Paddy Fisher coming back to Northwestern for final year

Any concerns about Northwestern losing its best defensive player to the draft were quelled on Tuesday, as Teddy Greenstein reported that the fifth-year senior will be returning to Evanston for his final season.

It isn’t a shock to see Fisher make the decision to return, but the possibility of the linebacker leaving for the draft was certainly there. Entering the 2019 season, Fisher was mocked as a first round pick, but a less than stellar year statistically likely contributed to his decision to remain in college.

Fisher recorded 100+ tackles in his previous two seasons, but regressed in 2019, only recording 88 tackles. He also amassed four forced fumbles in his sophomore and junior campaigns, but only earned one this past year.

The result for Fisher is a defining final season, in which he’ll lead the Northwestern defense and have a chance to establish his draft stock while potentially bringing the Wildcats back to glory. For now, we can rejoice as Northwestern fans, as #42 will be coming back for one last ride.