Who's That Wildcat: DE Aidan Hubbard
DE Aidan Hubbard
Height: 6'4" Weight: 235 lbs
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
High school: Saint Ignatius High School
Power Five Offers: Boston College, Duke, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue, Virginia, Washington State
Group of Five Offers: Air Force, Akron, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Toledo
Evaluation: Northwestern's defense is added an explosive and dynamic edge player this fall in Asian Hubbard. The Cleveland product led his high school team in tackles in both his junior and senior seasons, resulting in Second Team All-Ohio (junior year) and First Team-All Ohio (senior year) honors.
Hubbard is a long and twitchy player who commands and controls the edge at a high level. He has quick feet and great closing speed which makes him a terror screaming off the edge. While listed as a defensive-end on Northwestern's roster, don't be surprised if you see Hubbard get some reps in the middle of the field as well. He has experience playing off the ball as an inside linebacker and is versatile enough to cover backs out of the backfield, and if asked to do so, even slot receivers.
However, Hubbard's bread and butter is playing on the line, outside the tackles. Whether that is in a two point or three point stance, it does not matter. Watching Hubbard's tape it is easy to see the impact he will have on the Northwestern defense in the future.
Projected Playing Time: Coming in and playing on the defensive line as a freshman in the Big Ten is a rare feat. Couple that in with an already crowded and talented defensive line room, it might be hard for Hubbard to see playing time this season. The freshman will need to put on more mass if he is going to hold his own in the trenches of Big Ten football. While a redshirt is likely, Hubbard will get his chance to impress the coaches in Fall Camp.
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Jack Savage is a Reporter and Contributor for Wildcats Daily on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Savage is a UCLA alum and is currently pursuing his MSJ at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.