Career Northwestern Wildcat Secures Rookie Camp Invite From Commanders

The offensive lineman played five seasons in Evanston.

Sep 9, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats tight end Marshall Lang (88) and offensive lineman Ben Wrather (71) celebrate with running back Joseph Himon II (20) after Himon II scored a touchdown in the second half against the University of Texas El Paso Miners at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

In an era when many college football players play for two, three and sometimes even four teams, Ben Wrather played five seasons with Northwestern. The offensive lineman started at the school as a freshman way back in 2020.

Now, Wrather is continuing his football journey at the next level. According to his agency, he's received in invite to the Washington Commanders' Rookie Camp.

Excited to announce #TGCathlete Ben Wrather has been invited to Rookie Camp with the Washington Commanders.#thegridironcreww #NFL #NFLDraft #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/9MlcXfiCBy

— The Gridiron Crew 🏈 (@Gridiron_Crew) April 30, 2025

Wrather appeared in 51 total games over the course of his long college career. At 6-foot-6, 310 lbs, according to Sports Reference, the lineman is a very large human capable of moving defenders around.

The Wildcats didn't have any players selected in this year's draft, but Wrather joins a group of others including A.J. Henning, Thomas Gordon and Xander Mueller that are getting a chance in the post-draft process. Most of them are also invites, though Henning received a true UDFA contract.

Wrather will be getting an opportunity with an organization on the rise in the NFL. After quarterback Jayden Daniels took the league by storm last season, leading Washington to an NFC Championship game appearance, the front office has spent considerable resources upgrading his protection.

After trading for superstar left tackle Laremy Tunsil and using its first round pick on Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr., the Commanders have a strong stable of beef up front. This is not necessarily a good thing for a lineman with an invite to rookie camp.

Wrather will certainly gain invaluable experience learning from NFL coaching, but the opportunity to make the team is slim. That goes for any rookie camp invite, though. The distinction between a UDFA signing and an invite is important, as the former has a significantly better shot to get a real look in training camp.

But Wrather has an opportunity, and he'll look to make the most of it. His NFL dreams are alive, and he has the chance to represent Northwestern at the highest level if things go right.