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Northwestern football is riding a wave of excitement headed into the 2026 college football season with newcomers Aidan Chiles and Chip Kelly expected to lead an offense that was in desperate need of new talent and new ideas.

The Wildcats are also set to open their new $875 million home stadium that head coach David Braun called "the best in football."

Despite the excitement brewing in Evanston, few national and Midwest pundits have picked the Wildcats to challenge for a Big Ten championship or College Football Playoff berth.

One national analyst, RJ Young of Fox Sports, went on record recently questioning whether Kelly still has what it takes to be one of the best offensive coordinators in college football, as he was with Ohio State in 2024-25. 

Young Questions Kelly

Young ranked Northwestern 40th in the nation in his 'Ultimate CFB 138 Rankings' and had a surprisingly pessimistic take on the Wildcats' new 62-year-old offensive coordinator, who led the Buckeyes to the national championship in 2024-25 but had a rough go of things with the Las Vegas Raiders last season.

"David Braun has gone 19-19 as head coach at Northwestern," Young wrote. 

"A .500 record will do just fine in 2026 there too. 

"Whether Chip Kelly has some magic left in him after a disastrous stint with the Las Vegas Raiders is another question," Young added. 

Kelly coached 11 games with the Raiders in 2025-26 but was fired after a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns by head coach Pete Carroll. 

Carroll was fired on January 5 of this year after leading the Raiders to a 3-14 record. 

Kelly will have a chance to redeem himself this season with a Wildcats offense that has as much talent as any in recent school history. 

Young Wrong About Wildcats Expectations

Young's take on the Wildcats' .500 record aspiration is off the mark considering the school's growing commitment to the football program.

The Wildcats' new stadium is fetching high ticket prices and fans expect a winning season, not a .500 one. 

Chiles, Caleb Komolafe, and Griffin Wilde give Northwestern one of the best skill position trios in the Big Ten if not all of college football, at least in terms of potential. 

Kelly will be tasked with getting the maximum effort and results out of the Wildcats' offense one season after Braun led his team to a 7-6 record. 

The Wildcats' 2026 schedule is difficult but manageable with five ranked teams in twelve games, although three of them are on the road against teams that made last year's College Football Playoff. 

Northwestern is raising the stakes and raising its financial commitment to the football program, a precursor to higher expectations. 

Kelly and the Wildcats will have a chance to prove the doubters wrong beginning on Sept. 5 against South Dakota State, followed by a home game against Colorado that should give plenty more clues as to what this team's true ceiling will be in 2026. 

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