2024 Football Roster

Northwestern's Mac Uihelin and Theran Johnson stand side-by-side after making a play against Eastern Illinois.
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
September 9, 2023, Evanston, IL: A game between Northwestern Football and UTEP at Ryan Field in Evanston, IL on Saturday, September 9, 2023. (Photo by Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics)
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
September 9, 2023, Evanston, IL: A game between Northwestern Football and UTEP at Ryan Field in Evanston, IL on Saturday, September 9, 2023. (Photo by Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics)
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
September 16, 2023, Durham, NC: A game between Northwestern Football and Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, NC on Saturday, September 16, 2023. (Photo by Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics)
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
July 25, 2024, Evanston, IL: Members of the Northwestern Football team pose for photos as part of Internal Media Days at Walter Athletics Center in Evanston, IL on Thursday, July 25, 2024. (Photo by Griffin Quinn/Northwestern Athletics)
Jersey Number 10

Theran Johnson

  • Height:
    5-11
  • Weight:
    182
  • Position:
    DB
  • Class:
    Redshirt Junior
  • Hometown:
    Indianapolis, Ind.
  • High School:
    North Central

2024 Redshirt Junior:
Played and started 11 games, recording 53 tackles, a team-high 11 passes defended, four tackles for loss, and two interceptions … Named All-Big Ten Second Team … Became the first Northwestern player since at least 2005 to register 10+ pass breakups and 4+ tackles for loss in a season … Became the first Wildcat to record 10+ pass breakups in a season since AJ Hampton (13) in 2021 … Ranked tied for second in the Big Ten with 11 passes broken up … Was the only player in the Big Ten with at least 10 passes broken up and 3.0 tackles for loss … Notched a team-high six tackles and one pass breakup in a win over Miami (Ohio) (8/31) … Tallied five tackles, one tackle for loss, and one interception against Duke (9/6) … Totaled four tackles and two pass breakups in a win against Eastern Illinois (9/14) … Broke up three passes while logging five tackles and one tackle for loss against Indiana (10/5) … His three passes defended were the most by a Northwestern player since Cameron Mitchell (3) on Nov. 5, 2022 against Ohio State … Accounted for three pass breakups with five tackles and one tackle for loss in a win at Maryland (10/11) … Recorded six pass breakups in two weeks against Indiana and Maryland, the most by any player in the nation over that span … Allowed just four completions on 14 targets during the two weeks … Became just the fifth NU player since 2000 to have two games of 3+ passes defended in a season … Registered the first pick-six of his career with an 85-yard interception returned for a touchdown against Iowa (10/26) … Marked Northwestern's first interception return for a touchdown since Kyle Quiero’s 26-yard touchdown return against Kentucky on Dec. 29, 2017 and the first in conference play since Nick VanHoose’s 72-yard return against Nebraska on Oct. 24, 2015 … Johnson’s touchdown return was the sixth-longest defensive play in program history, the third-longest interception return in school history, and longest since 1948 … Logged a career-high seven tackles with one pass breakup in a win over Purdue (11/2) … Totaled six tackles, including a tackle for loss, vs. Michigan (11/23)

2023 Redshirt Sophomore:
Appeared and started in 12 games, totaling 37 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, one interception, and five passes broken up … Recorded a career-high six tackles against Rutgers (9/3) … Made five tackles versus Duke (9/16) … Had five tackles against Howard (10/7) … Accounted for three tackles, his first career tackle for loss, and one pass broken up in a win over Maryland (10/28) … Logged first career interception against Iowa (11/4) … Recorded four tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss in the Las Vegas Bowl victory against Utah (12/23)

2022 Redshirt First-Year:
Appeared in 11 games, starting two, and recorded 13 tackles and three passes defended … Made his first career start against Southern Illinois, recording a season-high four tackles and two passes defended (9/17) … Made one tackle and defended one pass against Miami (OH) (9/24) … Made three tackles, two solo, against Wisconsin (10/8) … Recorded two tackles against Minnesota (11/12)

2021 First-Year:
Appeared in three games, making his collegiate debut in the win over Rutgers (10/16)

High School:
Three-star recruit verbally committed to Northwestern on May 3, 2020 … Eighth-rated prospect in Indiana (247Sports) … Indiana Mr. Football nominee … Earned all-conference and all-state honors as a junior and senior … Recorded 62 tackles, four interceptions and seven pass breakups as a junior at North Central … Returned punts as well for the Panthers … Selected Northwestern over Notre Dame and Cincinnati … Father played football at Louisville … Honor roll member

Pronounciation: th-AIR-in

Football - Week 5 Monday Press Conference (9/22/25)
Monday, September 22
Football - Behind the Scenes on Rose Bowl 30th Anniversary Throwback Uniforms (9/18/25)
Thursday, September 18
Football - Oregon at Northwestern Postgame Press Conference (9/13/25)
Saturday, September 13
Football - 'Cats Fall to No. 4 Oregon (9/13/25)
Saturday, September 13