2024 Northwestern football position reviews: Secondary

An inexperienced group of Wildcat defensive backs had some growing pains in an up-and-down 2024 season.

After Northwestern’s disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2024, Inside NU is taking a look at each Wildcat position group. Today, we’re closing out the position reviews with the Northwestern secondary, a group that struggled throughout 2024 but had flashes of real promise.

Overall Grade: C

The Wildcat secondary took an expected step back after a wildly successful 2023 campaign where Northwestern limited its opponents to just 182.9 passing yards per game — good for 14th in the country and fifth in the Big Ten — and racked up 13 interceptions. The 2024 Northwestern secondary allowed more passing yards per game (237.5) and generated fewer takeaways (10), finishing in the bottom half of the conference in each statistical category.

Such regression was not surprising after the ‘Cats lost three of their top five defensive backs to the portal in Garnett Hollis Jr., Rod Heard II and Jaheem Joseph. A training camp injury to expected starter Ore Adeyi left an already thin group starving for experienced bodies. Theran Johnson was catapulted into the CB1 spot, and the junior defensive back excelled in his increased role after a tough start to the season. Evan Smith started the season alongside Johnson against Miami (OH), but redshirt freshman Josh Fussell replaced Smith after a 41-24 loss to Indiana and never looked back.

Coco Azema entered 2024 as the longest tenured and highest profile Wildcat in the secondary, earning an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2023, but he struggled in 2024 as he battled injuries throughout the season. Redshirt first-year Damon Walters stepped up alongside the ever-consistent Devin Turner to hold down the safety group.

Northwestern allowed 300 yards passing just once against Kurtis Rourke and Indiana, but the ‘Cats struggled against good quarterback play. NU kept Duke’s Maalik Murphy in check for three quarters, but the highly touted sophomore quarterback diced up the ‘Cats in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead a comeback victory. Northwestern fought valiantly against Ohio State and Will Howard, but the Buckeyes proved too talented and the capital-G generational Jeremiah Smith sauntered to 100 yards at Wrigley Field. Michigan’s Davis Warren had his best game through the air against Northwestern, throwing for 195 yards, one touchdown and an interception in a 50-6 victory.

Theran Johnson: A-

Stats: 11 games played, 10 passes defended, two interceptions, 53 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one touchdown

Johnson was the breakout star of the 2024 Northwestern defense, finishing the season with a team leading 10 passes defended — good for third in the Big Ten — and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown against Iowa. The junior earned second team All-Ben Ten honors for his prolific 2024 campaign. Johnson entered the transfer portal after the season and was quickly snatched up by the powerhouse that is Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks.

Johnson was thrown into the fire from the jump in 2024. He was burned twice by Washington’s Denzel Boston in the first twenty minutes of Northwestern’s Big Ten opener to the tune of two touchdowns but bounced back admirably a game later against Indiana. Johnson broke up three passes in that game, two of which were intended for the formidable Elijah Sarratt, and never looked back. A pick-six against the Hawkeyes was the exclamation point in a banner season for No. 10.

Josh Fussell: B

Stats: 12 games played, five passes defended, zero interceptions, 39 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss,

Fussell started the season splitting time with Evan Smith as the CB2 after the Adeyi injury, but quickly asserted himself as the second best corner on the roster. Fussell was awarded the starting role in Week 7 against Maryland and showed out against the Terrapins, recording three tackles and a crucial goal line pass breakup.

Fussell’s best game came four weeks later against Ohio State, where he finished with seven total tackles and a pass defended against perhaps the best wide receiver room in the country in Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate. He also had an interception wiped off by a roughing the passer penalty against Iowa.

Devin Turner: B

Stats: 11 games played, three passes defended, three interceptions, 51 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one touchdown

Turner backed up a solid sophomore season with an excellent junior campaign capped by a team leading three interceptions, two of which came in the season finale against Illinois. His second interception in that game, a diving catch made on a go-ball intended for Illinois’ Pat Bryant, was a phenomenal display of play recognition and athleticism against a very good quarterback in Luke Altmyer.

His tackle numbers were down from his ridiculous 68 from a year ago, but the junior remained a crucial piece of the Wildcat run defense as well. Turner earned an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention for his efforts, and transferred to Baylor at the conclusion of the season.

