by Kevin Trahan (@k_trahan)
Ranking the Opposing Quarterbacks
Though Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson are gone, the Big Ten returns a number of good quarterbacks this season, most of whom NU must face. PurpleWildcats.com's Chris Emma ranked the top five opposing signal callers that the Wildcats will see this season, and not surprisingly, Michigan's Denard Robinson came out on top:
Robinson is a true dual-threat who could become the career leader in rushing yards for a quarterback during his senior season. In 2011, Robinson tallied all-purpose yards against Northwestern, the third-best single-game yardage total in Michigan's long football history.
NU must improve on defense if it wants to find a way to contain Robinson, but the Cats will also face a number of other solid quarterbacks, including Iowa's James Vandenberg and Nebraska's Taylor Martinez. Which five quarterbacks are you worried about the most? Let us know in the comments below.
Looking Ahead to September
September is less than two months away and training camp is nearly one month off, so with that in mind, Lake the Posts did a quick preview/prospectus of what NU fans should expect to see this year, including true freshmen who will contribute and more.
They go with superback Jack Schwaba as a freshman who will be a major contributor, and given NU's depth at that position, I have to agree. Though they also list Malin Jones, who will almost certainly see the field for the Wildcats at running back.
Check out the whole prospectus, including a recruiting recap, here.
Basketball Notes
It's rare that basketball is such a hot topic at Northwestern during the summer, but given the buzz in recruiting and this year's newcomers, Bill Carmody's group has seen its share of the spotlight over the past few months.
I'll be at practice today and hope to get some good notes, but in the meantime, check out our own Jonah Rosenblum's article on the cautious optimism NU fans should have about the addition of Chier Ajou.
Rosenblum also had two basketball columns last week, one on John Shurna and another on Jaren Sina. And in case you missed it, Chris Johnson has analysis on Juice Thompson's invitation to play for the New Orleans Hornets' summer league team.