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 β¦ Served as a team captain and named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, Academic All-Big Ten, and CSC Academic All-District Team β¦ Ranked 17th among Big Ten players in tackles per game (6.3) β¦ Had five tackles and one tackle for loss in a win over Miami (Ohio) (8/31) β¦ Totaled a season-high 11 tackles and one pass breakup against Duke (9/6) β¦ Broke up a career-best two passes while coming up with four tackles in a win against Eastern Illinois (9/14) β¦ Registered a game-high eight tackles, a team-high two tackles for loss, one sack, and one fumble recovery at Washington (9/21) β¦ Led the team with eight tackles against Indiana (10/5) β¦ 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 β¦ 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 β¦ 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 β¦ Named All-Big Ten Third Team and Academic All-Big Ten β¦ Finished fourth in the Big Ten in total tackles and eighth in tackles for loss β¦ Led the team in tackles for loss for the second consecutive year β¦ 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 β¦ Recorded the most interceptions by a Big Ten linebacker in a season since Northwesternβs Blake Gallagher in 2019 (3) β¦ Made eight tackles in the season-opener against Rutgers (9/3) β¦ Tallied seven tackles, 1.0 sack, and an interception against UTEP (9/9) β¦ 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 β¦ Had seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against Duke (9/16) β¦ Notched game-highs of seven solo tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and forced a safety against Howard (10/7) β¦ Posted career single-game highs in tackles for loss and sacks β¦ Recorded nine tackles against Nebraska (10/21) β¦ Had five tackles and 1.0 sack in a win over Maryland (10/28) β¦ Broke up a pass on 4th and goal from the one-yard line to force a turnover on downs in the second quarter β¦ Notched a career-high 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one pass broken up at Wrigley Field versus Iowa (11/4) β¦ Tied Bryce Gallagherβs performance against Rutgers for most tackles (19) in a single-game by a Wildcat this season β¦ Posted second double-digit tackle performance with 13 stops, 0.5 tackles for loss, and one interception against Purdue (11/18) β¦ 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) β¦ 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 β¦ Ranked fifth in the Big Ten in solo tackles and 11th in total tackles β¦ Led team in tackles for loss and interceptions, and ranked second on the team in tackles β¦ Became the first Wildcat to record 85+ tackles with 10.0+ tackles for loss in a season since Anthony Walker in 2016 β¦ Named to PFFβs Team of the Week after snagging first career interception and tackle for loss along with five tackles to help defeat Nebraska (8/27) β¦ Totaled seven tackles against Duke (9/10) β¦ 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) β¦ 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) β¦ Totaled seven tackles, four solo, against Wisconsin (10/8) β¦ Made 10 total tackles and had a tackle for loss against Maryland (10/22) β¦ Recorded one sack and nine total tackles against Iowa (10/29) β¦ Totaled six tackles and one pass defended against Ohio State (11/5) β¦ Made six tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack against Illinois (11/26)
2021 Redshirt First-Year:
Appeared in 11 of 12 games β¦ Totaled 19 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble β¦ Recorded his first combined tackle for loss and combined sack against Ohio (9/25) β¦ 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 β¦ Redshirted
High School:
Three-star prospect committed to Northwestern on April 13, 2019 β¦ 56th-ranked outside linebacker in the nation and 15th-ranked player in Illinois (247Sports) β¦ Three-year letter winner and two-time captain β¦ Recorded 100-plus tackles in of his final two prep seasons β¦ 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 β¦ 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 β¦ Also lettered twice in basketball and was a team captain β¦ National Honor Society Member β¦ Earned Gold Honor Roll accolades as a freshman, sophomore and junior β¦ Brother Erik played linebacker for the Wildcats β¦ Attended the same high school of former Wildcat quarterback Clayton Thorson β¦ Chose NU over Air Force, Louisville, Bowling Green, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo and Eastern Michigan β¦ Major is Manufacturing and Design Engineering
Pronunciation: ZAN-der
