Preston Stone

Senior quarterback for Northwestern. 2025: 2,400 passing yards, 17 TD, 12 INT.

QB · Northwestern · Sr. · #8

6′1″ · 215 lb · Dallas, TX

CFB Index 33 · #113 of 146 QBsHigh confidenceReturning to Northwestern for 2026

Next upSat Sep 19 · 7:30 pm ETvs ColoradoLanny and Sharon Martin StadiumNorthwestern by 3.5

The numbers

2,400

passing yards · 2025

17 TD · 12 INT · 6.5 per attempt

Backed by 300 yds · 5 TD -- top 1% passing TDs game. -- Best game: 245 pass yds, 3 TD, 9 rush yds, vs Western Illinois

The play that turned itSwung Oklahoma from 60% to 95% to win.SMU at Oklahoma · 28-11

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 quarterback for Northwestern. 2025: 2,400 passing yards, 17 TD, 12 INT.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to SMU in 2021.
Transferred from SMU to Northwestern in 2025.

The full story, with sources

How he plays

Operates within the system without forcing anything.

Sack rate: 77th percentile.

The full scouting read

Preston Stone

QB · Northwestern · Sr · #8

Operates within the system without forcing anything. Preston Stone has played for three head coaches across five seasons and two programs. 2025 added another: All-Big Ten. The receipt: 305 pass yds, 28 rush yds against Minnesota — Week 13, 2025.

Low coverage — composed from the verified record.

positional archetype classification
head-coach lineage
recognition record
game log

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021SMU8-4HC: Jim Leavitt · Balanced

2022SMU7-6HC: Rhett Lashlee · Balanced, fast tempo

2023SMU11-3HC: Rhett Lashlee · Run-leaning

2024SMU11-3HC: Rhett Lashlee · Run-leaning

2025Northwestern7-6HC: David Braun · Run-leaning

Where this profile ranks vs the QB cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

33Below cohort / limited sample #113 of 146?

High confidence13 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: explosive rate (25th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

Sack rate#42 / 183 · 77th pct

3.7%

Success rate#108 / 183 · 41st pct

39.1%

Interception rate#117 / 183 · 36th pct

2.6%

EPA / dropback#135 / 183 · 27th pct

0.10

Explosive rate#137 / 183 · 25th pct

7.3%

Box-score rates (8)

Pass TDs#57 / 183 · 68th pct

Pass yards#70 / 183 · 62nd pct

2400

Fumbles lost#87 / 174 · 38th pct

Completion %#120 / 183 · 34th pct

60.0%

Rush TDs#123 / 183 · 26th pct

Yards / att#135 / 183 · 26th pct

6.5

Rush yards#140 / 183 · 24th pct

Interceptions#171 / 183 · 5th pct

Season trend

EPA / dropback— first qualifying season

Success rate— first qualifying season

Explosive rate— first qualifying season

Sack rate— first qualifying season

Interception rate— first qualifying season

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Passing profile

Pass Profile · True throw depth (charted plays)

Adjusted ANY/A, sack rate, and where the yards came from

191/341 (56.0%) · 17 TD · 12 INT

341 of 370 attempts matched to play-by-play

153 of 341 attempts charted for true throw depth

Adjusted ANY/A

5.48140 of 206 QBs

Sack rate

3.4%44 of 206 QBs

Rarely sacked (44 of 206), but Adjusted ANY/A hasn't followed (140 of 206).

Adjusted ANY/A uses full-season box-score totals (attempts, yards, TDs, INTs); sack rate is play-by-play-derived.

Behind LOS · Negative air yds

14% of attempts (21)

86%comp

Air -3.6 · YAC 6.9 avg

Short · 0–9 air yds

42% of attempts (65)

71%comp

Air 4.4 · YAC 3.0 avg

Middle · 10–19 air yds

30% of attempts (46)

46%comp5 INT

Air 14.4 · YAC 3.2 avg

Deep · 20+ air yds

14% of attempts (21)

33%comp

Air 25.7 · YAC 2.0 avg

Overall 56.0% completion on 341 attempts · 33% completion on 21 deep attempts (20+ air yds).

Situational

Is he a different quarterback when it matters

Each situation vs his own 2025 baseline

No situation moves him more than 48 percentile points from his baseline.

