Northwestern football position previews – Defensive backs

InsideNU has so far published previews on quarterbacks (7/6), running backs (7/15), wide receivers (7/20), tight ends (7/28), offensive linemen (8/4), defensive linemen (8/9) and linebackers (8/16) .

Northwestern's secondary will be one of its strengths this year. Although Fred Davis II and Garner Wallace are gone, the Wildcats brought back a lot of their talent from last year and introduced some new, exciting cornerbacks.

The biggest name on this list is Robert Fitzgerald, the superstar safety who established himself as one of the premier defensive contributors in the Big Ten. Fitzgerald ranked first in solo tackles (70) among Big Ten players and was the key connector in Northwestern's defense last year. He was a constant presence on defense in his free safety role, and his play recognition and physical build allowed him to stuff run offenses.