Inside NU - Northwestern Football’s Top 10 Most Important Players for 2018Roll Damn 'Catshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52532/insidenu_fav.png2018-06-30T08:25:02-05:00http://www.insidenu.com/rss/stream/172419992018-06-30T08:25:02-05:002018-06-30T08:25:02-05:00Northwestern football’s most important players — No. 1: Clayton Thorson
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<img alt="Northwestern v Nebraska" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BdxY3nrbZ39nNzi78fz_4lQS0gU=/6x0:3000x1996/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60228781/871047014.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>For a fourth straight year, Thorson tops the list.</p> <p id="stEEsL"><em>To kick off a summer of football at Inside NU, we are counting down Northwestern’s Top 10 Most Important Players in 2018. We’ve put our heads together as a staff, used the unruly power of democracy, and </em><a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/18/17476336/inside-nu-northwestern-football-most-important-players-2018-rankings-clayton-thorson-nate-hall"><em><strong>created a list</strong></em></a><em> that will undoubtedly cause plenty of disagreement.</em></p>
<p id="5Cpt0Y"><em>Every staffer we polled ranked </em><span><em>Thorson</em></span><em> at the top of their list. There’s not much to argue about in terms of actual rankings. Instead, we’ll debate what we can expect from Thorson— assuming he’s under center against Purdue. How can he improve? What does a successful season from the fourth-year signal-caller look like?</em></p>
<p id="ng1LeS"><strong>Davis Rich (Rank: 1)</strong></p>
<p id="JOD3Lh">I ranked <span>Clayton Thorson</span> first, just like everyone else did, for a couple reasons. The self-evident reason is that quarterback is the single most important position on the field. Offenses don’t move without solid quarterback play, and signal-callers must be quick-thinking, authoritative, and decisive in a way other positions don’t need to be. If we had know <span>TJ Green</span> or <span>Aidan Smith</span> was the quarterback at this point (which they aren’t, we wouldn’t bury that lede), they would have ranked No. 1 here as well.</p>
<p id="TpsGEP">Thorson is still even more important because of his experience. He’s not a world-beater, but three-year starters don’t grow on trees, and Thorson has taken a ton of snaps, thrown a ton of passes, and played in a lot of huge games. If he’s not able to go on August 30, the Wildcat signal-caller will be someone who hasn’t done any of those things. And his first start will be a Big Ten road game. Gulp.</p>
<p id="zHAKuc">The Wildcat offense wasn’t particularly overwhelming last year. I’m going to quote Bill Connelly <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/6/28/17496908/northwestern-football-2018-preview-schedule-roster">in his Northwestern preview that dropped Thursday</a>:</p>
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<p id="lqnJ4K">When Northwestern was rolling last year, the offense was still only so good. The Wildcats avoided negative plays (on the ground, anyway), created third-and-manageables, moved the chains a couple of times to flip the field, and punted. </p>
<p id="KsyIqH">There were minimal big plays (they were 120th in IsoPPP, which measures the magnitude of your successful plays), and there was only temporary efficiency. It worked because the defense was so good.</p>
<p id="mN69tD">This dynamic probably won’t change in 2018. For starters, the defense might be awesome again, and with a seasoned offensive line (seven players, including four seniors, have combined for 103 starts), the run blocking should be rather glitch-free again.</p>
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<p id="I1AYet">So here’s my take. Thorson was good, not great last year. Without spring ball and extensive time to train, he’s probably not going to get that much better. If Northwestern’s offense is going to go to the next level, the blockers and playmakers need to step up.</p>
<p id="4RejWF">Is that too hot?</p>
<h4 id="CkncW8"><strong>Talia Hendel (Rank: 1)</strong></h4>
<p id="XmmSq8">I don’t completely disagree with Davis’s take, but I will say this. I don’t think that Thorson’s perch at the top of our lists is simply due to fairly solid stats and the normality of his role at the quarterback position. I would argue that it is not simply the amount of time he’s spent on the field that has earned him our top spot, but rather the confidence and leadership he will undoubtedly continue to exhibit.</p>
<p id="ziO82U">There’s a reason that Thorson almost <em>never </em>comes out. Davis is right, he hasn’t been the perfect image of consistency nor has he made every heroic play in crunch time. However, the inherent trust that this offense — and particularly Coach Fitz — have in him speaks volumes, <em>especially</em> due to the fact that he has made mistakes. </p>
<p id="HpJCoU">Sure, the offensive line got off to a discombobulated start and the receivers took some time to fill <span>Austin Carr</span>’s role, but I don’t think the Wildcats’ offense is solely dependent on improvement in those areas. Of course, it’ll help, but both of those position groups showed vast improved in the latter part of the season and there’s no reason that shouldn’t continue. But instead of suggesting that is a reason to bet against Thorson and argue that the wideouts and offensive line will make or break this offense, I’d say in many ways, Thorson was the underrated glue that kept the offense together. If he was able to lead the team to 10 wins with uncertainty in various areas of the offense throughout much of the early part of last season, I see no reason why he shouldn’t raise his game with a more settled and experienced squad surrounding him this season.</p>
<h4 id="O0QZ0r"><strong>Davis: </strong></h4>
