Xander Mueller LB Northwestern 2025 Tropical Bowl

Position Linebacker
Class Graduate Student
Ht./Wt. 6-3 / 232
Hometown Wheaton, IL.
Highschool Wheaton North HS

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
Named All-Big Ten Third Team and Academic All-Big Ten
Finished fourth in the Big Ten in total tackles and eighth in tackles for loss
Led the team in tackles for loss for the second consecutive year
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
Recorded the most interceptions by a Big Ten linebacker in a season since Northwestern’s Blake Gallagher in 2019 (3)
Made eight tackles in the season-opener against Rutgers (9/3)
Tallied seven tackles, 1.0 sack, and an interception against UTEP (9/9) … 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
Had seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against Duke (9/16)
Notched game-highs of seven solo tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and forced a safety against Howard (10/7) … Posted career single-game highs in tackles for loss and sacks
Recorded nine tackles against Nebraska (10/21)
Had five tackles and 1.0 sack in a win over Maryland (10/28) … Broke up a pass on 4th and goal from the one-yard line to force a turnover on downs in the second quarter
Notched a career-high 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one pass broken up at Wrigley Field versus Iowa (11/4) … Tied Bryce Gallagher’s performance against Rutgers for most tackles (19) in a single-game by a Wildcat this season
Posted second double-digit tackle performance with 13 stops, 0.5 tackles for loss, and one interception against Purdue (11/18)
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)
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
Ranked fifth in the Big Ten in solo tackles and 11th in total tackles
Led team in tackles for loss and interceptions, and ranked second on the team in tackles
Became the first Wildcat to record 85+ tackles with 10.0+ tackles for loss in a season since Anthony Walker in 2016
Named to PFF’s Team of the Week after snagging first career interception and tackle for loss along with five tackles to help defeat Nebraska (8/27)
Totaled seven tackles against Duke (9/10)
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)
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)
Totaled seven tackles, four solo, against Wisconsin (10/8)
Made 10 total tackles and had a tackle for loss against Maryland (10/22)
Recorded one sack and nine total tackles against Iowa (10/29)
Totaled six tackles and one pass defended against Ohio State (11/5)
Made six tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack against Illinois (11/26)

2021 Redshirt First-Year:

Appeared in 11 of 12 games
Totaled 19 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble
Recorded his first combined tackle for loss and combined sack against Ohio (9/25)
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
Redshirted

High School:

Three-star prospect committed to Northwestern on April 13, 2019
56th-ranked outside linebacker in the nation and 15th-ranked player in Illinois (247Sports)
Three-year letter winner and two-time captain
Recorded 100-plus tackles in of his final two prep seasons
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
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
Also lettered twice in basketball and was a team captain
National Honor Society Member
Earned Gold Honor Roll accolades as a freshman, sophomore and junior
Brother Erik played linebacker for the Wildcats
Attended the same high school of former Wildcat quarterback Clayton Thorson
Chose NU over Air Force, Louisville, Bowling Green, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo and Eastern Michigan
Major is Manufacturing and Design Engineering