2024 Football Roster

mike wright northwestern
July 24, 2024, Evanston, IL: Members of the Northwestern Football team pose for photos as part of Internal Media Days at Walter Athletics Center in Evanston, IL on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (Photo by Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics)
Jersey Number 5

Mike Wright

  • Height:
    6-4
  • Weight:
    195
  • Position:
    QB
  • Class:
    Graduate Student
  • Hometown:
    Atlanta, Ga.
  • High School:
    Woodward Academy
  • Prev School:
    Mississippi State

2024 Graduate Student:
Played in three games and started in the first two, totaling 354 passing yards and 84 rushing yards with one rushing touchdown ... In his first start as a Wildcat, completed 60.0% of his passes, throwing for 178 yards, and ran for a game-high 65 yards and a touchdown in a win over Miami (Ohio) (8/31) … Was the only Big Ten quarterback to post 150+ passing yards and 50+ rushing yards in Week 1 … Marked the most rushing yards by a NU quarterback since Andrew Marty had 111 rushing yards against Illinois on Nov. 30, 2019 ... Tallied 156 passing yards and 19 rushing yards in a double overtime loss to Duke (9/6)

2023 Senior (at Mississippi State):
Played in all 12 games and made three starts, completing 48-of-85 passes (56.5%) for 453 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions ... On the ground ran 71 times for 324 yards (4.6 ypc) and three touchdowns … Posted the most rushing yards by a Mississippi State quarterback in a season since 2019 ... According to Pro Football Focus, finished the year with a passing grade of 72.5 and an offensive grade of 63.9, both career-best numbers ... Rushed for a season-high 95 yards on five carries (19.0 ypc) in the season-opener against Southeastern Louisiana (9/2) … Broke free for a season-long 53-yard rush, the longest rush by a Mississippi State player since 2019 … His 95 rushing yards were the most by a Bulldogs quarterback since 2019 … Also crossed the 1,000-yard career rushing mark ... Threw for a touchdown on his first pass attempt as a Bulldog, a four-yard score against LSU (9/16) ... Began a streak of rushing for a touchdown in three straight games by finding the end zone on a 1-yard rush against South Carolina (9/23) ... Rushed three times for 19 yards and scored a rushing touchdown for the second consecutive week with a 15-yard run against Alabama (9/30) ... Completed 7-of-10 passes for 57 yards and rushed seven times for 24 yards against Western Michigan (10/7) … For the third straight game, scored a rushing touchdown on a 3-yard rush ... Won his first start for Mississippi State, completing 8-of-12 passes for 85 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while also rushing 11 times for a team-high 60 yards at Arkansas (10/21) … Threw a 2-yard touchdown pass, which proved to be the game’s decisive score ... Starting for the second straight week, completed 16-of-32 passes for a season-high 161 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while rushing 14 times for a team-high 63 rushing yards at Auburn (10/28) … Completed a 14-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter ... In his third and final start of the season, completed 11-of-21 passes for 78 yards and an interception, while rushing 11 times for 20 yards against Kentucky (11/4)

Career (at Vanderbilt):
Totaled three games of 100+ rushing yards, tied for the 13th most in a career in Vanderbilt program history

2022 Junior (at Vanderbilt):
Played in 10 games and made six starts, completing 85-of-148 passes (57.4%) for 974 yards, with 12 touchdowns to just four interceptions ... On the ground, ran for 517 yards and five touchdowns on 71 carries (7.3 ypc) ... Posted the most passing touchdowns by a Vanderbilt quarterback since 2018 and registered the most rushing yards by a Vanderbilt quarterback since 2008 ... Team captain … Named to Maxwell Award Watch List … Named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll ... Accounted for four touchdowns, completing 13-of-18 passes for 146 yards with two touchdowns, while also rushing for career-highs of 163 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries in the season opener at Hawaii (8/27) … Broke free for an 87-yard touchdown run, the second-longest rushing play in Vanderbilt history … Recorded the most single-game rushing yards by a Vanderbilt player since 2018 ... Set multiple career-highs, throwing for 245 yards on 18-of-29 passing with four touchdown passes and rushed 11 times for 84 yards (7.6 ypc), accounting for a program record six total touchdowns against Elon (9/3) … His four touchdown passes are tied for third-most in a game in program history, and is the first to accomplish the feat since 2017 … Became Vanderbilt’s first quarterback with multiple games of two or more passing and rushing touchdowns since 1996 ... Completed 9-of-15 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown at Missouri (10/22) … Threw an 80-yard touchdown pass, tied for the eighth longest passing play in Vanderbilt history ... Named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week as he started in a win at Kentucky, completing 12-of-23 passes for 184 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while also rushing for 126 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries (11.5 ypc) … Along with running back Ray Davis, became the first Vanderbilt tandem to each rush for 100+ yards in the same game since 2002 ... Led the team to a win in his second straight start against Florida, completing 10-of-16 passes for 108 yards, with three touchdown tosses and one interception

2021 Sophomore (at Vanderbilt):
Played in 10 games and made five starts, all coming within the last six games of the season, set career-highs completing 93-of-175 passes for 1,042 yards, while registering eight touchdown passes to six interceptions ... Recorded 91 carries for 373 yards (4.1 ypc) with a touchdown ... Named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll ... Made his first career start at South Carolina (10/16), completing 11-of-21 passes for 206 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while rushing for 43 yards on 16 carries (2.7 ypc) ... Completed 14-of-28 passes for 122 yards for three touchdowns and one interception, and rushed for a season-high 152 yards on 14 touches (10.9 ypc) against Missouri (10/30) … Averaged 10.9 yards per carry, tied for the sixth-highest mark in a game in program history (min. 10 attempts) ... Recorded multiple passing touchdowns for the second straight week, completing 7-of-11 passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns against Kentucky (11/13) ... Posted a season-high 241 yards on 22-of-44 passing with an interception, while rushing for 61 yards on 13 carries (4.7 ypc) at Ole Miss (11/20) ... In the season finale against Tennessee (11/27) rushed for his lone touchdown of the season

2020 First-Year (at Vanderbilt):
Played in six games, completing 6-of-10 passes for 51 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while also rushing for 15 yards (1.1 ypc) on 14 touches with a touchdown ... Tallied his first career passing and rushing touchdowns in the same game at Kentucky (11/14) … Threw for a 2-yard touchdown and also rushed for a 2-yard score … Became the first Vanderbilt quarterback to rush for a score since 2017

Track and Field (at Mississippi State):
Also competed in indoor track and field in his lone season at Mississippi State in 2023 ... Participated in the 60m posting a best time of 7.07 at the Tiger Paw Invite (2/9) and in the 200m, recording a 22.36 best at the Razorback Invitational (1/26)

High School:
Rated a consensus three-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals, and 247 Sports … Ranked the No. 23 dual-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals ... Led Woodward Academy to a 13-1 record and the Georgia 4A State Semifinals as a senior ... 3,369 yards of total offense (2,653 passing yards and 716 rushing yards) and 50 touchdowns as a senior ... 187-of-291 passing (.643) and 37 touchdowns as a senior ... 2019 region offensive player of the year ... 2019 all-region first team ... 106-of-161 passing for 1,521 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior ... School’s 200-meter dash school record holder

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Monday, September 08
Football - Week 3 Monday Press Conference (9/8/25)
Monday, September 08
Football - Western Illinois at Northwestern Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, September 06
Football - 'Cats Roll Western Illinois, 42-7 in Home Opener (9/5/25)
Saturday, September 06