Northwestern gets surprise late addition in transfer QB Nicco Marchiol
The 2025 season has wrapped up. All eyes now turn to the transfer portal.
The portal will be officially open on Jan. 2 – 16, but players began announcing their intentions well before and after that.
The 2025 transfer class saw 16 players transfer in and 13 players transfer out of Northwestern’s program by the time it was all said and done.
To help you keep track, WildcatReport will tally all of the players coming into or heading out of the Wildcat program in this cycle right here.
INCOMING TRANSFERS
QB Nicco Marchiol
Position: Quarterback
Years of eligibility remaining: Two
Previous school: West Virginia
Northwestern got a surprise late addition to its 2026 transfer class on March 16 when former West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol committed to the Wildcats.
Marchiol started the first four games last season for the Mountaineers before sustaining a foot injury. He completed just over 66% of his passes for 720 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 57 yards and another TD rushing. Marchiol was eventually was awarded a medical redshirt, meaning he has two years remaining.
Over his career, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound dual-threat QB appeared in 23 games in Morgantown and threw for 1,462 yards, with 10 TDs and seven INTs. He also ran for 342 yards and four more scores.
Ranked as a four-star in the Class of 2022 out of Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton, Marchiol collected a dazzling offer list that included Georgia, Michigan, Penn State and USC.
DL Glory Stephen-Wangboje
Position: Defensive lineman
Years of eligibility remaining: Two
Previous school: Sacred Heart
Northwestern picked up their second defensive lineman in two days with the commitment of Scared Heart defensive lineman Glory Stephen-Wangboje.
Stephen-Wangboje is 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds and entered the portal after a breakout season with 29 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack for the Pioneers. The Wildcats had been on a run of additions from blueblood programs out of the portal lately, but this is a more traditional move for them, adding a player with proven production from the FCS ranks.
He is the first interior defensive line add for the Wildcats out of the portal, a position where they sorely need reinforcements after losing both starting tackles, Carmine Bastone and Najee Story, to graduation.
MORE ON STEPHEN-WANGBOJE: Northwestern hopes DT transfer Glory Stephen-Wangboje will be latest FCS success story
DE Dominic Kirks
Position: Defensive end
Years of eligibility remaining: Three
Previous school: Ohio State
Northwestern addressed a critical need on Wednesday when sophomore edge rusher Dominic Kirks from Ohio State committed to the Wildcats.
Kirks is a 6-foot-4, 267-pounder who played in just six total games in his career as a Buckeye, three in each of the last two seasons. He registered just two tackles while playing for famed OSU defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
However, Kirks is a player with high upside. He was a Rivals150, four-star prospect out of Cleveland (Ohio) Riverside in the Class of 2024. He initially committed to Washington but flipped to Ohio State late in the 2024 recruiting cycle. He had a total of 11 offers from Big Ten programs.
Kirks should give the Wildcats’ pass rush a boost after losing starters Aidan Hubbard (graduation) and Anto Saka (transfer), as well as backup Richie Hagarty.
RB Gavin Sawchuk
Position: Running back
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Florida State
Northwestern signed veteran running back Gavin Sawchuk from Florida State on Monday, their second addition to their running backs room out of the portal.
Sawchuk had 109 carries for 486 yards and eight touchdowns for the Seminoles as a redshirt junior last season and is looking to cap off his college career with a final season in Evanston.
The 5-foot-11, 197-pounder joins an experienced running back room that is returning Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II. With Sawchuk and Mar’Kel Porter from Bowling Green as incoming transfers, the running backs room is now up to seven players (eight if you count tight end Robby Preckel, who served as a short-yardage back last season).
Still, it’s a position where plenty of players can see action. In new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly‘s last season at Ohio State in 2024, three different running backs got 49 or more carries, plus quarterback Will Howard carried the ball 105 times. It’s a rush-heavy attack and Sawchuk is likely to be firmly in the mix for carries.
Sawchuk committed to Oklahoma out of high school from Littleton (Colo.) Valor Christian as a four-star recruit and the No. 10 running back in the Class of 2022. He spent three seasons with the Sooners, totaling 176 carries for 977 yards and 11 touchdowns before transferring to Florida State.
RB Mar’Kel Porter
Position: Running back
Years of eligibility remaining: Three
Previous school: Bowling Green
Mar’Kel Porter, a redshirt freshman from Bowling Green, committed to Northwestern on Saturday, according to his agent.