BaselineThis situation

Down 1

-17 pct pts vs baseline · sacks 4/129 (3.1%) · league sack rate 4.2% · ~our read

Down 2

-28 pct pts vs baseline · sacks 1/93 (1.1%) · league sack rate 4.5% · ~our read

Down 3+

+48 pct pts vs baseline · sacks 6/100 (6.0%) · league sack rate 7.8% · ~our read

Deltas are vs. this player’s own season baseline, never a league average. League sack rate by down is shown as context because sack attribution isn’t incompletion-denominated.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	TD/g	YPA	INT/g
Home8g	200	1.8	7.4	0.4
Road5g	159	0.6	5.2	1.8

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	TD/g	YPA	INT/g
Weeks 1-77g	187	1.6	6.8	0.9
Weeks 8+6g	182	1.0	6.2	1.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

David Braun

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 1 game in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Impact starter

Producing measurably more than a replacement-level starter.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

33 · #113 of 146 QBs

Former four-star. Now #113 at the position.

2026 outlook

Outside shot for All-Big Ten

Based on 2025: #17 of 19 Big Ten QBs

How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed

22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Northwestern	222	370	60.0%	2,400	6.5	17	12	123.2	33	--	--
2024	SMU	30	51	58.8%	421	8.3	5	1	156.6	46	--	--
2023	SMU	206	344	59.9%	3,197	9.3	28	6	161.3	73	--	--
2022	SMU	28	48	58.3%	388	8.1	2	1	135.8	--	--	--
2021	SMU	3	7	42.9%	24	3.4	0	0	71.7	--	--	--
Career		489	820	59.6%	6,430	7.8	52	20	141.6	51	--	--

Season	Team
2025	Northwestern	49	14	0.3	1	--
2024	SMU	12	27	2.2	0	--
2023	SMU	62	198	3.2	4	--
2022	SMU	14	63	4.5	2	--
2021	SMU	1	2	2.0	0	--
Career		138	304	2.2	7	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 7 · 2025

W 22–21

at Penn State

163 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 73.3 · -8 rush yds (5 car)

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 on the road.

With L. Akers — 1 SOLO · 1 TOT · 49 AVG · J. Himon II — 65 rush yds (13 car)

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 1 · Tulane · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -4.10Preston Stone pass intercepted Javion White return for no gain to the TULN 2
Week 9 · Nebraska · 3&6 · Q1 · EPA +3.91(06:56) No Huddle-Shotgun #8 P.Stone pass complete deep left to #17 G.Wilde caught at NEB39, for 37 yards to the NEB34 (#10 A.Marshall), 1ST DOWN
Week 6 · UL Monroe · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +3.76Griffin Wilde 49 Yd pass from Preston Stone (Jack Olsen Kick)
Week 8 · Purdue · 3&5 · Q4 · EPA -3.73Preston Stone pass intercepted Smiley Bradford return for no gain to the PUR 14
Week 6 · UL Monroe · 3&10 · Q2 · EPA +3.65Preston Stone pass complete to Hayden Eligon II for 25 yds to the ULM 34 for a 1ST down
Week 8 · Purdue · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +3.57Preston Stone pass complete to Hayden Eligon II for 35 yds to the PUR 45 for a 1ST down Purdue Penalty, Horse Collar Tackle (Hershey McLaurin) to the PUR 30 for a 1ST down
Week 13 · Minnesota · 3&14 · Q1 · EPA +3.55(05:15) Shotgun #8 P.Stone pass complete short left to #17 G.Wilde caught at MIN41, for 17 yards to the MIN41 (#24 J.McMillan), 1ST DOWN, PENALTY MIN Pass Interference declined
Week 6 · UL Monroe · 1&15 · Q2 · EPA +3.53Hayden Eligon II 37 Yd pass from Preston Stone (Lawson Albright Run for Two-Point Conversion)
Week 3 · Oregon · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA -3.52Preston Stone pass intercepted Jerry Mixon return for 36 yds to the NU 35
Week 13 · Minnesota · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +3.39(11:56) Shotgun #8 P.Stone pass complete short left to #80 H.Eligon II caught at NU 20, for 38 yards to the MIN48 (#14 K.Brown), 1ST DOWN

