Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Defining the Wildcat Way, Brendan Flakes Emerges as a Defensive Force
10/21/2025 5:25:00 PM | Football
As defensive lineman Brendan Flakes entered spring practice in 2023, he saw a new face in the facility: Defensive Line Coach Christian Smith.
Coming off a redshirt season, Flakes found himself struggling during a conditioning drill one day. That's when Smith jumped into the drill and ran alongside him, a moment that quickly showed Flakes what kind of coach he was working with.
"I loved it," Flakes said. "Coach Smith pours his all into us. It makes us want to go play even better and push ourselves even more. Showing that he can do that for me means I've got to do more for him."
After two and a half seasons of hard work under Smith's guidance, Flakes — now a redshirt junior — delivered the best game of his collegiate career. In a 19-0 shutout over Purdue, he posted seven tackles, a fumble recovery, and 0.5 tackles for loss, becoming the first Northwestern defensive lineman to reach those marks in a game since 2019.
For Northwestern's coaching staff, Flakes' performance highlighted his steady development — in both his conditioning and every-down ability.
"His conditioning is something that's showing up," Braun said. "Just the overall energy that he's playing with right now jumps out on film. He knows that it can't just be five plays a game. That's got to show up on every single opportunity he gets."
Flakes wasn't initially bound for Evanston, as he first committed to Marshall. But after an 11-tackle, five-sack performance late in his high school career caught Northwestern's attention, the Orlando, Fla., native earned a scholarship offer and soon found his home with the Wildcats.
After playing off the edge in high school, Flakes transitioned to the interior of the defensive line in college – a move that required him to add weight and get stronger. Immediately, with the help of his mentor Adetomiwa Adebawore and Director of Football Sports Performance Alex Spanos, Flakes got to work.
When Smith entered the fold in spring of 2023, Flakes' game took a leap to the next level. To Smith, the burst and twitch that Flakes possessed was already there, so he focused on the technical side.
"He helped from the ground up — from stance, takeoff, hands, pass reps," Flakes said. "He just kept hammering down the little things in my game. Now, I feel like I've taken down thousands and thousands of reps the right way. I feel like I've gotten a lot of things down, but there's still room for improvement, and that's what we're working on every day still."
Flakes appeared in all but one game in Northwestern's 2023 campaign that ended with a Las Vegas Bowl victory, contributing as a rotational player.
In the ensuing season, his redshirt sophomore year, Flakes battled a multitude of lower-body injuries that forced him to miss four games. Determined to be ready for the 2025 slate, he attacked the offseason with a renewed purpose.
"Injury prevention was a big part of my offseason, as well as working with Spanos to try to get my strength up," Flakes said. "I was also working with Coach Smith to see how I could better my game. Every day was about trying to get better than yesterday."
When fall camp began, Flakes wasn't starting on the interior defensive line. Yet, he stayed the course, and by the time the Wildcats opened the season at Tulane in Week 1, Flakes had earned his first collegiate start.
"He's owned it," Smith said. "He's consistently gotten better over time, and he hasn't really gotten complacent. Despite not starting the last two seasons, he's just continued to work– chop away, chop away, chop away."
Saturday's shutout win was a testament to the constant work Flakes puts in when nobody's watching. After stacking productive practices week after week, Flakes posted the first seven-tackle game by a Northwestern defensive lineman since 2022.
Smith called the performance the culmination of "flashes we've been seeing week in and week out."
Flakes believes his recent success stems from rediscovering his confidence. His injury-riddled 2024 season led to difficult times, but getting back on the field has allowed Flakes to find his rhythm again.
"Confidence comes from preparation, so I just had to prepare more," Flakes said. "I had to work harder, spend more time in the facility, spend more time with my coaches, and ultimately, that preparation gave me more confidence. Finding a way to get that confidence back was a big thing for me."
Northwestern is set to hit the road this weekend to take on Nebraska at 11 a.m. C.T. The Wildcats are seeking a fifth consecutive victory, and integral to doing so will be the "everybody eats" defensive line's ability to get to the quarterback and thwart the run.
For Flakes, his focus remains simple: outwork whoever lines up across from him.
