Northwestern Starting Quarterback Receives Fair National Ranking

The Wildcats' new passer brings experience to a team that greatly needs it.

Sep 23, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs quarterback Preston Stone (2) in action during the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the SMU Mustangs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Northwestern's performance in recent years has ebbed and flowed with its quarterback play, and the Wildcats will need more consistency under center in order to bounce back from last season's 4-8 finish.

Fortunately, help arrived from the transfer portal in the form of SMU graduate student Preston Stone. The former Mustangs captain threw for 3,197 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2023 before losing his job to sophomore phenom Kevin Jennings in 2024, who led SMU to its first College Football Playoff berth.

Stone totaled 421 yards, five touchdowns and an interception in 2024, and while his playing time was limited after Jennings won the job, the grad transfer has brought hope to Evanston that Northwestern can return to a bowl game this fall. He has received praise from his coaching staff and teammates already at NU, and on Wednesday, Stone earned a respectable ranking among college passers.

The Athletic ranked all 136 projected FBS quarterbacks with input from 40 current coaches and staffers, breaking the field into seven tiers. Stone landed in Tier 4 as a veteran who "flashed great talent but hit performance or injury speed bumps somewhere along the way." He was listed as the No. 45 quarterback in the nation entering the season, good for 11th in the Big Ten.

"The highest-ranked QB SMU has signed in the modern recruiting era, Stone threw for nearly 3,200 yards and 28 TDs during a 2023 run to the AAC championship," writers Sam Khan Jr. and Antonio Morales said. "But he was replaced by Kevin Jennings early last season and landed at Northwestern. Stone can extend plays if necessary but is not an elite runner. He’s best in the dropback game, attacking downfield."

The ranking places Stone just behind conference opponents in Iowa's Mark Gronowski (No. 39), Nebraska's Dylan Raiola (No. 40) and Michigan State's Aidan Chiles (No. 44), while he leads quarterbacks for nationally contending teams like Alabama's Ty Simpson (No. 47), Georgia's Gunner Stockton (No. 48), Notre Dame's CJ Carr (No. 49) and Michigan's Bryce Underwood (No. 50). Jennings ranks No. 8 on the overall list.

An anonymous Power 4 coach added, "[Stone] throws a really good deep ball."

Stone projects to bring stability to Northwestern's quarterback room. Following a season in which Wildcat passers combined for seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions, Stone's penchant for taking care of the ball is much-needed in order for NU to win games in the Big Ten.