Northwestern University Athletics
2024 Football Roster
Xander Mueller
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 232
- Position:
- LB
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Wheaton, Ill.
- High School:
- Wheaton North
2024 Graduate Student:
Started in nine games, registering 57 tackles, five tackles for loss, four pass breakups, one interception, one sack, one forced fumble, and one recovery โฆ Served as a team captain and named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, Academic All-Big Ten, and CSC Academic All-District Team โฆ Ranked 17th among Big Ten players in tackles per game (6.3) โฆ Had five tackles and one tackle for loss in a win over Miami (Ohio) (8/31) โฆ Totaled a season-high 11 tackles and one pass breakup against Duke (9/6) โฆ Broke up a career-best two passes while coming up with four tackles in a win against Eastern Illinois (9/14) โฆ Registered a game-high eight tackles, a team-high two tackles for loss, one sack, and one fumble recovery at Washington (9/21) โฆ Led the team with eight tackles against Indiana (10/5) โฆ Returned from injury and recorded his first interception of the season while forcing a fumble to go along with nine tackles (11/23) at Michigan โฆ Was the first Wildcat to force a fumble and record an interception in the same game since Bryce Gallagher on October 1, 2022 at Penn State โฆ Capped off his collegiate career with five tackles vs. Illinois (11/30)
2023 Redshirt Junior:
Started all 13 games, totaling 110 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, three interceptions, two passes broken up, and one forced fumble โฆ Named All-Big Ten Third Team and Academic All-Big Ten โฆ Finished fourth in the Big Ten in total tackles and eighth in tackles for loss โฆ Led the team in tackles for loss for the second consecutive year โฆ Became the first Wildcat since at least 2000 to post 100+ tackles, 5.0+ sacks and 3+ interceptions in the same season, and just the third player in the Big Ten since 2000 โฆ Recorded the most interceptions by a Big Ten linebacker in a season since Northwesternโs Blake Gallagher in 2019 (3) โฆ Made eight tackles in the season-opener against Rutgers (9/3) โฆ Tallied seven tackles, 1.0 sack, and an interception against UTEP (9/9) โฆ Teamed up with Bryce Gallagher to become the first duo of Northwestern linebackers to record interceptions in the same game since Dec. 12, 2020, vs. Illinois โฆ Had seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against Duke (9/16) โฆ Notched game-highs of seven solo tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and forced a safety against Howard (10/7) โฆ Posted career single-game highs in tackles for loss and sacks โฆ Recorded nine tackles against Nebraska (10/21) โฆ Had five tackles and 1.0 sack in a win over Maryland (10/28) โฆ Broke up a pass on 4th and goal from the one-yard line to force a turnover on downs in the second quarter โฆ Notched a career-high 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one pass broken up at Wrigley Field versus Iowa (11/4) โฆ Tied Bryce Gallagherโs performance against Rutgers for most tackles (19) in a single-game by a Wildcat this season โฆ Posted second double-digit tackle performance with 13 stops, 0.5 tackles for loss, and one interception against Purdue (11/18) โฆ Tallied nine tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and one interception, recording a pick for the second straight week, in a road victory over Illinois (11/25) โฆ Made eight stops in the Las Vegas Bowl win over Utah (12/23)
2022 Redshirt Sophomore:
Started all 12 games, recording 87 tackles, 52 solo tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, two passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery โฆ Ranked fifth in the Big Ten in solo tackles and 11th in total tackles โฆ Led team in tackles for loss and interceptions, and ranked second on the team in tackles โฆ Became the first Wildcat to record 85+ tackles with 10.0+ tackles for loss in a season since Anthony Walker in 2016 โฆ Named to PFFโs Team of the Week after snagging first career interception and tackle for loss along with five tackles to help defeat Nebraska (8/27) โฆ Totaled seven tackles against Duke (9/10) โฆ Grabbed his second career interception of the season and recorded first career sack and a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss as part of eight total tackles against Southern Illinois (9/17) โฆ Logged a career and game-high 14 tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss, a pass defended and a fumble recovery against Penn State (10/1) โฆ Totaled seven tackles, four solo, against Wisconsin (10/8) โฆ Made 10 total tackles and had a tackle for loss against Maryland (10/22) โฆ Recorded one sack and nine total tackles against Iowa (10/29) โฆ Totaled six tackles and one pass defended against Ohio State (11/5) โฆ Made six tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack against Illinois (11/26)
2021 Redshirt First-Year:
Appeared in 11 of 12 games โฆ Totaled 19 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble โฆ Recorded his first combined tackle for loss and combined sack against Ohio (9/25) โฆ Notched a career-high eight tackles and forced his first career fumble against Wisconsin (11/13)
2020 First-Year:
Appeared in season opener against Maryland (10/24), his lone game of 2020 โฆ Redshirted
High School:
Three-star prospect committed to Northwestern on April 13, 2019 โฆ 56th-ranked outside linebacker in the nation and 15th-ranked player in Illinois (247Sports) โฆ Three-year letter winner and two-time captain โฆ Recorded 100-plus tackles in of his final two prep seasons โฆ Finished 2018 with 109 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and three interceptions to earn First-Team All-Conference, First-Team All-Area and Team Defensive MVP honors โฆ Had 102 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception in his senior campaign to garner First-Team All-Conference, First-Team All-Area and First-Team All-State 7A honors โฆ Also lettered twice in basketball and was a team captain โฆ National Honor Society Member โฆ Earned Gold Honor Roll accolades as a freshman, sophomore and junior โฆ Brother Erik played linebacker for the Wildcats โฆ Attended the same high school of former Wildcat quarterback Clayton Thorson โฆ Chose NU over Air Force, Louisville, Bowling Green, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo and Eastern Michigan โฆ Major is Manufacturing and Design Engineering
Pronunciation: ZAN-der