A 6-foot-1, 220-pounder, Porter played in 12 games for the Falcons in 2025 and made two starts. He didn’t get much action on the field, rushing for 93 yards on 31 carries with two touchdowns, and added seven receptions for 70 yards.
Porter redshirted his true freshman year in 2024 but still got into two games. He finished with four carries for 11 yards.
Northwestern returns their top two running backs next season in Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II next season. However, the Wildcats lost No. 3 back Dashun Reeder to the portal; Porter figures to take Reeder’s spot on the roster.
A three-star prospect out of Duncanville (Tex.), Porter chose Bowling Green over an offer from Purdue in the Class of 2024.
OT Arkel Anugwom
Position: Offensive tackle
Years of eligibility remaining: Two
Previous school: Alabama
Northwestern continued to remake its offensive line on Saturday, adding offensive tackle Arkel Anugwom from Alabama. He is the third tackle the Wildcats have added in this transfer portal cycle.
Anugwom, a 6-foot-6, 328-pound redshirt sophomore, hasn’t played much football in his career. He played in just one game for CFP-qualifier Alabama this season, logging four snaps against Eastern Illinois in November.
A three-star prospect out of Antioch (Tenn.), Anugwom played just one year of high school football and started his career at Ball State. He redshirted the 2023 season and played in four games in 2024 before transferring to the Crimson Tide.
LS Evan Boutorwick
Position: Long snapper
Years of eligibility remaining: Three
Previous school: Michigan
Long snapper Evan Boutorwick is a rarity: a graduate transfer with three years of eligibility left. He comes to Northwestern with a degree, but not much experience. He is one of two long snappers on the roster, along with Jack Florentine.
Boutorwick has good size at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds. He spent four years at Michigan but played in just one game, the last of his career in Ann Arbor — the Wolverines’ loss to Texas in the Cheez-It Bowl on Dec. 31.
He is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. Boutorwick was a five-star long snapper out of Macomb (Mich.) Henry Ford II and ranked as the No. 12 long snapper in the 2022 class by Rubio Long Snapping.
CB Montae Pate
Position: Cornerback
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Weber State
Long cornerbacks are at a premium in college football, and Northwestern landed one out of the transfer portal in Montae Pate from Weber State. He committed on Jan. 9, after an official visit, and has one year of eligibility remaining.
Pate had a standout 2025 season for Weber State, recording 53 tackles, 10 passes defensed, 5 TFL and 1 interception for the Wildcats. He was a first-team All-Big Sky conference selection.
Originally from North Las Vegas (Nev.) Legacy, Pate redshirted his freshman year in 2022, appearing in three games. For his career, he has 93 tackles, 17 PDs and two interceptions in 34 games for the Wildcats.
Pate figures to be an outside cornerback for the Wildcats and should slot into a starting role.
TE Luke Dehnicke
Position: Tight end
Years of eligibility remaining: Three
Previous school: Minnesota-Duluth
Northwestern picked up a weapon for new quarterback Aidan Chiles on Jan. 8 when first-team Division II All-American tight end Luke Dehnicke signed with the Wildcats.
The athletic redshirt freshman put up some monster monster numbers at Minnesota-Duluth this season, registering 61 catches for 1,119 yards and 14 touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs in all three categories — by a TON. The next highest stats in each category were 28, 306 and 3. He was ranked as the No. 13 tight end in the Transfer Portal in this cycle by On3 and has three years of eligibility remaining.
Dehnicke’s season highlight came against the University of Mary, when he had eight catches for 230 yards and four touchdowns, including a 75-yard score, in a 54-32 Bulldogs win.
MORE ON DEHNICKE: TE Luke Dehnicke is taking his shot at Northwestern
OT Grant Seagren
Position: Offensive tackle
Years of eligibility remaining: Two
Previous school: Oklahoma State
Northwestern continued to rebuild its offensive line on Jan. 8. when tackle Grant Seagren announced his commitment after an official visit.
Seagren, a 6-foot-6, 311-pounder, started all 12 games at right tackle for Oklahoma State last season. He didn’t allow any sacks in 405 pass attempts, according to PFF.com.
A three-star prospect out of Oakland (Neb.) Craig, Seagren walked on at Nebraska in 2023 and spent his first two years playing for the home-state Huskers. He redshirted in 2023 and played in seven games in 2024, making the Academic All-Big Ten team.
