With Northwestern’s disastrous 2021 season coming to a close this past Saturday, we’ll examine each position group in a year that Wildcat fans, players and coaches would like to forget. First up: the linebackers.

Overall Grade: B-

In recent seasons, Northwestern’s linebacking room has been a linchpin of its powerhouse teams. Names such as Anthony Walker, Jr., Paddy Fisher and Blake Gallagher elicit fond memories of hard-nosed, Big Ten-caliber LBs that stonewall opponents and wreak havoc on quarterbacks.

In 2021, the Wildcats experienced a changing of the guard at linebacker, with Bergin as the lone returning member of the Irish Law Firm and one of the few veterans in the group.