<p id="QUoy47">Thorson made a huge leap following his freshman season, when the team won ten games despite poor production from its signal-caller. But between his sophomore and junior season, Thorson’s passing yards, touchdowns, and quarterback rating dropped, while his interceptions increased. Thorson was outstanding in Northwestern’s signature 2017 win, a triple-overtime thriller against Michigan State. Yet he was terrible against Duke and Penn State, combined for four interceptions against two scoring drives in those games.</p>
<p id="eZjNvO">It’s incredibly important for Thorson to be under center for Northwestern in 2018 because of his experience. However, I’m not expecting him to take another leap this fall and become an all-Big Ten quarterback. I’m expecting his production to be somewhere in the range of what he produced during his sophomore and junior seasons. If Northwestern’s offense is to improve drastically, it needs to get more explosive— through a deep-ball threat or a home-run hitting running back. Thorson doesn’t figure too heavily into that. Some more pass protection (Northwestern was ninth in the Big Ten with 2.4 sacks allowed per game last year) wouldn’t hurt either.</p>
<h4 id="wDdaHj"><strong>Talia:</strong></h4>
<p id="N9m4qg">Although it is true that Thorson had a couple of his poorest performances of his career last season, he didn’t only lead his team to one overtime win, but three. His ability to come through in each of those performances was the difference between a 7-6 season and a 10-3 season. Sure, he struggled at times. But pulling out those wins not only meant the difference between playing for a bowl game title and getting left out of the running, but also provided intangible positives. It showed his teammates that he could and would stay calm and come through when the pressure was on. </p>
<p id="W9aPSr">I agree that he may not rise to all-Big Ten levels, but I think his production may be better with a more experience offensive line and group of wideouts. It’s absolutely true that an improvement in pass protection wouldn’t hurt— in fact I think it could make a huge difference. Having just a few extra seconds to settle and not have to be as concerned about scrambling out of the pocket could work wonders for completion stats and allow for significantly more deep throws to speed up the offensive drive. Of course, I’d love to see a decrease in interceptions and increase in passing efficiency, but I stand by the fact that I expect both those changes to happen and have full faith in Thorson’s ability to lead this team to another 10-win season. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/30/17516584/northwestern-football-most-important-players-no-1-clayton-thorson-quarterback-summer-previewDavis RichTalia Hendel2018-06-29T07:45:01-05:002018-06-29T07:45:01-05:00Northwestern football’s most important players — No. 2: Nate Hall
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Michigan State at Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oJ2P0ZY9ygkZuZTfa1NbP8Oln68=/0x0:2365x1577/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60218775/usa_today_10374936.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Hall is coming off of a monster season. </p> <p id="ZktIRe"><em>To kick off a summer of football at Inside NU, we are counting down Northwestern’s Top 10 Most Important Players in 2018. We’ve put our heads together as a staff, used the unruly power of democracy, and </em><a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/18/17476336/inside-nu-northwestern-football-most-important-players-2018-rankings-clayton-thorson-nate-hall"><em><strong>created a list</strong></em></a><em> that will undoubtedly cause plenty of disagreement.</em></p>
<p id="lPPr7k"><em>We’ve chosen to loosely define the criteria for our list as the players “who will have the biggest impact on the overall outcome of the season.” However, we recognize that that’s still open to interpretation. For some, it could mean the value of a player over his replacement. It could just mean best player. It could mean players in crucial roles. It could mean players who have underperformed who need to step up.</em></p>
<p id="RlEavf"><em>One thing is certain though: no two lists will be the same. That’s why for each player, we’ll enlist two of our writers to debate the merits of the player in question.</em></p>
<p id="TrqcPK"><em>We’ve made it to No. 2 on the list: linebacker Nate Hall. </em></p>
<p id="OSztNI"><strong>Caleb Friedman (Rank: 2): </strong>Noah and I both have Hall at number two on our lists, but we’ll come at it from different angles. I’ll leave it to Noah to explain the importance of a playmaking linebacker in a defense positionally, and I’ll talk about his recover from injury.</p>
<p id="hhht5M">I think Hall’s knee surgery in the weeks ahead of the Music City Bowl was the single most underreported story from Northwestern’s offseason. It makes sense why — it happened during the dead time before the bowl game and Clayton Thorson was the bigger story. But, Hall underwent surgery for a serious knee injury too, and missed all of spring ball. He’s expected to be back healthy for the start of the season, but will he be the same player? Northwestern needs him to be. Hall was an explosive, big-play linebacker with a knack for timely plays. His interception against Michigan State might’ve been the defining play of the season (shoutout Justin Jackson’s overtime catch-and-run against Iowa and Kyle Queiro’s bowl game pick-six). </p>
<p id="z3Rcs6">So, while Paddy Fisher may have more <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/27/17504628/paddy-fisher-middle-linebacker-northwestern-football-feature-travis-whillock-katy-texas">hype</a> than Hall coming into the season, Hall is more important in my rankings because I have more questions about how he’ll perform this season. And, to be clear, those questions are in no way talent-related — Nate Hall’s a stud. I just wonder if he’ll fully recover, especially at a position where speed and explosiveness are paramount. </p>