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CMP/ATT	YDS	TD	INT	YPA	QBR	Note
Wk 1	L 3-23@ Tulane	19/36	161	0	4	4.5	9.2	3 TD passes
Wk 2	W 42-7vs Western Illinois	21/29	245	3	0	8.4	53.9	3 TD passes
Wk 3	L 14-34vs Oregon	11/21	135	0	2	6.4	7.0
Wk 5	W 17-14vs UCLA	12/18	115	1	0	6.4	54.1
Wk 6	W 42-7vs UL Monroe	20/31	262	3	0	8.5	89.0	3 TD passes
Wk 7	W 22-21@ Penn State	17/26	163	1	0	6.3	73.3
Wk 8	W 19-0vs Purdue	11/26	132	2	1	5.1	54.3
Wk 9	L 21-28@ Nebraska	15/29	159	0	2	5.5	32.7
Wk 11	L 17-38@ USC	20/30	150	1	0	5.0	83.6
Wk 12	L 22-24vs Michigan	13/27	184	0	0	6.8	50.4
Wk 13	W 38-35vs Minnesota	25/30	305	2	0	10.2	93.7	Season-high 305 yds
Wk 14	L 13-20@ Illinois	19/36	163	1	3	4.5	14.6	3 INTs — rough day
Bowl	W 34-7vs Central Michigan	19/31	226	3	0	7.3	59.2
Total		222/370	2400	17	12	6.5	51.9

How he plays

Play style

Balanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile.

CFB Index positional classification

Checkdown vs gunslinger · 3rd-and-long

Where the completions actually land

fact

47.7%Completion %

25.0%Conversion/dropback

42.9%Land short of sticks

2INTs

47.7% completion on 3rd-and-8+, but only 25.0% conversion-per-dropback — 42.9% of completions land short of the sticks.

Where completions land is fact — whether incompletions were aimed deep is intent, not recorded here, so this card counts completions only. ~ our read: checkdown by design

Short-yardage / goal-line · enumeration

Who gets the tough yard

fact

3/24Inside-5 share

3 of the team's 24 inside-the-5 carries (12.5%).

2026 Outlook

Northwestern

Preseason read · May 27

2026 Depth chart

Returning starter

Quarterback · Northwestern

Returning around him

88% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
2 Northwestern players drafted to NFL
Transfer portal: +9 net (17 in / 8 out)

2026 Award watch

No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)

Northwestern · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #60 · 2026 recruiting class #52

DNA match

Player DNA

Pocket Passer

Balanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile.

His 2025 production profile sits closest to Hank Bachmeier’s 2024 season.

Hank Bachmeier

79%match

Wake Forest · 2024

Devin Leary

NC State · 2022

NFL Rd 6

76%

Dylan Morris

Washington · 2021

74%

Jaxson Dart

USC · 2021

NFL Rd 1 · Pk 25

72%

Braedyn Locke

Wisconsin · 2024

70%

Matches Hank on

Total pass EPA (college ability)

Rush yards / carry

INT rate

Differs from Hank on

Rush usage (lower)

Recruiting rating (higher)

Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Logan Bonner’s path through Utah State.

Logan Bonner

92%match

Utah State · 2022

Sam Ehlinger

Texas · 2020

All-Big 12NFL Rd 6

89%

Carlos Davis

Towson · 2024

84%

Dequan Finn

Miami (OH) · 2025

All-MAC

84%

Kaidon Salter

Colorado · 2025

All-Conference USA

82%

Matches Logan on

Height

Yards per attempt

Completion %

As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Hank Bachmeier's graduate season at Wake Forest (2024).

Hank Bachmeier

70%match

Wake Forest · 2024

Ta'Quan Roberson

Buffalo · 2025

65%

Miller Moss

Louisville · 2025

61%

Zevi Eckhaus

Washington State · 2025

59%

Cade McNamara

Iowa · 2024

All-Big Ten

59%

Matches Hank on

Yards / attempt

Weight

Rush yards / carry

Differs from Hank on

Rush usage (lower)

Total pass EPA (college ability) (lower)

Player DNA

Players who play like Preston Stone

AJ Swann

App State · 2025

69%

Ta'Quan Roberson

Buffalo · 2025

68%

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

Preston Stone

20213 games

202312 games

202513 games

2025 snapshot

Passing profile

Situational

Splits & context

Awards

Impact starter

Career stats

Signature game

Signature plays

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Pocket Passer

Players who play like Preston Stone