Northwestern University Athletics
Football Officially Announces Addition Of Seven Transfer Student-Athletes
3/29/2022 1:23:00 PM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill. – Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald officially announced seven additions to the Northwestern roster for the start of the spring academic quarter. DL Henrik Barndt, LB Wendell Davis, DL Taishan Holmes, DL Ryan Johnson, DB Jeremiah Lewis and OL Vincent Picozzi come to Evanston as graduate transfers, while P Luke Akers joins the roster as an undergraduate transfer. All seven were present Tuesday when the Wildcats returned to the practice field following a two-week hiatus for final exams and spring break.
Northwestern kicks off the 2022 campaign on Saturday, August 27, with a Big Ten West matchup against Nebraska at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Season tickets are on sale now for the fall at Ryan Field by visiting NUSports.com or calling 888-GO-PURPLE.
Luke Akers (UCLA)
P | 6-1 | 180 | Nashville, Tenn.
Over the last two seasons at UCLA, Akers started 19 games at punter. In two seasons, he tallied 58 punts for an average of 43.1 yards per kick. Last year, he punted 34 times and recorded a career-long 66-yard boot against Hawai'i. As a true freshman he ranked fifth in the Pac-12 averaging 43.1 yards per kick and earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll. Out of Ravenswood HS, Akers was ranked the No. 6 kicker in the country by 247Sports and ESPN. He is the son of David Akers, who spent 16 seasons kicking in the NFL and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and 2017 inductee into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame.
Henrik Barndt (Indiana State)
DL | 6-5 | 285 | Arvada, Colo.
Barndt saw action in 28 games at FCS Indiana State from 2018-2021 after redshirting in 2017. Last season, he logged 17 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one pass broken up, while making five starts and appearing in 11 games. The Sycamores did not play in 2020 due to Covid. Barndt had his best season in 2019, playing in all 12 games and making nine starts and recording 32 tackles with a team-high 4.5 sacks. The Arvada, Colo. product totaled 6.5 tackles for loss and added two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. He was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Wendell Davis (Pitt)
LB | 6-2 | 240 | Richmond, Va.
Davis played in 26 games at Pitt from 2018-21 and saw action in eight games last year for the ACC champion Panthers. Over his career, he tallied 37 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble. Last year the Richmond, Va. product recorded 27 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and twice had a career-high six stops against Virginia Tech and Western Michigan. After starting the first two games in 2020 at middle linebacker, Davis missed the remainder of the season due to injury. He played a career-high 12 games in 2019, primarily on special teams. In Pitt's 35-34 win over UCF, Davis scooped up a blocked punt and returned it for an 18 yard touchdown. The following week he blocked his first career punt against Delaware.
Taishan Holmes (UMass)
DL | 6-3 | 315 | Tappahannock, Va.
Holmes spent the last two seasons at UMass appearing in 12 games on the defensive line. In 2021, he saw action in eight games and recorded 12 tackles, with a career-high five stops at Florida State. In the Minutemen's four-game 2020 Covid truncated schedule, Holmes totaled six tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. Prior to his time at UMass, the Tappahannock, Va. product spent 2019 at Garden City Community College in Kansas where he logged 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in nine games played. He started his collegiate career at NAIA Bluefield (Va.) in the spring of 2018 before transferring to Division II Virginia State where he recorded six tackles as a freshman.
Ryan Johnson (Stanford)
DL | 6-4 | 280 | Axis, Ala.
Johnson played in 32 games at Stanford from 2018-21 after redshirting a freshman in 2017. Last season the Axis, Ala. Native had his most productive season for the Cardinal appearing in all 12 games, making four starts with 16 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. In a win at No. 14 USC, Johnson logged a season-high three stops. Coming out of St. Paul's Episcopal (Ala.), Johnson was a consensus four-star prospect, the nation's 14th ranked defensive end according to ESPN and a 2017 Under Armour All-American.
Jeremiah Lewis (Duke)
DB | 6-1 | 190 | Lewisville, Texas
Lewis played in 38 games at Duke from 2018-21, totaling 65 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 12 passes broken up and four interceptions. He served as a starter for parts of the last two seasons and recorded 30 stops with two picks, including a career-long 23 yard return against Northwestern, last season. In 2020, Lewis made a career-high 45 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss with seven passes defensed, which ranked eighth in the ACC. Against Virginia, he logged a career-high eight tackles.
Vincent Picozzi (Colorado State)
OL | 6-4 | 310 | Collegeville, Pa.