<p id="43BGmf"><strong>Noah Coffman (Rank: 2): </strong></p>
<p id="9occ3V">Hall’s knee poses significant questions for me as well, especially with his dependence, as an outside linebacker, on the ability to make sharp cuts (which the ACL is obviously key for). But his importance to this year’s Northwestern squad, for me, boils down more to his pure impact. With the departure of senior leaders like Tyler Lancaster, Kyle Queiro, Brett Walsh, and Godwin Igwebuike from Northwestern’s sterling defense, Hall will have to step into even more of a leadership role. That ability was displayed last year, but as one of just four projected senior defensive starters on Northwestern’s defense (Jordan Thompson and Montre Hartage, both highly ranked on this list as well, join Jared McGee as the others), Hall will have to take it to another level. </p>
<p id="g8wmQu">As Caleb mentioned, Hall will also have to contribute significantly on the field. He was a do-it-all guy for the Wildcats last year, registering just 0.5 less tackles than Godwin Igwebuike in addition to the team lead in TFLs (16.5), six pass breakups, and a number of huge plays. Hall’s constant presence in the backfield allows defensive linemen to not overextend themselves chasing runners, and was a huge reason why Paddy Fisher was able to consistently shoot gaps and rack up tackles. Without his consistency, Northwestern’s dominant run defense would take a significant hit. But Hall is far from one-dimensional. His numbers against the pass speak to his ability to both effectively blitz off the corner and roam the flats, again allowing Fisher to stay comfortable while opening up rushing lanes for the likes of Joe Gaziano. </p>
<p id="p1PbsJ">For all the big names around him, Nate Hall was the rock of Northwestern’s defense in 2017. This year, the linebacker is a prime candidate for the vaunted #1 jersey, and will almost certainly be named one of the team’s captains. Massive expectations, difficult injury rehab, and the burden of leadership add up to an immense amount of pressure on the leader of Northwestern’s best unit. How he responds to it will largely determine the Wildcats’ 2018 success.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/29/17516702/nate-hall-northwestern-football-season-previewCaleb FriedmanNoah Coffman2018-06-27T12:58:17-05:002018-06-27T12:58:17-05:00Northwestern football’s important players — No. 3: Montre Hartage
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Duke" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QRCVNOqLF81-HJRjRaUbWREoJVM=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60199537/usa_today_10268350.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>How will the loss of Northwestern’s starting safeties affect the production of their top corner?</p> <p id="ZktIRe"><em>To kick off a summer of football at Inside NU, we are counting down Northwestern’s Top 10 Most Important Players in 2018. We’ve put our heads together as a staff, used the unruly power of democracy, and </em><a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/18/17476336/inside-nu-northwestern-football-most-important-players-2018-rankings-clayton-thorson-nate-hall"><em>created a list</em></a><em> that will undoubtedly cause plenty of disagreement.</em></p>
<p id="lPPr7k"><em>We’ve chosen to loosely define the criteria for our list as the players “who will have the biggest impact on the overall outcome of the season.” However, we recognize that that’s still open to interpretation. For some, it could mean the value of a player over his replacement. It could just mean best player. It could mean players in crucial roles. It could mean players who have underperformed who need to step up.</em></p>
<p id="RlEavf"><em>One thing is certain though: no two lists will be the same. That’s why for each player, we’ll enlist two of our writers to debate the merits of the player in question.</em></p>
<p id="YG7EZ3"><span><em>Montre Hartage</em></span><em> slots in at No. 3.</em></p>
<p id="9wRgdg"><em> </em><strong>Noah Coffman (Rank: NR): </strong></p>
<p id="7qmQ8R">Look, I understand I’m wildly off the mean here. And I do expect Hartage to be a relatively important player this coming year — he barely missed my list. But I just don’t expect his responsibilities or output to change all that much, mainly because of the way Northwestern handles its cornerbacks. To me, the front seven and the safeties all have a greater effect on the game than corners in the predominant defensive scheme of the Wildcats.</p>
<p id="cqMYJp">For starters, Northwestern cornerbacks have virtually no effect on the run game. This holds true for most programs, but the Wildcats tend to exacerbate it by virtually never bringing run blitzes that involve their top two corners, preferring to leave their cover men on the outside at all times. As a result, Northwestern corners combined for just four of the team’s 110 run stuffs in 2017 — rush defense, the Wildcats’ biggest advantage last year, had virtually no correlation with the play of Hartage and his position mates.</p>
<p id="Qcvqgf">The above is why I think corners as a whole hold slightly diminished importance within Northwestern’s scheme. But even focusing on pass coverage, which arguably holds much more importance than its counterpart anyways, I don’t see a ton of new significance in Hartage’s responsibilities for this season. The senior will almost certainly reprise his role as Northwestern’s lead corner. Last season he was fine. There aren’t a lot of ways to really isolate a college cornerback’s pass coverage, but from Pro Football Focus’ mediocre 70.3 overall grade and the eye test, Hartage seemed to struggle against top Big Ten receivers by DJ Moore, while excelling as a sure open-field tackler and submitting decent performances against most other wide receiver corps. </p>
