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| Home / College Guide / Northwestern lands FCS All-American TE Luke Dehnicke |
| Posted on Friday, January 09 @ 00:01:14 PST |
Northwestern lands FCS All-American TE Luke Dehnicke
The 2025 season has wrapped up. All eyes now turn to the transfer portal.
The portal will be officially open on Jan. 2 – 16, but players began announcing their intentions well before that.
The 2025 transfer class saw 16 players transfer in and 13 players transfer out of Northwestern’s program by the time it was all said and done.
To help you keep track, WildcatReport will tally all of the players coming into or heading out of the Wildcat program in this cycle right here.
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INCOMING TRANSFERS
TE Luke Dehnicke
Position: Tight end
Years of eligibility remaining: Three
Previous school: Minnesota-Duluth
Northwestern picked up a weapon for new quarterback Aidan Chiles on Jan. 8 when first-team FCS All-American tight end Luke Dehnicke signed with the Wildcats.
The athletic redshirt freshman put up some monster monster numbers at Minnesota-Duluth this season, registering 61 catches for 1,119 yards and 14 touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs in all three categories — by a TON. The next highest stats in each category were 28, 306 and 3.
He was ranked as the No. 13 tight end in the Transfer Portal in this cycle by On3 and has three years of eligibility remaining.
Dehnicke’s season highlight came against the University of Mary, when he had eight catches for 230 yards and four touchdowns, including a 75-yard score, in a 54-32 Bulldogs win.
It’s a big jump from FCS to the Big Ten, but Northwestern had two players excel as transfers from the lower division this season in wide receiver Griffin Wilde and guard Evan Beerntsen, who both came from South Dakota State and earned all-conference honors.
OT Grant Seagren
Position: Offensive tackle
Years of eligibility remaining: Two
Previous school: Oklahoma State
Northwestern continued to rebuild its offensive line on Jan. 8. when tackle Grant Seagren announced his commitment after an official visit.
Seagren, a 6-foot-6, 311-pounder, started all 12 games at right tackle for Oklahoma State last season. He didn’t allow any sacks in 405 pass attempts, according to PFF.com.
A three-star prospect out of Oakland (Neb.) Craig, Seagren walked on at Nebraska in 2023 and spent his first two years playing for the home-state Huskers. He redshirted in 2023 and played in seven games in 2024, making the Academic All-Big Ten team.
Northwestern is looking to rebuild its offensive line after losing four starters from last season, including both tackles. Seagren could easily slide into a starting role for the Wildcats.
TE Alex Honig
Position: Tight end
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: UConn
Northwestern made a massive addition at tight end in 6-foot-7, 270-pound Alex Honig from UConn, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported on Jan. 7.
All three of Northwestern’s top tight ends in snaps — Lawson Albright, Hunter Welcing and Blake Van Buren — will move on after the season, so this was certainly a position of need for the Wildcats.
Honig came to the United States as a quarterback in the Class of 2021 from Schwäbisch Hall in Munich, Germany. He committed to TCU, where he redshirted his first season, moved to tight end and appeared on special teams for the Horned Frogs in 2022.
He then transferred to UConn from 2023-25. Injury limited him to just two games in 2023 and provided a medical redshirt year. He finished with 19 catches for 221 yards and six touchdowns in his two years as a Husky.
No returning tight end has caught a touchdown for Northwestern, so there should be plenty of opportunity for Honig to compete for the starting job right away.
K Jackson Kleather
Position: Kicker
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Bowling Green
Bowling Green kicker Jackson Kleather committed to Northwestern on Jan. 7, a day after wrapping up his official visit in Evanston.
Kleather was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2025. He went 19-for-22 on field goals for the Falcons to earn second-team All-MAC honors. His long was 56 yards against Lafayette, on a day when he went 4-for-4 on field goals. For the season, he hit three field goals of over 50 yards, and six over 40.
