Northwestern football position previews — Quarterbacks

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We are officially eight weeks from Northwestern football’s season opener against South Dakota State, and InsideNU is commemorating the occasion with the first edition of our position preview series. Each week, we’ll break down a different position group and what to expect from them heading into David Braun’s fourth season at the helm. We’ll kick the series off with a quarterback room that received a huge overhaul with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s arrival.

Overview:

Returners:  Ryan Boe (R-So), Marcus Romain (R-Fr), Sean Winton (R-So), Gavin Frakes (Gr), Aidan Gray (R-Jr)

Losses: Preston Stone (graduated)

Newcomers: Nicco Marchiol (transfer from West Virginia), Aidan Chiles (transfer from Michigan State), Johnny O’Brien (true first-year)

Northwestern’s offseason activity has been characterized by a complete overhaul of the offense. By hiring legendary ex-Oregon coach Chip Kelly as the offensive coordinator, the Wildcats are aiming to revitalize an air offense that averaged the fourth-lowest passing yards per game in the Big Ten. The key to improving a struggling, often turgid air offense was grabbing former Michigan State starter Aidan Chiles out of the transfer portal.

Chiles’ time at State was topsy-turvy. He initially showed immense promise as a dual-threat quarterback, displaying an elite arm with explosive legs, but struggled with accuracy, fumbling the ball and throwing interceptions. His inconsistency hit a head after an especially forgettable performance against Michigan that extended MSU’s losing skid to five games, as he was subsequently benched for redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic midway through the season. He also struggled with a foot injury that extended his absence.

Chiles ended his stint in East Lansing with 3,807 yards, 23 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and eight wins to his name.

Nicco Marchiol is projected as Chiles’ backup for the 2026 season. Marchiol spent two years as the no. 2 quarterback at West Virginia behind Garrett Greene and won the starting spot in 2025 after Greene graduated. Marchiol appeared in four games that season, including in a rivalry win over Pitt where he threw 19 passes on 25 attempts for 192 yards and a touchdown. However, Marchiol sustained a severe foot injury in a blowout loss to Kansas and, despite attempting to play through it, announced he would miss the remainder of the season to medically redshirt. Marchiol opted to hit the transfer portal amidst a tough battle for the starting job this past spring and committed to Northwestern in March.

Beyond the two transfers, the most recognizable name here is Ryan Boe, who made seven appearances last season behind Preston Stone. It’s unlikely Boe gets any playing time behind Marchiol and Chiles, but his development may be interesting to watch. Boe completed two passes on seven attempts for 17 yards in the 2025 season, but much of his usage came in the run game: speed option and QB power in short-yardage situations constituting a large percentage of Boe’s usage rate.

Marcus Romain is also a player worth monitoring. A dual-threat quarterback out of Marietta, Georgia, Romain has great physical tools, like size and speed, while being a good decision-maker who can make quick decisions in the pocket.

Northwestern also added Johnny O’Brien, the No. 71-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2026. O’Brien, who played high school football just an hour from Evanston, also received interest from Western Michigan, Illinois, and Purdue.

Key Player:

Aidan Chiles

Chiles is expected to be the QB1 going into Northwestern’s opener against South Dakota State. There’s a slim chance that Marchiol gives him competition for the starting job, but Chiles was brought in to lead Northwestern’s new-look offense under Kelly.

Chiles is a raw talent. He has a cannon for an arm and great foot speed, but he struggles immensely with feel for the game — whether it’s struggling to adapt to new, complex defenses, or simply making poor decisions on the field. He can be explosive at times, but at Michigan State, he struggled under pressure.

Northwestern has inherited an uber-talented quarterback with limitless athletic potential. It’s up to offensive coordinator Kelly and the Wildcats coaching staff to refine him.

Big Question:

Can Northwestern unlock Chiles’ untapped dual-threat potential?

Chiles entered college football as the no. 7 quarterback in the Class of 2023 and showed glimmers of brilliance in his sophomore season at Michigan State — specifically in a shootout against Maryland in 2024, where he threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns against two interceptions.

Again in his five-touchdown performance against Boston College in a double-overtime thriller.

The countless deep balls to Nick Marsh and Omari Kelly.

There have been moments where the Aidan Chiles Show wasn’t just dysfunctional, but genuinely effective.

He may have been dishonorably discharged from Michigan State, but Chiles put together his fair share of barnburners in quarterback duels against Jayden Maiava or Luke Altmyer.

Chiles is the perfect quarterback for Kelly’s new-look offense. Kelly emphasizes quick reads, fast plays, and a simplified offense that maximizes quarterback options. That up-tempo playbook will suit Chiles, who can make defenses pay for dropping players back or stacking the box. He is an agile, strong runner and a passer who has grown immensely in terms of efficiency and decision-making. He completed over 63% of his throws and posted a 10:3 touchdown-interception ratio in 2025.

Chiles struggled at Michigan State because of a mix of a porous offensive line and questionable decision-making. He has the athletic tools to truly be an elite Big Ten quarterback and a potent threat in the air and on the ground. Northwestern needs to surround him with a capable offensive line that can give him time in the pocket while giving him an offensive scheme that will suit his mobility and give him easy checkdowns. The rest — cleaning up sloppy decision-making, preventing fumbles — will have to come down to Chiles.

Depth Chart

Projected 2026 QB Depth Chart

First String: Aidan Chiles

Second String: Nicco Marchiol

Third String: Ryan Boe

Although there have been some discussions about who will back up Chiles between Marchiol and Boe, it will likely be Marchiol. He has proven winning experience at West Virginia, and his 62.3% career completion rate, along with 10 touchdowns to seven interceptions, are nothing to scoff at. At worst, he can challenge Chiles in practice and push him to fight for the starting spot in a way that Boe wouldn’t be able to. At best, if Chiles gets injured or underperforms, he’s a high-floor insurance plan that will keep Northwestern’s season on track.

This season will start and end with Chiles. If Chiles lives up to the hype as a potent quarterback who can cut down on the turnovers and process the game quickly while keeping his dynamism, Northwestern will be one of the more intriguing teams in the FBS.

If he struggles, expect another unremarkable losing season for the Wildcats.

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