Ten Questions: 1. Will Northwestern's bet on Chip Kelly pay off?

[mshelton33]

Ten Questions: 1. Will Northwestern's bet on Chip Kelly pay off?

The first of WildcatReport's series of 10 questions that will define Northwestern's 2026 season.

www.on3.com

The first of our 2026 offseason 10 Questions series is about Northwestern's landmark hire at offensive coordinator: Chip Kelly.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Most of us were excited about Lujan (especially those pirate guys), but Chip Kelly is just a different dimension. He's done at different places with different personnel. I think he has enough to work with here to make a significant improvement.

 

[Jaguar 88]

Give him a few seasons, but I was hoping for an immediate uptick in recruiting by landing a few 4 star recruits. That might have been asking too much, but making a bowl game and winning it should help.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Give him a few seasons, but I was hoping for an immediate uptick in recruiting by landing a few 4 star recruits. That might have been asking too much, but making a bowl game and winning it should help.

Let's see how Neuheisel does with Chiles. That will help

 

[Catmandoo78]

Give him a few seasons, but I was hoping for an immediate uptick in recruiting by landing a few 4 star recruits. That might have been asking too much, but making a bowl game and winning it should help.

*A bowl game against an actual P4 team

 

[Fanaticat98]

I don’t expect as big a jump this year in scoring offense as his previous stops as it will take more time to get talent and our schedule is so hard, but even getting 5 more points per game would put us in the top half of FBS and probably higher than in the last decade.

 

[Styre]

I don’t expect as big a jump this year in scoring offense as his previous stops as it will take more time to get talent and our schedule is so hard, but even getting 5 more points per game would put us in the top half of FBS and probably higher than in the last decade.

Using last year's numbers, that jump would have made us #62 in scoring offense, which would have been our best ranking since 2017.

 

[Eurocat]

Ten Questions: 1. Will Northwestern's bet on Chip Kelly pay off?

The first of WildcatReport's series of 10 questions that will define Northwestern's 2026 season.

www.on3.com

The first of our 2026 offseason 10 Questions series is about Northwestern's landmark hire at offensive coordinator: Chip Kelly.

Still recovering from a stupid summer cold (my own darn fault for not setting the Air Conditioning timer) so I looked him up. I knew he was definitely big time but this really had me excited (unless he has gotten a bit less "hot" in his old age). And then you have Rick Neuheisel.

From wiki -

On March 31, 2009, Oregon announced head coach Mike Bellotti would be promoted to athletic director, with Kelly promoted to head coach.[13]

Kelly coached Oregon to BCS games in each of his four seasons as head coach: the 2010 Rose Bowl, 2011 BCS National Championship Game, 2012 Rose Bowl, and 2013 Fiesta Bowl. Kelly coached Oregon to three consecutive outright conference championships from 2009 to 2011 and a conference division title in 2012. Oregon won its second consecutive BCS bowl game after they defeated #5 Kansas State in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl. What may be considered the most important part of Kelly's résumé at Oregon, however, is that he posted undefeated records against the Ducks most hated rivals, the Oregon State Beavers and the Washington Huskies, something never before achieved by an Oregon coach.

Kelly was named the 2009 and 2010 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, 2010 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, 2010 Walter Camp Coach of the Year, 2010 Sporting News Coach of the Year, 2010 AFCA Coach of the Year Award, and 2010 Associated Press Coach of the Year.

 

[Eurocat]

Using last year's numbers, that jump would have made us #62 in scoring offense, which would have been our best ranking since 2017.

Keep in mind Pat and David are both Defensive minded coaches. They would be happy to in 3 -0. It's in their nature. This is not a at all toe be negative on either one, but they are what they are. To change leagues. the late great coach Mike Leach would want to win 99 to 98 and be delighted. But it sure would not make his DC look good. Fitz got lucky being able to hire coach Hank but Hank got lucky coaching for HC Fitz and not Mike Leach or someone like him (remember Guy Morris at Kentucky?). No knock - thanks Hank you da man!

 

[rwesley264]

Kelly will elevate the program but it won't be instant. I expect the offense will have a slow start. Need to figure what works and what doesn't. And need to figure out personnel.

I imagine we'll use at least 2 qb's in the first half of the season until we can figure out the right guy to start.

I expect we'll see the improvements in the second half of the season.

 

[DaCat]

Kelly will elevate the program but it won't be instant. I expect the offense will have a slow start. Need to figure what works and what doesn't. And need to figure out personnel.

I imagine we'll use at least 2 qb's in the first half of the season until we can figure out the right guy to start.

I expect we'll see the improvements in the second half of the season.