<p id="wSxYzg">That didn’t hurt Northwestern last year, and while it might be harder for the defense to swallow iffy corner play with younger safeties in the defensive backfield, there isn't a ton to suggest potential for significant improvement from Hartage. The few flashes of brilliance he showed last year came against markedly worse receivers, like that of Purdue, and the best parts of his game, like the tackling, don’t come with a ton of room for improvement. Essentially, I think the comportment of the new starting safeties along with the level of pressure from the front seven are much more subject to change than Hartage’s play, and will more likely determine Northwestern’s defensive success. </p>
<p id="DpnxB8"><strong>Graham Brennan (Rank: 3):</strong></p>
<p id="2wepQP">Have you seen the Pro Football Focus tweet of the 5 lowest passer ratings when targeted for <em>all</em> defensive backs since 2016? Two quick things: the stat is since 2016, so it encompasses the past two seasons, and it’s among <em>all </em>secondary members, so it includes safeties. </p>
<p id="ctXorS">Montre Hartage is 3<sup>rd</sup> on the list, with a passer rating against of 61.0. Considering Hartage has been Northwestern’s number one corner since the third game of 2016, when <span>Matthew Harris</span> retired due to medical reasons, that is an especially impressive statistic. </p>
<p id="4hMzyd">It’s also worth noting that three of the players in the top 5, <span>Clifton Duck</span> (Appalachian St.), <span>Shamad Lomax</span> (New Mexico St.) and <span>Blaise Taylor</span> (Arkansas St.), play (or played) in non-Power 5 conferences. </p>
<p id="1oZX3L">The only Power-5 defensive back with a lower passer rating against is <span>Minkah Fitzpatrick</span>, an All-<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/american">American</a> who was widely regarded as the best safety in college football. Fitzpatrick won a national championship in January before becoming the 11<sup>th</sup> pick in April’s <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL draft</a>. He will start for the Miami Dolphins in 2018. Again, he was the only Power Five defensive back better than Hartage against the pass the past couple seasons. Think about that. </p>
<p id="zWNSTn">Hartage also recorded 10 plays on the ball a season ago, tops among returning Big Ten CBs. </p>
<p id="XmLDbB">He can evidently play. </p>
<p id="uYGrNz">For any of you who dislike or don’t trust advanced analytics, Hartage had five interceptions in 2016 before quarterbacks stopped throwing at him. </p>
<p id="Q3uKiL">Northwestern’s 2018 front seven looks formidable. It returns two All-Big Ten teamers and one Freshman All-American. But the secondary lost Igwebuike and Quiero. It will be inexperienced and put to the test throughout the season.</p>
<p id="i5P1fh">For that reason, it’s extremely “important” that Hartage continues his stellar play in 2018.</p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/27/17508822/northwestern-football-important-players-no-3-montre-hartage-cornerback-summer-previewNoah CoffmanGraham Brennan2018-06-27T08:03:00-05:002018-06-27T08:03:00-05:00Northwestern football’s important players — No. 4: Paddy Fisher
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Music Bowl-Kentucky vs Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0WKErKD_FU0xG2tWspgpDw-e6TE=/0x0:4416x2944/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60193051/usa_today_10504490.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Fisher broke out in a major way last season. </p> <p id="ZktIRe"><em>To kick off a summer of football at Inside NU, we are counting down Northwestern’s Top 10 Most Important Players in 2018. We’ve put our heads together as a staff, used the unruly power of democracy, and </em><a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/18/17476336/inside-nu-northwestern-football-most-important-players-2018-rankings-clayton-thorson-nate-hall"><em><strong>created a list</strong></em></a><em> that will undoubtedly cause plenty of disagreement.</em></p>
<p id="lPPr7k"><em>We’ve chosen to loosely define the criteria for our list as the players “who will have the biggest impact on the overall outcome of the season.” However, we recognize that that’s still open to interpretation. For some, it could mean the value of a player over his replacement. It could just mean best player. It could mean players in crucial roles. It could mean players who have underperformed who need to step up.</em></p>
<p id="RlEavf"><em>One thing is certain though: no two lists will be the same. That’s why for each player, we’ll enlist two of our writers to debate the merits of the player in question.</em></p>
<p id="YG7EZ3"><em>Up now is </em><span><em>Paddy Fisher</em></span><em> at No. 4. </em></p>
<p id="HM58tb"><strong>Talia Hendel (Rank: 2):</strong> Fisher took control of the defense before Northwestern students even arrived on campus last fall. As a redshirt freshman, he earned All-American honors and was one of two first-years to appear in the top 20 for most forced fumbles among FBS players. He has undoubtedly created a reputation for himself as a force for running backs to reckon with, showcasing his field vision through his consistent success in stopping the run. </p>
