Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 34-18vs South Dakota State | 3 | 104 | 34.7 | 0 | 71 | Season-high 104 yds |
| Wk 3 | W 41-7vs Colorado | 5 | 85 | 17.0 | 0 | 32 | |
| Total | 8 | 189 | 25.9 | 0 | 71 |
#17
Griffin Wilde
Senior wide receiver for Northwestern. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 200 lb · Sioux Falls, SD · Jefferson HS
CFB Index 81 · #27 of 485 WRsHigh confidence
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
189
receiving yards · 2026 · through week 3
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 11 rec · 111 yds · 1 TD -- top 1% catches game. -- Best game: 3 rec, 104 yds, vs South Dakota State
Swing playSwung Northwestern from 9% to 31% to win.Minnesota at Northwestern · 38-35
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior wide receiver for Northwestern. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with South Dakota State in 2023.
- Transferred from South Dakota State to Northwestern in 2025.
Buzz vs Tape
There's real chatter about him this season — just not enough of his own fan discourse yet to measure it against anything.
Griffin Wilde
Wins underneath on volume and route precision. Griffin Wilde arrived at Northwestern from South Dakota State. 2025 brought the first one: All-Big Ten. The receipt on tape: 104 rec yds, 3 receptions against South Dakota State, Week 1, 2026.
189 REC YDS · 8 REC · 0 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- portal record
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
The week the volume broke through — put up 111 yds vs Minnesota.Minnesota · W 38-352025
2023
- Signed with South Dakota Stateout of Jefferson
202513 games
- Entered the portal
- All-Big Tenthird
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Northwestern
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-BIG TEN
All-Big Ten mention (2025)
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northwestern | 8 | 189 | 23.6 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Northwestern | 71 | 880 | 12.4 | 8 | -- |
| Career | 79 | 1,069 | 13.5 | 8 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northwestern | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Northwestern | 1 | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 1 | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 34–18
3 rec · 104 yds
With A. Chiles — 273 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · 18 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · J. Himon II — 87 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · South Dakota State · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +3.97(12:25) #0 A.Chiles pass complete deep middle to #17 G.Wilde caught at SDSU46, for 71 yards to the SDSU11 (#28 C.Van Tol), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Colorado · 3&16 · Q2 · EPA +3.80(03:32) Shotgun #0 A.Chiles pass complete deep left to #17 G.Wilde caught at CU37, for 20 yards to the CU37, out of bounds at CU37, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · South Dakota State · 3&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.85(04:36) Shotgun #0 A.Chiles pass complete short left to #17 G.Wilde caught at SDSU35, for 17 yards to the SDSU29 (#28 C.Van Tol; #21 M.Green), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Colorado · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.01(04:27) #0 A.Chiles pass complete short right to #17 G.Wilde caught at CU43, for 9 yards to the CU38 (#17 L.Lefau; #6 B.Carter)
- Week 3 · Colorado · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +0.75(14:22) Shotgun #0 A.Chiles pass complete short left to #17 G.Wilde caught at CU34, for 21 yards to the CU23 (#20 C.Thomas; #15 J.Boyd), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Colorado · 2&1 · Q3 · EPA +0.55(04:04) #0 A.Chiles pass complete short left to #17 G.Wilde caught at CU35, for 32 yards to the CU06 (#7 R.Fontenette), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · South Dakota State · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +0.48(05:55) Shotgun #0 A.Chiles pass complete short right to #17 G.Wilde caught at SDSU31, for 16 yards to the SDSU23 (#21 M.Green), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Colorado · 1&6 · Q3 · EPA -0.16(03:34) #0 A.Chiles pass complete short right to #17 G.Wilde caught at CU03, for 3 yards to the CU03, End Of Play
2026 snapshot
Since week 1: +85 receiving yards, +5 catches.
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under David Braun — 9-6 over that span.
2025Northwestern7-6HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2026Northwestern2-0HC: David Braun · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: yards / catch (98th percentile). Strength: long catch (94th percentile). Concern: receptions (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 4.0 REC/g, 94.5 YDS/g, 25.9 YPR, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
David Braun
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #5 of 61 Big Ten WRs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
One of 52 players who were elite at two different things in 2025. See the others ›
How he plays
Play style
Runs precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Slot Technician
Runs precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving.
WR
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jordyn Tyson’s 2025 season.
84%match
All-Big 12NFL Rd 1 · Pk 8
Matches Jordyn on
Yards / reception
Total EPA (college ability)
TD rate
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Darien Chase’s path through Portland State.
Matches Darien on
Yards per reception
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Grant DuBose's sophomore season at Charlotte (2022).
82%match
All-Conference USANFL Rd 7
Matches Grant on
Total EPA (college ability)
Height
EPA / play (adj)
Player DNA
Players who play like Griffin Wilde
Background
2025 Junior: Earned All-Big Ten Third-Team honors … Started all 13 games … Recorded 71 catches for 880 receiving yards (12.39 average) and eight receiving touchdowns … His 880 receiving yards marked the most by a player in the David Braun era and the most by a Northwestern player since 2016…
The receiver room · Northwestern
- #17Griffin Wilde880 receiving yards · 2025
- #8Hayden Eligon II521 receiving yards · 2025
- #10Ricky Ahumaraeze200 receiving yards · 2025
- #19Drew Wagner172 receiving yards · 2025
- #3Frank Covey IV22 receiving yards · 2025
10 more on the roster · Northwestern team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology