Northwestern Dual-Sport QB and Outfielder Goes Undrafted in MLB Draft

The Wildcat athlete started 10 games this year as a quarterback and 43 in the outfield.

Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Jack Lausch (12) throws during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Ohio State won 31-7. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 MLB Draft marked the fourth consecutive year without a Northwestern Wildcat being selected to play at the next level. The team's most likely candidate was two-sport athlete Jack Lausch, who was once considered a viable baseball prospect.

Prior to flipping his commitment to Northwestern, Lausch was originally set to play baseball at Notre Dame. Perfect Game graded Lausch as the No. 94 overall recruit in the Class of 2022, and the outfielder ranked No. 248 on the scouting service's final Big Board ahead of the 2022 MLB Draft. Upon being offered a scholarship to play quarterback for Northwestern, Lausch decided to follow his football dreams with the Wildcats instead.

Lausch earned his first true shot on the football field as a redshirt sophomore in 2024, starting 10 games under center for the Wildcats. The Chicago native completed 53.7% of his passes for 1,714 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions, adding 213 yards and two scores on the ground.

This spring, Lausch returned to the diamond for the first time since high school. The outfielder made 44 appearances with 43 starts for the 'Cats, posting a slash line of .268/.345/.450 as Northwestern finished with its best winning percentage in a season since 2005. Lausch found his groove down the stretch for NU, batting .405 with four home runs over his final 13 games.

Lausch is playing in the MLB Draft League this summer, and with Northwestern adding transfers Preston Stone and Gavin Frakes to its quarterback room, speculation grew in recent weeks that Lausch could be leaving Evanston early to pursue professional baseball. However, Lausch has struggled so far with the Draft League's Williamsport Crosscutters. In 17 games, the two-sport athlete is batting just .133 with 35 strikeouts.

If Lausch decides to forego his 2025 football season to train for the 2026 MLB Draft full time, the outfielder could become Northwestern's first drafted baseball player since 2021. Stone appears the likeliest candidate to start under center this fall, leaving Lausch with a tough decision regarding his future.