<p id="oUZT9R">The reason he deserves this high of a ranking in my book, however, is not simply because of his impressive stats, but rather the ease in which he’s stepped into his role. In a few short games, Fisher went from a member of the defense to its uncontested leader, exhibiting confidence at the middle linebacker position particularly through the more difficult games. I’m sure everyone remembers the fear brought on by the early loss to Duke which threatened to take away all the hope of a promising season. But what you might not remember (or may not have seen if you couldn’t bear to watch anymore) was that Fisher had 18 tackles. He didn’t even consider giving up when the offense struggled time and again, and instilled faith that no matter the situation, he would ensure the defense did its job to the best of its ability. The fact that he succeeded in garnering the trust of teammates and fans alike in just his second game on the field as a Wildcat leaves no doubt in my mind that he will not only continue to improve, but also to instill confidence in his teammates and continue to assert his role as the leader of the defense.</p>
<p id="jjdJVP"><strong>Caleb Friedman (Rank: 9): </strong>Last season when we did this series, Fisher was in my top three. He was locked in a battle with <span>Nathan Fox</span> for the middle linebacker job (that sounds crazy now), and he was trying to replace NFL-bound <span>Anthony Walker Jr.</span> This time around, he is a legitimate star on Northwestern’s defense. To me, we know what he is: a really good in-the-box linebacker who eats running backs for breakfast. His performance is almost somewhat of a given — last season, he was the constant, even in losses. Barring injury, I see that happening again. </p>
<p id="IjG6pj">I’m just not sure how much Fisher can really improve. I mean, if he does, he’ll be in the conversation for first or second team All-American next season. The area he could improve is his coverage, but that isn’t really the role he plays in Northwestern’s defense. Last season, it was often <span>Nate Hall</span> dropping into coverage. I think Fisher will be very good, but his game doesn’t have as much variability for me, which is why I ranked him a bit lower. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/27/17504974/paddy-fisher-northwestern-football-wildcats-linebacker-pat-fitzgeraldTalia HendelCaleb Friedman2018-06-26T08:30:08-05:002018-06-26T08:30:08-05:00Northwestern football’s most important players - No. 5: Jeremy Larkin
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Music Bowl-Kentucky vs Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uMX8dOcNUA56bbcoBGMDisOkjRQ=/0x0:3389x2259/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60184575/usa_today_10504378.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Justin Jackson’s heir proved capable in backup duty last season</p> <p id="ZktIRe"><em>To kick off a summer of football at Inside NU, we are counting down Northwestern’s Top 10 Most Important Players in 2018. We’ve put our heads together as a staff, used the unruly power of democracy, and </em><a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/18/17476336/inside-nu-northwestern-football-most-important-players-2018-rankings-clayton-thorson-nate-hall"><em><strong>created a list</strong></em></a><em> that will undoubtedly cause plenty of disagreement.</em></p>
<p id="lPPr7k"><em>We’ve chosen to loosely define the criteria for our list as the players “who will have the biggest impact on the overall outcome of the season.” However, we recognize that that’s still open to interpretation. For some, it could mean the value of a player over his replacement. It could just mean best player. It could mean players in crucial roles. It could mean players who have underperformed who need to step up.</em></p>
<p id="RlEavf"><em>One thing is certain though: no two lists will be the same. That’s why for each player, we’ll enlist two of our writers to debate the merits of the player in question.</em></p>
<p id="Az3bog"><em>Our top five list kicks off with running back </em><span><em>Jeremy Larkin</em></span><em>.</em></p>
<p id="03DznR"><strong>Graham Brennan (Rank: NR):</strong></p>
<p id="4Cbt5i">Jeremy Larkin ran for over 500 yards last season. He averaged six yards per carry as well. Those are terrific numbers considering the fact that his predecessor — and Northwestern football golden boy — <span>Justin Jackson</span> gobbled up roughly 75 percent of the carries, and presumably turned every defensive coordinator’s attention towards stopping the run. </p>
<p id="MFq2Fi"><span>Jackson</span> never came close to Larkin’s six yards per carry during his time at Northwestern. <span>Jackson</span>’s best year was 2016, aka the forgettable season sandwiched between two outstanding ones. Yes, winning 10 games in the Big Ten with little fan support and poor facilities is outstanding. Despite the “27 wins in three years” line that the NU Football account tweets almost daily, there will always be that mediocre 2016 season.</p>
<p id="hLadKV"><span>Jackson</span> had 15 touchdowns, rushed for 1500+ yards and averaged a career best 5.1 yards per carry in the seven win 2016 season. His career year was Northwestern’s down year.</p>
<p id="AYH3oP">My point is this: running backs, relative to every other offensive position, do not matter. Jackson’s six best games last year came against bad teams. Yes, Northwestern won all those games so you could make the argument that Jackson paced the team in six season defining wins. </p>
<p id="fXuO8Z">But two things: if Jackson, our favorite Wildcat, was unable to have a good game against a good opponent in his senior season, I doubt Larkin will be able to in his sophomore season. Northwestern fans always complain about our inability to break through and beat a marquee opponent. If Jackson was unable to run freely against a marquee opponent, I don’t expect Larkin to. Placing wildly unrealistic expectations on someone and then saying ‘its important he reaches them’ strikes me as dumb and not the point of this series. </p>
<p id="ZhSc5N">The chief reason behind my rational, however, is that I give more credit to an offensive line than I do a running back when a team has a dominant rushing performance. My greater theory about football is that running backs play only as well as their line does. Collegiate backs not named <span>Saquon Barkley</span> don’t win big time games (Alabama running backs have always run behind three-plus future pros, so don’t bring them up in retort). </p>
