Northwestern football position previews — Defensive Line

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We’re back with another positional review at InsideNU, where we break down each group’s quality, depth and expectations entering the 2026 season.

This summer, we’ve published position previews on quarterbacks (7/6), running backs (7/15), wide receivers (7/20), tight ends (7/28) and offensive linemen (8/4).

This week, we’re looking at the Wildcats’ defensive linemen.

Overview

Returners: Brendan Flakes (Gr.), Callen Campbell (R-So.), Michael Kilbane (Sr.), Tanner Jumpp (R-Fr.), Dylan Roberts (R-Jr.), Migo Jackson (Gr.), Jack Trautmann (R-So.), Mason Green (R-Jr.), Caden O’Rourke (R-Fr.), Braxton Strong (R-So.), Jonah Hayes (R-Fy.), Landon Lauter (R-So.), Troy Regovich (R-So.), Tyler Gant (R-Jr.), Mason Mayne (R-Fy.)

Losses: Carmine Bastone (graduated), Anto Saka (transferred to Texas A&M), Richie Hagarty (graduated), Aidan Hubbard (graduated), Najee Story (graduated)

Newcomers: Calvin Lorek (Fy.), Nick Costa (Fy.), Nick Zalewski (Fy.), Tre Hoskins (Fy.), Ronald Derrick III (Fy.), Gage LaDere (Fy.), Dominic Kirks (redshirt sophomore from Ohio State), Jamaal Johnson (graduate student from UCF), Glory Stephen-Wangboje (redshirt junior from Sacred Heart)

Between high-profile transfers and graduations, Northwestern’s defensive line changed dramatically over the offseason. 2027 NFL Draft prospect and edge rusher Anto Saka transferred to Texas A&M, while Aidan Hubbard (Seattle Seahawks) and Carmine Bastone (Edmonton Elks) both signed professional contracts over the summer. Richie Hagarty and Najee Story have both graduated. Defensive line coach Christian Smith left Evanston to work at Penn State as the edge-rushing specialist coach. The Wildcats have lost a lot of quality and experience.

Northwestern returns one of the Big Ten’s better edge rushers in Michael Kilbane, who will slide into a starting role following a season of career-highs in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. Brendan Flakes will reprise his role as a key defensive tackle after a consistent 2025 season. Tyler Gant looks primed for a bigger role as a tackle after making seven appearances in 2025, and Mason Mayne is a redshirt freshman who could easily slot into the rotation. Beyond that, Northwestern will need to lean on some newcomers.

The detail-oriented Ross Kolodziej served as Stanford’s defensive line coach for three years before joining Northwestern’s coaching staff. Kolodziej aims to instill an aggressive style of play in his defensive linemen, whether it’s by stopping the run or disrupting in the trenches. When Kolodziej coached at Wisconsin in 2021, his Badgers led the nation in allowed yards per carry (2.1) and rushing yards per game (64.8).

With Kolodziej comes UCF transfer Jamaal Johnson, an agile yet powerful edge rusher with 38 career tackles, 3.5 of which came for a loss. Dominic Kirks, a former four-star edge with high upside, also joins Northwestern after struggling to see the field at Ohio State. Kolodziej and Northwestern also landed Glory Stephen-Wangboje, a breakout defensive tackle from Sacred Heart.

Northwestern’s defensive line has a lot of promise, but with only two key players from last season returning for 2026, they still face question marks as they adjust to the physicality of the Big Ten. Simply put, the ‘Cats are promising and exciting, but untested nonetheless.

Key Player

Michael Kilbane

In three words, Michael Kilbane is really, really good.

Kilbane was one of the best players on Northwestern’s defensive line last season. En route to earning an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, Kilbane made 43 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and had 3.5 sacks. He has great positional size at 6’5 and 275 pounds, but he also has solid agility, relentless stamina and a high motor. With Kilbane transitioning into a bigger role with Hubbard and Saka’s departures, he could create even more chaos defensively on the edge.

He’s a physically dominant, strong rusher, which allowed him to put in some reps at tackle for Northwestern. A lot of his impact plays came from using raw power and bull rushing past smaller linemen. He can also finesse his way past larger guards with hand placement and sheds blocks really well. All of these traits allow him to stuff the run game and be a constant nuisance on the front line. He is projected to be Northwestern’s most dangerous defensive lineman going into the 2026 season.

Kilbane also slots in as a veteran presence on a relatively young defensive line. Kilbane is entering his fourth season in Evanston. Not only will he need to be one of Northwestern’s premier pass rushers, but he also needs to be a voice on and off the field.

Biggest Question

How much can Northwestern’s newcomers live up to their promise?

Whether Northwestern can turn up the heat on the front line and pressure quarterbacks will come down to how Northwestern’s untested prospects step up. Flakes and Kilbane are the only returning rushers with a track record of excellence in a Wildcat jersey. Northwestern needs incoming transfers like Johnson, Kirks and Stephen-Wangboje — as well as returners like Gant, Mayne and Callen Campbell — to step up and provide crucial support.

Northwestern’s defensive line rotation looks like a collage of developmental prospects and buy-low transfers. Despite appearing in all 12 of UCF’s games last season, Johnson, who has just one year of eligibility left, didn’t stand out as a force to be reckoned with on the edge last season(24 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss in 2025). Kirks, who should see some game time as a second-stringer, played just 24 snaps in his two seasons with the Buckeyes. Stephen-Wangboje showed flashes of brilliance at Sacred Heart, but he enters 2026 without FBS experience. All three of these transfers have promise, especially if they buy into Northwestern’s program in the long term, but they don’t have any proven, consistent production.

The Wildcats’ returners also need to step up in a big way. How big of a step can Gant, who logged four tackles in seven appearances last season, take in his junior year? Will Mayne, a member of 247Sports’ Freak List, have a bigger role in his second collegiate season? Or what about Callen Campbell, a redshirt sophomore who appeared in 12 games last season? What will his involvement in Northwestern’s defensive line look like? There are so many unanswered questions surrounding this revamped defensive line. Although optimism is high in Northwestern’s camp, certainty is not.

Projected 2026 DL Depth Chart

Starting Defensive Ends: Michael Kilbane, Jamaal Johnson

Starting Defensive Tackles: Brendan Flakes, Tyler Gant

Second-String Defensive Ends: Dominic Kirks, Callen Campbell

Second-String Defensive Tackles: Migo Jackson, Glory Stephen-Wangboje

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