If you have two QBs you have none. I want to see Chip commit to Chiles until Chiles shows he doesn't deserve to start. I do not want to see dual QBs to "figure out the right guy". Start with Chiles and stick with him, I think he'll thrive in the Chip and Jerry offense. And forget the slow start to the offense, especially as our running game should be firing on all cylinders out of the blocks. The OL just got significantly better with Carsello returning, and they'll clear the way for Komo, Himon, Sawchuk... the three-headed monster. Griffin Wilde is proven, Eligon just keeps getting better, and the new TE tandem can catch and block.

 

[Fanaticat98]

Keep in mind Pat and David are both Defensive minded coaches. They would be happy to in 3 -0. It's in their nature. This is not a at all toe be negative on either one, but they are what they are. To change leagues. the late great coach Mike Leach would want to win 99 to 98 and be delighted. But it sure would not make his DC look good. Fitz got lucky being able to hire coach Hank but Hank got lucky coaching for HC Fitz and not Mike Leach or someone like him (remember Guy Morris at Kentucky?). No knock - thanks Hank you da man!

You know what would’ve made Hank look better is an offense that could drive the ball to keep it away, and punch it in to score more TDs to win games. I think we could’ve had such an offense like the Wisconsin of old and not the extreme example of Mike Leach “score or no score, they’ll get the ball back in 2 minutes.”

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

If you have two QBs you have none. I want to see Chip commit to Chiles until Chiles shows he doesn't deserve to start. I do not want to see dual QBs to "figure out the right guy". Start with Chiles and stick with him, I think he'll thrive in the Chip and Jerry offense. And forget the slow start to the offense, especially as our running game should be firing on all cylinders out of the blocks. The OL just got significantly better with Carsello returning, and they'll clear the way for Komo, Himon, Sawchuk... the three-headed monster. Griffin Wilde is proven, Eligon just keeps getting better, and the new TE tandem can catch and block.

2012 though

 

[prez77]

If Chiles isn’t the starter throughout the season, it will probably mean the season was a disaster. They wouldn’t replace him for struggling against the tough teams on the schedule, which would mean he would have blown some of the easier games. If that were to have happened, it’s probably not even a five win season. Would also mean Kelly either didn’t prepare Chiles well or he just can’t play - neither of which would speak well for the program.

 

[DaCat]

If Chiles isn’t the starter throughout the season, it will probably mean the season was a disaster. They wouldn’t replace him for struggling against the tough teams on the schedule, which would mean he would have blown some of the easier games. If that were to have happened, it’s probably not even a five win season. Would also mean Kelly either didn’t prepare Chiles well or he just can’t play - neither of which would speak well for the program.

Not necessarily. Remember the first game last season… man that was ugly as ugly goes. We did salvage the season with a bowl and a win there.

I just don’t expect Chiles to crash, I’m thinking more of a Dennis Dixon scenario under Chip at Iregon.

 

[Fanaticat98]

Not necessarily. Remember the first game last season… man that was ugly as ugly goes. We did salvage the season with a bowl and a win there.

I just don’t expect Chiles to crash, I’m thinking more of a Dennis Dixon scenario under Chip at Iregon.

Yeah it’s hard to remember that first game was possibly the worst starting QB debut in memory and somehow we ended up making and winning a bowl game.

 

[prez77]

OK - so we give him an unexpectedly bad game. Unlikely to bench him if he’s bad against PSU or Oregon. So if he’s no longer the starter at mid-season, that means we probably have lost to two of Dakota, Colorado and Ball State. If that happens, I’m not sure we beat anyone else. Maybe MSU or Rutgers? So I still think if Chiles isn’t the QB at mid-season, it’s a bad season.

 

[NU'06er]

Not necessarily. Remember the first game last season… man that was ugly as ugly goes. We did salvage the season with a bowl and a win there.

I just don’t expect Chiles to crash, I’m thinking more of a Dennis Dixon scenario under Chip at Iregon.

Dixon was 5th in Heisman voting in 2007. Would be absolutely thrilled if Chiles gives us THAT.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Not necessarily. Remember the first game last season… man that was ugly as ugly goes. We did salvage the season with a bowl and a win there.

I just don’t expect Chiles to crash, I’m thinking more of a Dennis Dixon scenario under Chip at Iregon.

By and large, the team wasn't "willed to victory" by Stone. Exception being the MN game. He did poorly in several games where just taking care of the ball might have won the game. But...he played every meaningful snap, and there was a wide gulf between him and the backup.

Backup this year looks legit.

Speaking of, Frakes is BIG dude, couldn't he play elsewhere (if he's still around)?