<p id="s2ez0O">A dominant performance in the trenches will win Northwestern important games at Ryan Field against Michigan, Notre Dame and Wisconsin in 2018. That’s why I put five offensive and defensive lineman in my top 10 Most Important Players for 2018.</p>
<p id="HjRyyh">All signs point to Larkin filling the Ball Carrier’s shoes beautifully. However, he’s not one of my 10 most ‘important’ players given the position he plays. </p>
<p id="KpSQjy"><strong>Davis Rich (Rank: 3):</strong></p>
<p id="lJtpFv">I want to push back on two premises. </p>
<p id="cwfLaP">First, simply because Jackson had his best games against mediocre or bad competition shouldn’t diminish his accomplishments at all. When facing bad competition, you’re probably going to put up better numbers. Moreover, Jackson ran past, over, and around a Minnesota defense that ranked 46th in the country. He had 131 yards and one unforgettable play against a 15th-ranked Iowa defense. And, what made Jackson so special was his consistency. Game in and game out, he chunked out four-yard gains, regardless of the opponent. Football is often a war of attrition, and having a durable, consistent running back is invaluable, especially in the Big Ten. </p>
<p id="DUvxjR">Second, I’d argue Jackson was often successful in spite of his offensive line. During JJTBC’s four years at NU, his offensive line ranked 83rd, 84th, 68th, and 97th nationally in adjusted line yards. That’s not exactly exemplary play in the trenches. Jackson’s production never wavered. </p>
<p id="C3xeoM">Anyways, on to Larkin. I ranked the redshirt sophomore so high on my rankings in part because of the shoes he has to fill, but more so because of the dynamics of Northwestern’s offense scheme.</p>
<p id="1I6aMb">First, we’re not sure about <span>Clayton Thorson</span>’s status. If <span>Thorson</span> isn’t under center on Aug. 30, defenses will put eight guys in the box and dare NU to beat them vertically. The pressure will be Larkin (and whoever is under center, of course) to create a working offense.</p>
<p id="jFYvSq">Second, this is Mick McCall’s Northwestern offense. Just because Jackson is gone doesn’t mean the run game will disappear. Northwestern will run the ball on half its plays on offense, if not more. <span>Jesse Brown</span> and <span>John Moten IV</span> are capable backups (not to mention freshman Isaiah Bowser). But, if Larkin can stay healthy, 200 or more of those carries are his. He’ll need to produce. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/26/17504476/northwestern-football-most-important-players-no-5-jeremy-larkin-justin-jacksonGraham BrennanDavis Rich2018-06-25T08:03:01-05:002018-06-25T08:03:01-05:00Northwestern football’s important players — No. 6: Jordan Thompson
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Music Bowl-Kentucky vs Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5j2X0nXYxE4NUfKF3EzYhaKJLBc=/0x381:2154x1817/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60169353/usa_today_10504501.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With Tyler Lancaster gone, Thompson will need to be disruptive at defensive tackle. </p> <p id="ZktIRe"><em>To kick off a summer of football at Inside NU, we are counting down Northwestern’s Top 10 Most Important Players in 2018. We’ve put our heads together as a staff, used the unruly power of democracy, and </em><a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/18/17476336/inside-nu-northwestern-football-most-important-players-2018-rankings-clayton-thorson-nate-hall"><em><strong>created a list</strong></em></a><em> that will undoubtedly cause plenty of disagreement.</em></p>
<p id="lPPr7k"><em>We’ve chosen to loosely define the criteria for our list as the players “who will have the biggest impact on the overall outcome of the season.” However, we recognize that that’s still open to interpretation. For some, it could mean the value of a player over his replacement. It could just mean best player. It could mean players in crucial roles. It could mean players who have underperformed who need to step up.</em></p>
<p id="RlEavf"><em>One thing is certain though: no two lists will be the same. That’s why for each player, we’ll enlist two of our writers to debate the merits of the player in question.</em></p>
<p id="Az3bog"><em>We continue the list with defensive tackle Jordan Thompson.</em></p>
<p id="UuWHxV"><strong>Caleb Friedman (Rank: 7): </strong>I know Noah has Thompson a bit higher than I do, so — while I agree he is one of the most important players on the team — I’ll make the case why he isn’t higher on my list. </p>
<p id="eNJGGd">For one, Thompson has started 25 games already, so he’s a known commodity. He’s proved himself to be a stout run defender and an adequate disrupter. But, given that he’s played a lot, it’s tough for me to envision him making a huge leap next season — and that’s fine. I understand that Tyler Lancaster’s departure makes Thompson’s role on the interior more important, but I think improvements from Jared McGee, for example, would translate more to on-field success. My logic is a bit different with Nate Hall being No. 2 on my list, but that has a lot to do with his status coming off a serious knee injury. </p>
<p id="oHAWQ9">The way I see Thompson rising up the importance rankings is his pass-rushing. If he can get into the backfield a few more times per game, then he elevates to an All-Big Ten player, which fills the Lancaster gap and then adds a different component to the NU defense. The outside of the defensive line could be ferocious, so the inside is more of a question mark, more because of the tackle spot that Thompson won’t occupy. So, my answer is kind of a cop out because I think Thompson is important but not the most important player on the defense. </p>
