Northwestern Receives Brutal Injury News Ahead of Penn State Matchup

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Tight end Luke Dehnicke has been one of the breakout stars of Northwestern's season so far. However, it's becoming increasingly likely that the Wildcats will be without the former Division II All-American when they host Penn State on Friday at the New Ryan Field.

In Wednesday evening's availability report, Dehnicke was downgraded from "questionable" to "doubtful," putting his chances of playing against the Nittany Lions in serious jeopardy.

Dehnicke erupted against the Indiana Hoosiers last weekend, hauling in seven catches for a game-high 140 yards. His performance in the narrow 29-23 loss to the defending national champions drew attention across the country, as he landed on the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week.

However, Dehnicke's final catch was a costly one. With Northwestern trailing Indiana by nine, midway through the fourth quarter, Aidan Chiles launched a pass up the seam toward his trusted tight end. Dehnicke secured the catch 41 yards downfield, although he appeared to hit his head on the ground when he came down with the reception.

Northwestern went on to score a touchdown on that drive, but Dehnicke went to the blue medical tent and did not return to the game.

Through three games this season, Dehnicke has 11 receptions for 208 yards, both of which rank second on the team behind Griffin Wilde. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end is still looking for his first touchdown catch as a Wildcat.

Dehnicke was an unranked high school prospect from Andover, Minn., which has a population of roughly 32,000 people. He committed to Division II Minnesota-Duluth and took the country by storm as a redshirt freshman last season.

In 2025, Dehnicke brought in 61 catches for 1,119 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. His efforts earned him First Team All-American honors as the Bulldogs went 10-2.

Dehnicke was a mismatch at the Division II level and had numerous games in which he dominated the competition. He eclipsed 140 receiving yards in five of his 12 games and had four games with multiple touchdowns. During a three-game stretch at the end of October and beginning of November, Dehnicke combined to post 21 catches, 520 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Northwestern signed Dehnicke as a four-star transfer and the No. 15 tight end in the portal this winter. The Wildcats earned his commitment over Power Four foes Iowa State, Virginia Tech, Duke, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Minnesota, Arizona and Wake Forest.

If Dehnicke is unable to play against the Nittany Lions, Northwestern will need to rely on fellow transfer Alex Honig as its starting tight end. The 6-foot-6, 275-pound graduate student from Bavaria, Germany, has five catches for 79 yards and a touchdown on the season.

Wednesday night's injury report wasn't all bad news for Northwestern. Junior wide receiver Hayden Eligon II was elevated to "probable," up from "questionable" on Tuesday. 

Safety Damon Walters remained "questionable," while cornerbacks Josh Fussell and Braden Turner were still "doubtful."

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos