Linebacker Xander Mueller #34 of the Northwestern Wildcats tackles running back Jaylon Glover #1 of the Utah Utes (Photo by Zak Krill/Getty Images)
Regardless of position, Xander Mueller is the top overall player on this year's Northwestern Wildcats squad. It's fitting that he plays linebacker, as this college football program has been known for having a great linebacking corps throughout its history.
Northwestern is located in Evanston, which borders Chicago, a place synonymous with producing linebacking legends like Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Simeon Rice.
Mueller, the top 2025 NFL Draft prospect on this year's Wildcats team, is from Wheaton, IL, a western suburb of Chicago. Last year, he finished fourth in the league in tackles. So far this season, he's truly taken his game up yet another notch.
We caught up to Mueller on the shores of Lake Michigan, where Northwestern's practice facility and their temporary home stadium for the next two seasons is located.
In an exclusive conversation with RG, Mueller discussed the star linebackers in the National Football League that influenced his game.
"I watch a lot of linebackers' film," the 2023 All-Big Ten third-team selection said.
"Roquan Smith, I'm from Chicago, so I watch a lot of Bears games, I was watching a lot of him, he's a tough guy."
Smith won the Butkus Award, given to the top overall linebacker in all of football, three times (2022 with the Chicago Bears, 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens, and 2017 with the Georgia Bulldogs in college). He was first-team All-Pro during both of those seasons, and Mueller explained what makes Smith such a special player.
Mueller, who was the defensive player of the game in the week two overtime loss to Duke, also said how much he enjoyed watching Smith pair up with Patrick Queen in Baltimore, before he left to join the arch-rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
"Both were phenomenal players," he added.
Mueller began the NFL Draft exploratory process last offseason, when he received feedback on his game from Northwestern's NFL liaison and some pro scouts.
He discussed what he needs to work on to reach the next level.
"I think man coverage is one of the things, and obviously speed," he said.
"The NFL is a huge passing [centric] game, a little bit different than the Big Ten, so linebackers need to be really fast. You see a lot of 4.4 [40 yard dash time] linebackers nowadays, so that was a big thing for me this offseason."
Could he become the next Roquan Smith someday? We'll see some April when the 2025 NFL Draft rolls around.
In the meantime, Mueller is enjoying playing his college football at arguably the most scenic stadium in the nation.
Given that their usual home, Ryan Field, has been torn down and is now being rebuilt, the Cats needed a temporary home. This year and next, they'll play their September and October home games at Martin Stadium (November games are at the Chicago Cubs' home, Wrigley Field), a much smaller venue adjacent to Lake Michigan designed to host soccer and lacrosse.
It's the most picturesque setting possible, and it also happens to be where the Wildcats hold their outdoor practices.
"It's been awesome so far," Mueller said of the setup with Great Lakes vistas. "It's kind of nice to practice on the [same] field that we're going to play."
Paul M. Banks