<p id="McP70f"><strong>Noah Coffman (Rank: 3): </strong></p>
<p id="tBZVFR">For the past two years, people around the Northwestern program have targeted Thompson as a breakout candidate. Unfortunately, it just hasn’t happened yet. But Tyler Lancaster’s continuous presence opposite Thompson has limited the rising senior’s impact. Thompson was, as Caleb mentioned, a starter both years, but ultimately he was just one piece in a pretty significant rotation. Because of his limited use, I don’t think Thompson’s stats actually do represent the limit of his abilities.</p>
<p id="m4CnQR">Thompson came into the program in 2015 as the highest-rated recruit in his class. His combination of strength and speed had Northwestern dreaming of a dominant defensive tackle. And this year, with the uptick in usage that should come from Lancaster’s graduation, he could finally step into that role. Potential increased success from Thompson could take Northwestern’s talented defensive line from a force to be reckoned with to flat-out dominance, and the talent needed to fuel such a jump is clearly there. On the other hand, if for whatever reason Thompson disappoints in his senior season, valuable veteran leadership of a relatively young group along with a lot of potential would be lost.</p>
<p id="59EW4t">In my Gaziano writeup, I projected that a dominant defensive front could patch over many of Northwestern’s weaknesses. On both passing and rushing downs, a Thompson that lives up to his lofty potential could be that front’s focal point. The veteran, finally, will almost certainly get the snaps to be a constant difference-maker. Whether he can take the leap will go a long way towards answering the same question for Northwestern’s defense writ large. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/25/17499540/northwestern-football-important-players-jordan-thompson-wildcats-evanston-pat-fitzgerald-defenseCaleb FriedmanNoah Coffman2018-06-23T08:00:02-05:002018-06-23T08:00:02-05:00Northwestern football’s most important players— No. 7: Bennett Skowronek
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<img alt="Nevada v Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-JlCV1xptrDjsm_AcXfpFbt_ipY=/0x59:1097x790/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60158531/841987408.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Wildcat’s leading receiver in 2017 made some big plays, but wasn’t always consistent</p> <p id="ZktIRe"><em>To kick off a summer of football at Inside NU, we are counting down Northwestern’s Top 10 Most Important Players in 2018. We’ve put our heads together as a staff, used the unruly power of democracy, and </em><a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/18/17476336/inside-nu-northwestern-football-most-important-players-2018-rankings-clayton-thorson-nate-hall"><em><strong>created a list</strong></em></a><em> that will undoubtedly cause plenty of disagreement.</em></p>
<p id="lPPr7k"><em>We’ve chosen to loosely define the criteria for our list as the players “who will have the biggest impact on the overall outcome of the season.” However, we recognize that that’s still open to interpretation. For some, it could mean the value of a player over his replacement. It could just mean best player. It could mean players in crucial roles. It could mean players who have underperformed who need to step up.</em></p>
<p id="RlEavf"><em>One thing is certain though: no two lists will be the same. That’s why for each player, we’ll enlist two of our writers to debate the merits of the player in question.</em></p>
<p id="Ttyjqt"><em>Next up is junior wide receiver </em><span><em>Bennett Skowronek</em></span><em>:</em></p>
<p id="jS9ESA"><strong>Martin Oppegaard (Rank: NR):</strong></p>
<p id="XmnP2g">Skowronek’s emergence as a legitimate No. 1 wideout was crucial in the absence of <span>Austin Carr</span>. As a sophomore, he paced Northwestern’s receiving corps with 619 yards and five touchdowns last season. He showed great improvement with his hands and he doesn’t receive nearly enough credit for his blocking. He’s also not among the ten most important players.</p>
<p id="7VGdT8">In Northwestern’s three best wins — Iowa, Michigan State and Kentucky — Skowronek caught a total of ten balls for less than 100 yards. He had two catches for 25 yards in the win over Maryland, one reception against Illinois (albeit a big one) and two against Minnesota. The bulk of Skowronek’s work last season came against Nevada, Bowling Green and Purdue; that’s not exactly the metronome of consistency. This isn’t a knock on the rising junior by any means. He made an indelible impact on the aforementioned games, drawing No. 1 cornerback assignments and paving the path for <span>Justin Jackson</span> to run wild. What I’m saying is that this team can win its biggest games without big production from the 6-foot-4 wideout. If Northwestern rides Skowronek’s coattails to a season-defining win on a magical Nov. 3 evening, give me a call. I’ll eat my words. For now, I’m sticking to it. </p>
<p id="fwAJeg"><strong>Caleb Friedman (Rank: 4):</strong> It is Skowronek’s inconsistency from last season that provides him with an opportunity to improve a lot this season, which is why I think he’s really important. I have a feeling Northwestern’s offensive line is going to be better than past seasons, which means <span>Clayton Thorson</span> will have more time to throw (assuming he’s under center). If Skowronek can become a bonafide No. 1 receiver, Northwestern’s offense elevates to another level. Having a top receiver at that size poses major problems for defenses on third downs and in the red zone, which are of course very important. </p>
