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The NFL is beyond us, but football isn’t. Thanks to the XFL, there are more ‘Cats to monitor in the world of professional football, and we’ll be tracking them each week. Let’s check out how the Wildcats fared this past week:
Flynn Nagel - WR, Dallas Renegades
The most productive Wildcat of the week, Nagel proved that his football career is far from over, racking up six catches for 43 yards. His first catch was also the first for the Renegades franchise, as the Northwestern football Twitter account made sure to note.
First reception in @XFLRenegades history: @All_I_DoIsFLYNN
— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) February 10, 2020
And for a first down, of course. #GoCats | #ProCats
pic.twitter.com/r4Pk79DIvu
The Lemont, Illinois, native came into the XFL as an underdog, but he’ll have a chance to really prove his talent and possible NFL prospects in Dallas.
Godwin Igwebuike, S - Seattle Dragons
The safety featured on a number of NFL rosters over the past couple of years, but like Nagel, he’ll have a shot to prove himself in the XFL and pave a route to the league. In his first outing, he did just that, recording four tackles and two tackles for loss.
Jordan Thompson, DT - Seattle Dragons
Seattle represents Thompson’s first real shot to excel in the world of pro football. One of the last players added to the 49ers 90-man squad last year, Thompson never came close to cracking the 53-player roster in San Francisco, nor its practice squad. In his first appearance, Thompson was productive, amassing two tackles and a tackle for loss.
Hunter Niswander - P, DC Defenders
A former star special teamer for the ‘Cats, Niswander had the honor of literally kicking off the XFL’s season.
Former Northwestern Wildcats punter Hunter Niswander starts the new XFL with the league’s first kickoff. #ProCats pic.twitter.com/H2xfdwIg04
— Ryan Lindley (@RLins12) February 8, 2020
Niswander averaged 47 yards on his four punts, but more impressively, pinned the Dragons inside their own 20 on two occasions. Out of all the NU alums that are on this list, he arguably has the best chance to parlay any XFL success into a chance in the NFL, though the position doesn’t provide much flexibility due to its lack of backups on rosters.
Kyle Queiro - S, Seattle Dragons
The ex-Cowboy didn’t record any statistic on the defensive side of the ball, but he notched a tackle on special teams. If he has the chance to make a bigger impact on defense, hopefully Queiro can display the same playmaking ability he had in Evanston.