Michael Kilbane
Michael Kilbane
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. He has spent three seasons in the Northwestern defensive front. One game to point at: 7 tackles against Nebraska — Week 9, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under David Braun.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
David Braun
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northwestern | 42 | 18 | 7.5 | 3.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 20 | 9 | 3.0 | 2.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 11 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 73 | 28 | 11.0 | 6.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 7 · 2025
W 22–21
at Penn State
5 TOT · 3 SOLO · 1 TFL
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 on the road.
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Northwestern
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Northwestern
Returning around him
- 2 Northwestern players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +9 net (17 in / 8 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Northwestern · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #57 · 2026 recruiting class #52
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Daniel Okpoko’s 2023 season.
Matches Daniel on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Keldric Faulk's junior season at Auburn (2025).
Matches Keldric on
Background
2025 Junior: Earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention … Played in all 13 games and made four starts … Posted 43 stops, 17 solo tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, all of which were career highs, in a breakout junior season on the defensive line … Logged his first half sack of the year agains...