Northwestern's Caleb Tiernan Ranked High on Top-25 Senior Tackles List

The Athletic's Dane Brugler continued his position rankings yesterday.

Nov 23, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive end Cameron Brandt (91) rushes on defense at Northwestern Wildcats offensive lineman Caleb Tiernan (72) in the second half t Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Heading into 2025, there are a lot of questions about this Northwestern team.

Is the defense going to remain a strength? Xander Mueller is gone, and the secondary is less experienced. Is a defensive line group with a lot of returners going to hold down the fort?

Offensively, what will coordinator Zach Lujan's offense look like in year two? It struggled mightily in 2024. Transfer quarterback Preston Stone might be the guy to help open it up, but does he have enough weapons to make it work?

It's a very difficult team to predict -- one that could easily look similar to last season's squad but also has reasons to belive it can take a step in the right direction. For fans, it makes the opener on the road at Tulane fascinating, but the outlook for the season as a whole wildly uncertain.

Caleb Tiernan being good, though, feels like as close to a certainty as the Wildcats have right now. The senior left tackle is already receiving praise on a national scale, projected to be selected in next year's NFL Draft (potentially in the first round).

Yesterday, the Athletic's Dane Brugler released his tackle rankings as part of a series he's doing on all the positions. Tiernan was listed at No. 5 in the country among senior tackles, sandwiched between Iowa's Gennings Dunker at No. 4 and Ohio State's Ethan Onianwa at No. 6.

In almost any other conference, this mean's Tiernan would be talked about as the best senior tackle in his league. The Big Ten holds six of the top seven spots in Bruglers ranking, with Arizona State's Max Iheanachor as the only exception.

Northwestern is starting to become a "left tackle-U" of sorts, with recent successful NFLers like Peter Skoronski and Rashawn Slater coming out of the program. Tiernan is poised to be next.

It's hard to poke holes in Tiernan's profile or performance so far at Northwestern. He has the size, standing at a whopping 6-foot-7 and weighing 325 lbs. He has the experience, starting every game for the 'Cats over the past two seasons on the blind side.

Last season, Tiernan was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and posted an 82.3 PFF grade, fifth in the conference (again, an elite conference for tackles).

When a player has already done all of that before his senior season, it's hard not to dream of what he might do in his final campaign. Stone is going to need time to operate in the pocket, especially given the team's lack of depth at the receiver position. Luckily for him, Tiernan is perhaps the team's most guarenteed weapon.