Northwestern is looking to rebuild its offensive line after losing four starters from last season, including both tackles. Seagren could easily slide into a starting role for the Wildcats.
TE Alex Honig
Position: Tight end
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: UConn
Northwestern made a massive addition at tight end in 6-foot-7, 270-pound Alex Honig from UConn, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported on Jan. 7.
All three of Northwestern’s top tight ends in snaps — Lawson Albright, Hunter Welcing and Blake Van Buren — will move on after the season, so this was certainly a position of need for the Wildcats.
Honig came to the United States as a quarterback in the Class of 2021 from Schwäbisch Hall in Munich, Germany. He committed to TCU, where he redshirted his first season, moved to tight end and appeared on special teams for the Horned Frogs in 2022.
He then transferred to UConn from 2023-25. Injury limited him to just two games in 2023 and provided a medical redshirt year. He finished with 19 catches for 221 yards and six touchdowns in his two years as a Husky.
No returning tight end has caught a touchdown for Northwestern, so there should be plenty of opportunity for Honig to compete for the starting job right away.
K Jackson Kleather
Position: Kicker
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Bowling Green
Bowling Green kicker Jackson Kleather committed to Northwestern on Jan. 7, a day after wrapping up his official visit in Evanston.
Kleather was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2025. He went 19-for-22 on field goals for the Falcons to earn second-team All-MAC honors. His long was 56 yards against Lafayette, on a day when he went 4-for-4 on field goals. For the season, he hit three field goals of over 50 yards, and six over 40.
A true junior, Kleather kicked for two seasons at Bowling Green. He went 6-for-9 in 2024 to give him a career percentage of 80.7%.
Kleather will replace Jack Olsen, Northwestern’s starting kicker who entered the transfer portal for his seventh and final year of eligibility.
QB Aidan Chiles
Position: Quarterback
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Michigan State
Northwestern got its quarterback on Tuesday when former Michigan State signal caller Aidan Chiles committed to the Wildcats out of the transfer portal while visiting Evanston.
Chiles began his career at Oregon State and played in nine games as a backup in 2023. He then followed head coach Jonathan Smith to East Lansing and transferred to Michigan State. He started all 12 games for the Spartans in 2024, completing 59.4% of his throws for 2,415 yards, with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, along with 225 yards and three TDs on the ground.
This season, Chiles was benched halfway through the season. He completed 63.1% of his passes for 1,392 yards and a considerably better 10-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He added 227 yards and six scores rushing.
Chiles has had an up-and-down career, but new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly‘s system appears to be a better fit for his dual-threat skill set. Chiles was a four-star prospect out of Downey (Calif.) in 2023 and chose Oregon State over offers from Oregon, Washington, Cal and others.
EDGE Jamaal Johnson
Position: Defensive end
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: UCF
Former UCF EDGE Jamaal Johnson committed to Northwestern out of the transfer portal to become the second Wildcat the program added on Jan. 6.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder played in all 12 games for UCF in 2025, recording 24 tackles and 1.5 TFL. For his career, he accumulated 38 tackles, 3.5 TFL and one sack in 31 games.
The Wildcats are losing three of their top four defensive ends in Aidan Hubbard, Anto Saka and Richie Hagarty. Johnson figures to slot in as an early-down DE.
Johnson was a three-star prospect out of Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade and chose the Knights over offers from Miami, Indiana, Ole Miss, Kentucky and others.
LB Kobie McKinzie
Position: Linebacker
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Oklahoma
Northwestern added Oklahoma linebacker Kobie McKinzie out of the transfer portal on Jan. 6.
McKinzie started eight games for the Sooners last season per PFF before a groin injury caused him to miss the Tennessee game and come off the bench for the remaining four games, including the playoff matchup with Alabama. He recorded 32 tackles, 6.5 TFL and a sack in 2025, and had 84 tackles in three seasons with the Sooners.
McKinzie was a four-star recruit out of Lubbock (Tex.) Cooper in the Class of 2022 and committed to the Sooners over offers from Texas, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, USC and more.
The Wildcats have been looking for a player out of the portal to replace linebacker Mac Uihlein alongside Braydon Brus. McKinzie will be the prohibitive favorite to step into that starting role in 2026.
CB Brenden Deasfernandes
Position: Cornerback
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Central Michigan
Deasfernandes is Northwestern’s first addition out of the portal since their bowl game and their second overall, committing to the Wildcats on his official visit. He cancelled a planned visit to Purdue, and also had interest from Minnesota and Virginia Tech.