A true junior, Kleather kicked for two seasons at Bowling Green. He went 6-for-9 in 2024 to give him a career percentage of 80.7%.
Kleather will replace Jack Olsen, Northwestern’s starting kicker who entered the transfer portal for his seventh and final year of eligibility.
QB Aidan Chiles
Position: Quarterback
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Michigan State
Northwestern got its quarterback on Tuesday when former Michigan State signal caller Aidan Chiles committed to the Wildcats out of the transfer portal while visiting Evanston.
Chiles began his career at Oregon State and played in nine games as a backup in 2023.
He then followed head coach Jonathan Smith to East Lansing and transferred to Michigan State. He started all 12 games for the Spartans in 2024, completing 59.4% of his throws for 2,415 yards, with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, along with 225 yards and three TDs on the ground.
This season, Chiles was benched halfway through the season. He completed 63.1% of his passes for 1,392 yards and a considerably better 10-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He added 227 yards and six scores rushing.
Chiles has had an up-and-down career, but new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly‘s system appears to be a better fit for his dual-threat skill set. Chiles was a four-star prospect out of Downey (Calif.) in 2023 and chose Oregon State over offers from Oregon, Washington, Cal and others.
EDGE Jamaal Johnson
Position: Defensive end
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: UCF
Former UCF EDGE Jamaal Johnson committed to Northwestern out of the transfer portal to become the second Wildcat the program added on Jan. 6.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder played in all 12 games for UCF in 2025, recording 24 tackles and 1.5 TFL. For his career, he accumulated 38 tackles, 3.5 TFL and one sack in 31 games.
The Wildcats are losing three of their top four defensive ends in Aidan Hubbard, Anto Saka and Richie Hagarty. Johnson figures to slot in as an early-down DE.
Johnson was a three-star prospect out of Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade and chose the Knights over offers from Miami, Indiana, Ole Miss, Kentucky and others.
LB Kobie McKinzie
Position: Linebacker
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Oklahoma
Northwestern added Oklahoma linebacker Kobie McKinzie out of the transfer portal on Jan. 6.
McKinzie started eight games for the Sooners last season per PFF before a groin injury caused him to miss the Tennessee game and come off the bench for the remaining four games, including the playoff matchup with Alabama. He recorded 32 tackles, 6.5 TFL and a sack in 2025, and had 84 tackles in three seasons with the Sooners.
McKinzie was a four-star recruit out of Lubbock (Tex.) Cooper in the Class of 2022 and committed to the Sooners over offers from Texas, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, USC and more.
The Wildcats have been looking for a player out of the portal to replace linebacker Mac Uihlein alongside Braydon Brus. McKinzie will be the prohibitive favorite to step into that starting role in 2026.
CB Brenden Deasfernandes
Position: Cornerback
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Previous school: Central Michigan
Deasfernandes is Northwestern’s first addition out of the portal since their bowl game and their second overall, committing to the Wildcats on his official visit. He cancelled a planned visit to Purdue, and also had interest from Minnesota and Virginia Tech.
Deasfernandes recored 39 tackles and 11 PBUs in two years with the Chippewas. He caught Northwestern’s eye after recording four PBUs in the GameAbove Sports Bowl against the Wildcats.
Deasfernandes bagan his career in the Big Ten at Iowa in 2020. He didn’t see any game action in his first two years in Iowa City and then suffered a season-ending injury after playing in just one game in 2022. He played in all 13 games for the Hawkeyes as a redshirt junior in 2023, recording two tackles.
MORE ON DEASFERNANDES: Grad transfer CB Brenden Deasfernandes commits to Northwestern
OT David Anchondo
Position: Offensive tackle
Years of eligibility remaining: Two
Previous school: Saginaw Valley State (Division II)
Northwestern got their first transfer on Dec. 11, when Division II tackle David Anchondo of Saginaw Valley State announced his commitment.