"The motto of our team is, 'As hard as you can for as long as you can.' That's the Wildcat way. That's something I'm going to do every single Saturday," Flakes said. "I want the fans to know that I'm always going to give my all. My teammates know I'm always going to give my all."
Coming off a redshirt season, Flakes found himself struggling during a conditioning drill one day. That's when Smith jumped into the drill and ran alongside him, a moment that quickly showed Flakes what kind of coach he was working with.
"I loved it," Flakes said. "Coach Smith pours his all into us. It makes us want to go play even better and push ourselves even more. Showing that he can do that for me means I've got to do more for him."
After two and a half seasons of hard work under Smith's guidance, Flakes — now a redshirt junior — delivered the best game of his collegiate career. In a 19-0 shutout over Purdue, he posted seven tackles, a fumble recovery, and 0.5 tackles for loss, becoming the first Northwestern defensive lineman to reach those marks in a game since 2019.
For Northwestern's coaching staff, Flakes' performance highlighted his steady development — in both his conditioning and every-down ability.
"His conditioning is something that's showing up," Braun said. "Just the overall energy that he's playing with right now jumps out on film. He knows that it can't just be five plays a game. That's got to show up on every single opportunity he gets."
Flakes wasn't initially bound for Evanston, as he first committed to Marshall. But after an 11-tackle, five-sack performance late in his high school career caught Northwestern's attention, the Orlando, Fla., native earned a scholarship offer and soon found his home with the Wildcats.
After playing off the edge in high school, Flakes transitioned to the interior of the defensive line in college – a move that required him to add weight and get stronger. Immediately, with the help of his mentor Adetomiwa Adebawore and Director of Football Sports Performance Alex Spanos, Flakes got to work.
When Smith entered the fold in spring of 2023, Flakes' game took a leap to the next level. To Smith, the burst and twitch that Flakes possessed was already there, so he focused on the technical side.
"He helped from the ground up — from stance, takeoff, hands, pass reps," Flakes said. "He just kept hammering down the little things in my game. Now, I feel like I've taken down thousands and thousands of reps the right way. I feel like I've gotten a lot of things down, but there's still room for improvement, and that's what we're working on every day still."
Flakes appeared in all but one game in Northwestern's 2023 campaign that ended with a Las Vegas Bowl victory, contributing as a rotational player.
In the ensuing season, his redshirt sophomore year, Flakes battled a multitude of lower-body injuries that forced him to miss four games. Determined to be ready for the 2025 slate, he attacked the offseason with a renewed purpose.
"Injury prevention was a big part of my offseason, as well as working with Spanos to try to get my strength up," Flakes said. "I was also working with Coach Smith to see how I could better my game. Every day was about trying to get better than yesterday."
When fall camp began, Flakes wasn't starting on the interior defensive line. Yet, he stayed the course, and by the time the Wildcats opened the season at Tulane in Week 1, Flakes had earned his first collegiate start.
"He's owned it," Smith said. "He's consistently gotten better over time, and he hasn't really gotten complacent. Despite not starting the last two seasons, he's just continued to work– chop away, chop away, chop away."
Saturday's shutout win was a testament to the constant work Flakes puts in when nobody's watching. After stacking productive practices week after week, Flakes posted the first seven-tackle game by a Northwestern defensive lineman since 2022.
Smith called the performance the culmination of "flashes we've been seeing week in and week out."
Flakes believes his recent success stems from rediscovering his confidence. His injury-riddled 2024 season led to difficult times, but getting back on the field has allowed Flakes to find his rhythm again.
"Confidence comes from preparation, so I just had to prepare more," Flakes said. "I had to work harder, spend more time in the facility, spend more time with my coaches, and ultimately, that preparation gave me more confidence. Finding a way to get that confidence back was a big thing for me."
Northwestern is set to hit the road this weekend to take on Nebraska at 11 a.m. C.T. The Wildcats are seeking a fifth consecutive victory, and integral to doing so will be the "everybody eats" defensive line's ability to get to the quarterback and thwart the run.
For Flakes, his focus remains simple: outwork whoever lines up across from him.
"The motto of our team is, 'As hard as you can for as long as you can.' That's the Wildcat way. That's something I'm going to do every single Saturday," Flakes said. "I want the fans to know that I'm always going to give my all. My teammates know I'm always going to give my all."
Players Mentioned
DL
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