Northwestern Wildcats Down Two Key Defensive Starters Against Tulane

The 'Cats' availability report featured a couple surprises.

Sep 30, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Dante Cephas (3) tries to make a catch as Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Ore Adeyi (7) defends him during the second half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

It's officially game day for Northwestern, which means the 'Cats released their first availability report of the season this morning ahead of their matchup with Tulane. A couple of important, starting defenders were surprisingly listed as OUT.

Safety Damon Walters and corner Ore Adeyi will not be available against the Green Wave today with unspecified injuries, leaving some potential holes in the Northwestern secondary.

Northwestern will be down several key players against Tulane, per the Big Ten Availability Report. Damon Walters was named the starting safety this week, while Ore Adeyi was set to have a big role as one of the starting corners. Missing Migo Jackson will also hurt the DT depth. pic.twitter.com/16xYcJdPHg

— Gavin Dorsey (@gjdorsey7) August 30, 2025

Northwestern Players Listed as OUT

Ore Adeyi, Damon Walters, Jack Oyola, Tito Williams Jr., Matthew Smith, Tyler Kielmeyer, Miles Crutchley, Dylan Roberts, N. Campblell, Matt Keeler, Jace Borcherding, Hayden Eligon II, Braden Blueitt, Caden O'Rourke, Migo Jackson, Braxton Strong

What It Means

The list looks long, but the majority of it is made up of players who are low on the depth chart. Migo Jackson stands out among the field as a defensive lineman who could have seen some run today, but Adeyi and Walters are the headliners.

Adeyi missed all of last season with an injury, but he played in 13 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2023. That season, he finished with 20 total tackles, two TFLs and one pass defended. Coming off the injury, he was set for a much larger role in this year's Northwestern defense.

The experienced corner was expected to start this game, and his absence will put more pressure on fellow starters like Josh Fussell and grad transfer Fred Davis.

Walters, meanwhile, earned a starting safety position this week, according head coach David Braun. His appearance on this report suggests something may have came up late in the week that's keeping him from suiting up. But there's no information on exactly what he's dealing with, so it's tough to speculate.

Walters had an exciting first season of college ball as a redshirt freshman in 2024. He finished the year with 42 total tackles, two PBUs, a pick and four TFLs. After flashing a lot of potential, it's unfortunate for the 'Cats that they won't get to see him out there in week one.

Perhaps even more concerning is Tito Williams Jr.'s absence, since he's listed on the depth chart as one of the back-ups to Walters. It will be up to Dillon Tatum, Garner Wallace and potentially Sean Martin to hold down the fort.

Today's game kicks off at 11 a.m. CST in New Orleans on ESPNU.