. If Northwestern wants to head down to a certainly sweltering New Orleans and upset Tulane, they need as much certainty as possible. There will be no time for trial runs against the Green Wave. And there is no more important test to ace straight away than finding the right starting five up front.