Due to injury, Picozzi appeared in just four games and made three starts in his long season at Colorado State. The Collegeville, Pa. native began his career as a walk-on at Temple in 2016 and will utilize his seventh season of eligibility at Northwestern. After redshirting his first season at Temple, Picozzi saw action in 39 games for the Owls, playing all five offensive line positions in his career. A three-year starter at right guard from 2018-20, he garnered preseason All-American Athletic Conference second team recognition and All-AAC fourth team honors from Phil Steele.
Northwestern kicks off the 2022 campaign on Saturday, August 27, with a Big Ten West matchup against Nebraska at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Season tickets are on sale now for the fall at Ryan Field by visiting NUSports.com or calling 888-GO-PURPLE.
Luke Akers (UCLA)
P | 6-1 | 180 | Nashville, Tenn.
Over the last two seasons at UCLA, Akers started 19 games at punter. In two seasons, he tallied 58 punts for an average of 43.1 yards per kick. Last year, he punted 34 times and recorded a career-long 66-yard boot against Hawai'i. As a true freshman he ranked fifth in the Pac-12 averaging 43.1 yards per kick and earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll. Out of Ravenswood HS, Akers was ranked the No. 6 kicker in the country by 247Sports and ESPN. He is the son of David Akers, who spent 16 seasons kicking in the NFL and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and 2017 inductee into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame.
Henrik Barndt (Indiana State)
DL | 6-5 | 285 | Arvada, Colo.
Barndt saw action in 28 games at FCS Indiana State from 2018-2021 after redshirting in 2017. Last season, he logged 17 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one pass broken up, while making five starts and appearing in 11 games. The Sycamores did not play in 2020 due to Covid. Barndt had his best season in 2019, playing in all 12 games and making nine starts and recording 32 tackles with a team-high 4.5 sacks. The Arvada, Colo. product totaled 6.5 tackles for loss and added two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. He was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Wendell Davis (Pitt)
LB | 6-2 | 240 | Richmond, Va.
Davis played in 26 games at Pitt from 2018-21 and saw action in eight games last year for the ACC champion Panthers. Over his career, he tallied 37 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble. Last year the Richmond, Va. product recorded 27 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and twice had a career-high six stops against Virginia Tech and Western Michigan. After starting the first two games in 2020 at middle linebacker, Davis missed the remainder of the season due to injury. He played a career-high 12 games in 2019, primarily on special teams. In Pitt's 35-34 win over UCF, Davis scooped up a blocked punt and returned it for an 18 yard touchdown. The following week he blocked his first career punt against Delaware.
Taishan Holmes (UMass)
DL | 6-3 | 315 | Tappahannock, Va.
Holmes spent the last two seasons at UMass appearing in 12 games on the defensive line. In 2021, he saw action in eight games and recorded 12 tackles, with a career-high five stops at Florida State. In the Minutemen's four-game 2020 Covid truncated schedule, Holmes totaled six tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. Prior to his time at UMass, the Tappahannock, Va. product spent 2019 at Garden City Community College in Kansas where he logged 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in nine games played. He started his collegiate career at NAIA Bluefield (Va.) in the spring of 2018 before transferring to Division II Virginia State where he recorded six tackles as a freshman.
Ryan Johnson (Stanford)
DL | 6-4 | 280 | Axis, Ala.
Johnson played in 32 games at Stanford from 2018-21 after redshirting a freshman in 2017. Last season the Axis, Ala. Native had his most productive season for the Cardinal appearing in all 12 games, making four starts with 16 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. In a win at No. 14 USC, Johnson logged a season-high three stops. Coming out of St. Paul's Episcopal (Ala.), Johnson was a consensus four-star prospect, the nation's 14th ranked defensive end according to ESPN and a 2017 Under Armour All-American.
Jeremiah Lewis (Duke)
DB | 6-1 | 190 | Lewisville, Texas
Lewis played in 38 games at Duke from 2018-21, totaling 65 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 12 passes broken up and four interceptions. He served as a starter for parts of the last two seasons and recorded 30 stops with two picks, including a career-long 23 yard return against Northwestern, last season. In 2020, Lewis made a career-high 45 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss with seven passes defensed, which ranked eighth in the ACC. Against Virginia, he logged a career-high eight tackles.
Vincent Picozzi (Colorado State)
OL | 6-4 | 310 | Collegeville, Pa.
Due to injury, Picozzi appeared in just four games and made three starts in his long season at Colorado State. The Collegeville, Pa. native began his career as a walk-on at Temple in 2016 and will utilize his seventh season of eligibility at Northwestern. After redshirting his first season at Temple, Picozzi saw action in 39 games for the Owls, playing all five offensive line positions in his career. A three-year starter at right guard from 2018-20, he garnered preseason All-American Athletic Conference second team recognition and All-AAC fourth team honors from Phil Steele.
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