Deasfernandes recored 39 tackles and 11 PBUs in two years with the Chippewas. He caught Northwestern’s eye after recording four PBUs in the GameAbove Sports Bowl against the Wildcats.
Deasfernandes bagan his career in the Big Ten at Iowa in 2020. He didn’t see any game action in his first two years in Iowa City and then suffered a season-ending injury after playing in just one game in 2022. He played in all 13 games for the Hawkeyes as a redshirt junior in 2023, recording two tackles.
MORE ON DEASFERNANDES: Grad transfer CB Brenden Deasfernandes commits to Northwestern
OT David Anchondo
Position: Offensive tackle
Years of eligibility remaining: Two
Previous school: Saginaw Valley State (Division II)
Northwestern got their first transfer on Dec. 11, when Division II tackle David Anchondo of Saginaw Valley State announced his commitment. Anchondo, who stands 6-foot-8, visited Northwestern on Dec. 1 and earned his offer on Dec. 2. He also visited Florida Atlantic, and reported interest from “multiple schools at the Power Four and G5 level.”
Anchondo played right tackle at Saginaw Valley State and will likely play the same position at Northwestern.
MORE ON ANCHONDO: ‘Northwestern felt special since Day 1,’ says new tackle transfer David Anchondo | Tackle David Anchondo is Northwestern’s first transfer commit
OUTGOING TRANSFERS
TE Hunter Welcing
Position: Tight end
Years of eligibility left: One
Destination: Ohio State
Tight end Hunter Welcing entered the portal as a graduate transfer on Jan. 8 and will play his sixth and final season elsewhere. The news came as a bit of a surprise, as Welcing told the media that 2025 would be his last as a player — though much has changed at Northwestern since then.
Welcing overcame a couple major injuries to enjoy a breakout season in 2025. He had 28 catches for 296 yards and two touchdowns to become a weapon in the passing game, after accumulating just one catch over his four previous years. Welcing sat out all of 2020 and 2022 due to injuries, and played in just four games in 2021 for a redshirt year. He then played in eight and 12 games in 2023 and 2024 respectively, snagging his first career catch in the latter.
Welcing was a three-star prospect out of Lake Zurich (Ill.) in 2020 and chose NU over Western Michigan.
C Talan Chandler
Position: Center
Years of eligibility left: Three
Destination: Arkansas State
Northwestern fans barely got to know redshirt freshman center Talan Chandler, who played just one season in Evanston. He transferred into Northwestern last spring after one year at Missouri. He entered the portal on Jan. 8, though the move wasn’t posted on social media as of this posting.
Chandler, a 6-foot-2, 300-pounder, played in just two games for the Wildcats this season, against Western Illinois and ULM in the non-conference part of the schedule. He played in just one game at Mizzou and redshirted in his freshman year.
A three-star prospect out of Nevada (Mo.), Chandler initially committed to Colorado but flipped to Missouri before signing day.
G Nick Herzog
Position: Guard
Years of eligibility left: Two
Destination: South Dakota
Redshirt junior guard Nick Herzog entered the transfer portal on Jan. 8 after four years at Northwestern. He already has his Bachelor’s degree, and will get his Master’s from Kellogg in June.
Herzog played both guard and tackle but was never able to carve out a niche during his time at Northwestern. He didn’t see any action and redshirted in 2022, and then played in just five games over the next two seasons as he battled injuries. He appeared in four games this past season, including the Wildcats’ bowl win over Central Michigan.
A three-star prospect out of Stilwell (Kan.) Blue Valley, Herzog chose Northwestern over offers from six other Power Four programs, including Iowa, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
RB Dashun Reeder
Position: Running back
Years of eligibility left: Three
Destination: UConn
Freshman running back Dashun Reeder entered the transfer portal on Jan. 6.
Reeder showed some flashes as a redshirt freshman in 2025, rushing for 222 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown in limited duty as the Wildcats’ No. 3 running back. He had a 79-yard run against Oregon for a touchdown that turned out to be his career highlight in purple.
He made appearances in seven games in all, with a high of 11 carries against ULM for 79 yards.
Reeder was a three-star prospect out of Greenville (S.C.) Christ Church Episcopal in 2024. He chose Northwestern over offers from Georgia Tech and UConn.