Anchondo, who stands 6-foot-8, visited Northwestern on Dec. 1 and earned his offer on Dec. 2. He also visited Florida Atlantic, and reported interest from “multiple schools at the Power Four and G5 level.”
Anchondo played right tackle at Saginaw Valley State and will likely play the same position at Northwestern.
OUTGOING TRANSFERS
TE Hunter Welcing
Position: Tight end
Years of eligibility left: One
Destination: TBD
Tight end Hunter Welcing entered the portal as a graduate transfer on Jan. 8 and will play his sixth and final season elsewhere. The news came as a bit of a surprise, as Welcing told the media that 2025 would be his last as a player — though much has changed at Northwestern since then.
Welcing overcame a couple major injuries to enjoy a breakout season in 2025. He had 28 catches for 296 yards and two touchdowns to become a weapon in the passing game, after accumulating just one catch over his four previous years. Welcing sat out all of 2020 and 2022 due to injuries, and played in just four games in 2021 for a redshirt year. He then played in eight and 12 games in 2023 and 2024 respectively, snagging his first career catch in the latter.
Welcing was a three-star prospect out of Lake Zurich (Ill.
) in 2020 and chose NU over Western Michigan.
C Talan Chandler
Position: Center
Years of eligibility left: Three
Destination: TBD
Northwestern fans barely got to know redshirt freshman center Talan Chandler, who played just one season in Evanston. He transferred into Northwestern last spring after one year at Missouri. He entered the portal on Jan. 8, though the move wasn’t posted on social media as of this posting.
Chandler, a 6-foot-2, 300-pounder, played in just two games for the Wildcats this season, against Western Illinois and ULM in the non-conference part of the schedule. He played in just one game at Mizzou and redshirted in his freshman year.
A three-star prospect out of Nevada (Mo.), Chandler initially committed to Colorado but flipped to Missouri before signing day.
G Nick Herzog
Position: Guard
Years of eligibility left: Two
Destination: TBD
Redshirt junior guard Nick Herzog entered the transfer portal on Jan. 8 after four years at Northwestern. He already has his Bachelor’s degree, and will get his Master’s from Kellogg in June.
Herzog played both guard and tackle but was never able to carve out a niche during his time at Northwestern. He didn’t see any action and redshirted in 2022, and then played in just five games over the next two seasons as he battled injuries.
He appeared in four games this past season, including the Wildcats’ bowl win over Central Michigan.
A three-star prospect out of Stilwell (Kan.) Blue Valley, Herzog chose Northwestern over offers from six other Power Four programs, including Iowa, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
RB Dashun Reeder
Position: Running back
Years of eligibility left: Three
Destination: TBD
Freshman running back Dashun Reeder entered the transfer portal on Jan. 6.
Reeder showed some flashes as a redshirt freshman in 2025, rushing for 222 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown in limited duty as the Wildcats’ No. 3 running back. He had a 79-yard run against Oregon for a touchdown that turned out to be his career highlight in purple.
He made appearances in seven games in all, with a high of 11 carries against ULM for 79 yards.
Reeder was a three-star prospect out of Greenville (S.C.) Christ Church Episcopal in 2024. He chose Northwestern over offers from Georgia Tech and UConn.
K Jack Olsen
Position: Kicker
Years of eligibility left: One
Destination: TBD
Kicker Jack Olsen surprised Northwestern fans with his decision to enter the transfer portal with one year remaining, as many thought that 2025, his sixth season of college football, would be his last.
Olsen had redshirted the 2020 and 2021 seasons already and saw limited time in 2022, which could become his medical redshirt season. He was the Wildcats’ starting kicker from 2023-25, playing in 30 games.
Olsen went 40-for-51 on field goals, with a career long of 47, and 69-for-70 on extra points. His graduate season in 2025 was his best, when Olsen, affectionately known as the Milkman for his celebrations after made kicks, was 19-for-21 with a long of 41 yards. His field goals decided the 22-21 win over Penn State and the 38-35 win over Minnesota, and he made three in each of those games.
