With just over 24 hours before opening kickoff, the question as to who will take snaps for the Northwestern Wildcats remains a mystery.
In his first press conference of the new season, head coach David Braun joked, saying the answer will be clear when the Wildcats run out onto the field Saturday at Martin Stadium when Northwestern hosts defending MAC champions Miami (Ohio).
“You know, Mike Wright and Jack Lausch entered into fall camp competing for that role,” Braun said. “I’ve been really impressed with the development of that room over the course of camp. Between Jack and Mike, Ryan Hilinski — they’ve shown some really good things. Really excited Ryan Boe, a first year in our program from Batavia.
“But in terms of publicly, there probably won’t be anything out there until gameday on who our starting quarterback will be.”
Wright, a graduate transfer from Mississippi State, joined the team in the spring and is the favorite to earn the starting job. He appeared in all 12 games in 2023, starting in three and completing 48-of-85 passes (56.5%) for 453 yards with three touchdowns along with three picks. Before playing for Bulldogs, he spent his first three seasons with Vanderbilt, earning 11 starts in 20 games he appeared.
As of its release in July, College Football 25 has Wright as the starter for the Wildcats.
Redshirt sophomore Lausch made his debut for the Wildcats against Illinois in 2022, completing four passes for 68 yards. Last season, he appeared in 10 games but completed just 2 of 3 passes for 10 yards though he carried the ball 19 times for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Hilinski, who transferred from South Carolina in 2021, appeared in just three games last season in which he went 2 of 4 for 88 yards and a touchdown — the bulk of that coming off an 85-yard score from Joesph Himon III against UTEP. It was the third longest pass in program history. He also appeared in the Las Vegas Bowl against Utah, where he completed one pass for three yards.
During the 2022 campaign, Hilinski appeared in eight games and started six, throwing for 1,644 yards and six touchdowns along with a pair on the ground. He had seven interceptions and totaled -4 rushing yards on 20 carries.
Boe led Batavia High School to a state title as a sophomore and was a three-star prospect when he committed to Northwestern. He passed for 2,977 yards and 33 touchdowns his senior season with a 65% completion rate (188-for-287). He had 10 rushing touchdowns throughout his high school career.
The answer will become clearer when the Wildcats take to the field for the first time at their temporary home along the lakefront at Northwestern University. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CST.
