What is Northwestern getting in South Dakota State transfers Griffin Wilde and Evan Beerntsen?

What should Wildcat fans expect to see out of the two Jackrabbits as they continue their careers in Evanston?

Happy New Year x2!

Welcome to the newest Northwestern Wildcats, OL Evan Beerntsen and WR Griffin Wilde, formerly at South Dakota State. Beerntsen has two FCS national championships under his belt, while Wilde has one. Both of these came when playing for former South Dakota State Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach and current Northwestern Offensive Coordinator Zach Lujan. Now, Lujan has brought two of his guys to Chicago’s Big Ten team for the 2025 season (and possibly more for Wilde).

Griffin Wilde

Overview

Griffin Wilde is a huge addition to this Northwestern offense. He’s the first ever junior to join the ‘Cats from the transfer portal in program history. With A.J. Henning and Bryce Kirtz both not returning in 2025, Wilde will likely be the primary wide receiver for NU’s offense in the upcoming season. Alongside Beerntsen, Wilde was named to the FCS Football Central All-American second-team (Sports Illustrated).

Stats

2023-24: 20 receptions, 399 yards, six touchdowns

2024-25: 71 receptions, 1,154 yards, 16.3 yards per reception, 12 touchdowns, one carry, six yards

Analysis

Wilde had outstanding quarterback play during his time at South Dakota State thanks to Mark Gronowski. Coming to NU, he now gets to play with Preston Stone. As a true first-year, Wilde emerged as a solid option for the eventual FCS national champions. He was used in the screen game while also being a deep threat. Wilde’s sophomore season put his name on the map. He was the go-to target for Gronowski in 2024 and for good reason. Wilde was a chunk play waiting to happen, averaging 16.3 yards per reception this past year.

After a disappointing 4-8 season for David Braun’s squad, losing the top two receivers of 2024 is a huge blow. However, Wilde comes in at the perfect time. He still has multiple years of eligibility remaining as he’s only a junior, and he has (hopefully) reliable quarterback play coming to Evanston in former SMU quarterback Preston Stone. He also gets to be paired up with Zach Lujan once again. Lujan should know how to utilize the strengths of Wilde since he coached him just two seasons ago. For a team that lacked a deep passing game in 2024, Wilde combined with Stone should help open the field for more explosive plays. If the two can develop a rapport similar to Wilde and Gronowski, the ‘Cats offense could reach new heights.

In this play below, you can see how Wilde and Gronowski had a special connection. This is something the ‘Cats didn’t really have last season because of lackluster quarterback play. Wilde is a touchdown waiting to happen as long as his quarterback can get him the rock. Gronowski was able to this past season, and hopefully Stone can do the same.

Here is an example of Wilde’s ball tracking ability. Gronowski places this ball exceptionally well, but Wilde knew the exact moment to turn around to snag the ball for six. He can win as a jump ball receiver on top of being a big-time deep threat.

Against an FBS opponent, Wilde had a career high 150 receiving yards. Below, you can see how he’s also a threat when in the open field. Wilde is tracked down by the Oklahoma State defender, but puts him on skates as he jukes back to then waltz into the end zone.

Evan Beerntsen

Overview

Evan Beerntsen began his collegiate career with a redshirt season in 2019. In 2020, Beerntsen saw action in four games, followed by seeing no playing time in 2021. In 2022, he played in 13 games after missing the first two. Beerntsen would solidify his spot at right guard in 2023, starting in all 15 games. This past season, he was named to the FCS Football Central All-American second-team (Sports Illustrated).

Analysis

When the offseason kicked off, the ‘Cats offensive line didn’t have the brightest of futures. Josh Thompson entered the transfer portal, eventually committing to LSU. Additionally, three linemen are graduating this year in Jack Bailey, Cooper Lovelace and Ben Wrather. However, NU brought in Xavier Gray from Liberty and now Evan Beerntsen from South Dakota State in an effort to revamp the unit.

Beerntsen has experience playing in big games. The Jackrabbits have been an FCS powerhouse as of late, and Beerntsen was part of those teams. He also has familiarity with Zach Lujan. The addition of Beerntsen is a step in the right direction for this offensive line, and he could be the perfect fit at guard for the Wildcats likely new-look offense in 2025 with Preston Stone at quarterback.

Rest of the transfer class so far:

Preston Stone, QB, SMU

Alex Lines, TE, New Mexico

Chase Farrell, WR, Stanford

Yanni Karlaftis, DL, Purdue

An’Darius Coffey, DB, Memphis

Xavior Gray, OL, Liberty

Fred Davis II, DB, Jacksonville State

Liam Reardon, LS, Akron