Olsen, from Wheaton (Ill.) Warrenville South, committed to Michigan State out of high school in the Class of 2020 before transferring to Northwestern after one season with the Spartans.
EDGE Anto Saka
Position: Edge
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Destination: Texas A&M
On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Northwestern EDGE Anto Saka entered the transfer portal on Jan. 4. The post came within an hour of reports that Northwestern’s defensive line coach Christian Smith had been hired by Penn State to coach defensive ends. Smith has been Saka’s position coach for all three seasons he’s played at Northwestern, and with Saka’s no-contact tag, the Nittany Lions are his logical destination.
Saka started the 2025 season as a redshirt junior with NFL draft aspirations, and was even projected to be taken in the first round by some analysts. But the redshirt junior ended up with just three sacks on the year and is looking for one more season of college ball to make his case to NFL general managers.
He finishes his three-season career with the Wildcats with 12 sacks, the 5.5 he recorded as a redshirt freshman in 2023 remain his most in a single season.
Saka was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022 that committed to Northwestern over Penn State and USC, the other two finalists in his Top 3.
CB Evan Smith
Position: Cornerback
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Destination: TBD
Northwestern cornerback Evan Smith intends to enter the transfer portal, per ESPN’s Max Olson.
Smith started four games at the start of the 2024 season after Ore Adeyi‘s season ending injury, but ended up coming off the bench to accommodate the rise of Josh Fussell. In 2025, Smith appeared in eight games, playing a season-high 37 snaps at Nebraska as injuries mounted. But he spent most the season as the fourth cornerback behind Fussell, Fred Davis II and Adeyi.
Over his career, Smith totaled 42 tackles, five PBUs, 2.
5 TFL and one interception.
Smith, who was a high school quarterback, was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022 that committed to the Wildcats over offers from Duke, Coastal Carolina and Tulane.
DB Dillon Tatum
Position: Defensive back
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Destination: Miami (Ohio)
Northwestern defensive back Dillon Tatum announced his intention to transfer on New Year’s Day after one season with the Wildcats.
Tatum transferred to Northwestern in 2025 after three years at Michigan State, following NU safeties coach Harlon Barnett, who made the same move. He played in 12 of 13 games for the Wildcats this season, totaling 17 tackles and one pass breakup playing primarily as a reserve safety and nickelback.
Tatum has one year of eligibility remaining after getting injured in the season opener at Michigan State in 2024 and missing the rest of the season.
RB Albert Kunickis III
Position: Running back
Years of eligibility remaining: One
Destination: TBD
Redshirt junior Albert Kunickis III announced on X on Dec. 29 that he is entering the transfer portal, becoming the second Wildcat to do so, and the first since Northwestern’s bowl win on Dec. 26.
Kunickis is an inspirational story: a player born with one arm that ends just below the elbow who became a star at Lemont (Ill.
). He arrived at Northwestern as a preferred walkon in the Class of 2022 but was never able to carve out a role for the Wildcats. He expressed some frustration over his lack of playing time in a Chicago Sun-Times story in 2025, so his transfer doesn’t come as a surprise.
He recorded one carry for three yards in 2024, the lone rush of his career. He did not see action in 2025.
OT Hayden Wright
Position: Offensive tackle
Years of eligibility remaining: Four
Destination: TBD
Hayden Wright announced his intention to enter the portal on Dec. 15, 11 days before Northwestern’s bowl game. Wright was a three-star recruit from Humble (Tex.) Kingwood in the Class of 2025, committing to the Wildcats late in the cycle on Oct. 29, 2024. He picked the Wildcats over competing offers from Army, Houston, North Texas, Texas State, UTSA and more.
Wright did not play this season at Northwestern and redshirted. The addition of four offensive tackles in Northwestern’s incoming Class of 2026 likely informed his decision.
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