K Jack Olsen
Position: Kicker
Years of eligibility left: One
Destination: Miami
Kicker Jack Olsen surprised Northwestern fans with his decision to enter the transfer portal with one year remaining, as many thought that 2025, his sixth season of college football, would be his last. Olsen had redshirted the 2020 and 2021 seasons already and saw limited time in 2022, which could become his medical redshirt season. He was the Wildcats’ starting kicker from 2023-25, playing in 30 games.
Olsen went 40-for-51 on field goals, with a career long of 47, and 69-for-70 on extra points. His graduate season in 2025 was his best, when Olsen, affectionately known as the Milkman for his celebrations after made kicks, was 19-for-21 with a long of 41 yards. His field goals decided the 22-21 win over Penn State and the 38-35 win over Minnesota, and he made three in each of those games.
Olsen, from Wheaton (Ill.) Warrenville South, committed to Michigan State out of high school in the Class of 2020 before transferring to Northwestern after one season with the Spartans.
EDGE Anto Saka
Position: Edge
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Destination: Texas A&M
On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Northwestern EDGE Anto Saka entered the transfer portal on Jan. 4. The post came within an hour of reports that Northwestern’s defensive line coach Christian Smith had been hired by Penn State to coach defensive ends. Smith has been Saka’s position coach for all three seasons he’s played at Northwestern, and with Saka’s no-contact tag, the Nittany Lions are his logical destination.
Saka started the 2025 season as a redshirt junior with NFL draft aspirations, and was even projected to be taken in the first round by some analysts. But the redshirt junior ended up with just three sacks on the year and is looking for one more season of college ball to make his case to NFL general managers.
He finishes his three-season career with the Wildcats with 12 sacks, the 5.5 he recorded as a redshirt freshman in 2023 remain his most in a single season.
Saka was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022 that committed to Northwestern over Penn State and USC, the other two finalists in his Top 3.
CB Evan Smith
Position: Cornerback
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Destination: Duke
Northwestern cornerback Evan Smith intends to enter the transfer portal, per ESPN’s Max Olson.
Smith started four games at the start of the 2024 season after Ore Adeyi‘s season ending injury, but ended up coming off the bench to accommodate the rise of Josh Fussell. In 2025, Smith appeared in eight games, playing a season-high 37 snaps at Nebraska as injuries mounted. But he spent most the season as the fourth cornerback behind Fussell, Fred Davis II and Adeyi.
Over his career, Smith totaled 42 tackles, five PBUs, 2.5 TFL and one interception.
Smith, who was a high school quarterback, was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022 that committed to the Wildcats over offers from Duke, Coastal Carolina and Tulane.
DB Dillon Tatum
Position: Defensive back
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Destination: Miami (Ohio)
Northwestern defensive back Dillon Tatum announced his intention to transfer on New Year’s Day after one season with the Wildcats.
Tatum transferred to Northwestern in 2025 after three years at Michigan State, following NU safeties coach Harlon Barnett, who made the same move. He played in 12 of 13 games for the Wildcats this season, totaling 17 tackles and one pass breakup playing primarily as a reserve safety and nickelback.
Tatum has one year of eligibility remaining after getting injured in the season opener at Michigan State in 2024 and missing the rest of the season.
RB Albert Kunickis III
Position: Running back
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Destination: TBD
Redshirt junior Albert Kunickis III announced on X on Dec. 29 that he is entering the transfer portal, becoming the second Wildcat to do so, and the first since Northwestern’s bowl win on Dec. 26.
Kunickis is an inspirational story: a player born with one arm that ends just below the elbow who became a star at Lemont (Ill.). He arrived at Northwestern as a preferred walkon in the Class of 2022 but was never able to carve out a role for the Wildcats. He expressed some frustration over his lack of playing time in a Chicago Sun-Times story in 2025, so his transfer doesn’t come as a surprise.
He recorded one carry for three yards in 2024, the lone rush of his career. He did not see action in 2025.
OT Hayden Wright
Position: Offensive tackle
Years of eligibility remaining: Four
Destination: Houston
Hayden Wright announced his intention to enter the portal on Dec. 15, 11 days before Northwestern’s bowl game. Wright was a three-star recruit from Humble (Tex.) Kingwood in the Class of 2025, committing to the Wildcats late in the cycle on Oct. 29, 2024. He picked the Wildcats over competing offers from Army, Houston, North Texas, Texas State, UTSA and more.
Wright did not play this season at Northwestern and redshirted. The addition of four offensive tackles in Northwestern’s incoming Class of 2026 likely informed his decision.