<p id="umZfj9">Austin Carr dominated games, but dominating in the slot is different than dominating on the outside. If Skowronek starts winning deep when faced with one-on-one coverage, then the entire defense has to shift over. That has ripple effects throughout the offense, especially for <span>Jeremy Larkin</span> & Co. when safeties can’t cheat down in the box because they have to account for the receiver on the back end. For players who don’t redshirt, like Skowronek, the jump from sophomore to junior season is typically a big one. A big leap for Skowronek would transform the offense and alleviate some of the predictability issues that have reared their ugly heads in the past. </p>
<p id="k5sdhG">When thinking about who’s play will determine the success of the offense relative to expectations, Skowronek has to be near the top of the list. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/23/17493626/northwestern-football-most-important-players-no-7-bennett-skowronek-previewMartin OppegaardCaleb Friedman2018-06-21T09:00:05-05:002018-06-21T09:00:05-05:00Northwestern football’s most important players — No. 8: Joe Gaziano
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Bx-mxdP6zxvSn5SzXPlxzwOAGdE=/0x0:5028x3352/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60133649/usa_today_10346560.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The big defensive end looks to build on an All-Big Ten season in 2017.</p> <p id="ZktIRe"><em>To kick off a summer of football at Inside NU, we are counting down Northwestern’s Top 10 Most Important Players in 2018. We’ve put our heads together as a staff, used the unruly power of democracy, and </em><a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/18/17476336/inside-nu-northwestern-football-most-important-players-2018-rankings-clayton-thorson-nate-hall"><em>created a list</em></a><em> that will undoubtedly cause plenty of disagreement.</em></p>
<p id="lPPr7k"><em>We’ve chosen to loosely define the criteria for our list as the players “who will have the biggest impact on the overall outcome of the season.” However, we recognize that that’s still open to interpretation. For some, it could mean the value of a player over his replacement. It could just mean best player. It could mean players in crucial roles. It could mean players who have underperformed who need to step up.</em></p>
<p id="RlEavf"><em>One thing is certain though: no two lists will be the same. That’s why for each player, we’ll enlist two of our writers to debate the merits of the player in question.</em></p>
<p id="Ttyjqt"><em>No. 8 is junior defensive end Joe Gaziano.</em></p>
<p id="q3orV4"><strong>Noah Coffman (Rank: 6):</strong></p>
<p id="vMMZdy">Last season, Northwestern’s front seven was arguably their most impressive unit. And with the Wildcats returning five of seven starters in that area and nearly every other contributor, the unit has a chance to be elite. Much of that chance, in my opinion, will rest on the broad shoulders of Joe Gaziano.</p>
<p id="zZn2bN">After the Massachusetts native’s breakout 2017 campaign, Big Ten defenses will likely key in on him, especially in passing situations. But even if Gaziano’s constant disruption doesn’t produce sacks in the conference this season, his presence should do wonders for his talented teammates. The Wildcats are beginning to amass talented pass rushers, and if Gaziano continues to trend upwards he will set up his teammates, even if his own numbers aren’t there.</p>
<p id="O19NUe">With a bit of uncertainty in both the defensive and offensive backfields, the men in the trenches will likely have to lead the strong start to the season that has recently eluded Northwestern. The Wildcats must control, and at times even dominate, the line of scrimmage to consistently win against their tough schedule. If he can continue to improve each facet of his game the way he did last offseason, Gaziano’s presence will free up opportunities for him and his teammates to establish themselves. If he can’t, the Wildcats will struggle mightily to keep opposing quarterbacks on their toes, and might take a step back defending the run as well.</p>
<p id="EhX8Kb">By no means is Joe Gaziano the most important player for Northwestern, but the junior has shown that he’s more than just the sacks. The last few games in 2017 showed that Gaziano has become a defensive cornerstone, one that the Wildcats can ill afford to see struggle.</p>
<p id="xbXQO3"><strong>Davis Rich (Rank: NR)</strong></p>
<p id="ZgcFBZ">Joe Gaziano is a star. Last season, he racked up 12.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and four forced fumbles. There’s a strong case to be made for Gaziano as Northwestern’s best returning defender, and perhaps its highest draftee in 2019 (depending on how teams feel about certain tall, mobile, big-armed quarterback). </p>
<p id="LTn50h">I didn’t ranking Gaziano in my top 10 simply because we know how excellent he is. As I mentioned in <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/19/17477966/northwestern-football-most-important-players-rashawn-slater-preview">our discussion of Rashawn Slater</a> on Tuesday, I tend to regard players who are more unknown into my list. Gaziano has shown his star power. As a redshirt freshman, he amassed 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in backup duty. When he progressed to a starter role in 2017, his production increased to an All-Big Ten level. Even with increased attention, Gaziano should be able to replicate his 2017 production.</p>
<p id="afWwtI">As Noah mentioned above, Northwestern’s front seven is strong. Along the defensive line, I am more interested in how Samdup Miller and Jordan Thompson adjust to increased roles as opposed to expectations around Gaziano’s production.</p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2018/6/21/17487416/northwestern-football-most-important-players-no-8-joe-gaziano-season-previewNoah CoffmanDavis Rich