Damon Walters: B+

Stats: 10 games played, two passes defended, one interception, 26 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery

Walters defied every expectation in his redshirt first-year season. He was one of the best first-year safeties in the country, finishing second in the Big Ten in tackles among freshmen and first among freshmen safeties. He was also the only first-year in the Big Ten to record at least 40 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, and the first Northwestern first-year to reach those marks since Paddy Fisher in 2017. Walters finished as an All Big-Ten Honorable Mention for his efforts. Northwestern should be thrilled to have the safety prowling the secondary for three more years.

Coco Azema: C-

Stats: 11 games played, two passes defended, one interceptions, 24 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss

Azema battled through injuries through the 2024 season and was ultimately unable to match his excellent 2023 campaign that earned him an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. Azema collected an interception against Wisconsin and defended two passes on the season — one more than he did in 2023 — but it was the tackling that was an issue for the sixth year senior. Azema recorded five or more tackles in five games a year ago — including a 10 tackle performance in an overtime win over Minnesota. In 2024, he finished with just two such games and a season high of six tackles against Purdue.

Braden Turner: C

Stats: 12 games played, two passes defended, zero interceptions, 37 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery

Turner put together a solid sophomore season in an expanded role. His 37 total tackles were a massive jump from his seven in 2023, and his two passes defended were the first of his career. Turner’s best game came in Week 10 against Ohio State with Theran Johnson out as he racked up six tackles and a pass defended in the loss to the Buckeyes. The 5-foot-11 corner is an above average tackler for his position and size, and he and Memphis transfer An’Darius Coffey should make Northwestern one of the better tackling secondaries in the conference in 2025.

Robert Fitzgerald: C

Stats: 12 games played, zero passes defended, one interceptions, 46 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 1.0 sacks, one fumble recovery

The hard-nosed Fitzgerald was a bastion of consistency in his sophomore season, recording at least two tackles in 11 of Northwestern’s 12 games in 2024. Fitzgerald, who excelled on special teams in 2023, made his living mostly as a run defender, though his best moment on the season did come in the passing game when he sealed Northwestern’s Week 1 win with an interception. Fitzgerald would be the presumptive starting safety in 2025 if the season started today, but I would not be surprised if Northwestern looks to the portal to find another body with more starting experience.

Evan Smith: C-

Stats: 12 games played, three passes defended, one interceptions, 28 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss

Smith began the season splitting reps with Fussell as the second starting corner and even recorded an interception against Miami (OH). The lightning fast sophomore struggled a little as a tackler and regressed to more of a backup role after the loss to Indiana. His three passes defended — all coming in Northwestern’s first six games — were good for fourth on the team.

Garner Wallace: Incomplete

Stats: 11 games played, one pass defended, eight tackles

The redshirt junior from Ohio had his best game of the season against Illinois, registering five total tackles in the Wildcat loss. Wallace, a former three-star recruit, has struggled to carve out a role for himself in four years in Evanston, though he will have a shot to compete for playing time in his senior year with the departures of Devin Turner and Coco Azema.

Joe DeHaan: Incomplete

Stats: 12 games played, zero passes defended, eight tackles

DeHaan played all 12 games for Northwestern in his final season in Evanston, recording tackles in four of them. The graduate student also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2024 for the second consecutive season.

Cole Shivers: Incomplete

Stats: Two games played, one tackle

Shivers saw the field just once in 2024, recording a tackle in Northwestern’s win over Maryland. He is a redshirt first-year and a former three-star prospect who committed to Northwestern over Arizona, Boise State and Colorado.

Tito Williams Jr.: Incomplete

Stats: One game played, one tackle

The first-year safety played one game in 2024 while maintaining his redshirt, recording a tackle against Wisconsin. Williams Jr. was a three star recruit out of Bradley Central in Cleveland, Tennessee, and is certainly a name to monitor to compete for playing time in 2025.

Ore Adeyi: Incomplete (did not play)

Adeyi was expected to start the season as the CB1 before he suffered a broken leg in training camp and missed the entire 2024 campaign. Adeyi, who has two years of eligibility remaining, should be an integral piece of the 2025 unit. He will likely compete with Fussell and Memphis transfer An’Darius Coffey for the starting job, with the likes of Braden Turner, Evan Smith and maybe even highly touted true freshman Marquet Dorsey Jr..

Terrion Curry-Hicks: Incomplete (did not play)

J.J. Lewis: Incomplete (did not play)

Jalen Lewis: Incomplete (did not play)

Sean Martin: Incomplete (did not play)

Timi Oke: Incomplete (did not play)

Jack Oyola: Incomplete (did not play)