Ahead of the 2020 season, Greyson Metz forged an unlikely path to Evanston. The No. 12 ranked recruit in Illinois, Metz turned down 17 scholarship offers and joined Northwestern football as a preferred walk-on.

Five seasons later, the graduate student linebacker is down to his last two guaranteed weeks with the Wildcats. Entering his final two collegiate regular season games, Metz said he feels a heightened sense of gratitude.

“You try not to take the little things for granted,” Metz told The Daily on Tuesday. “You come in, and you’re surrounded by the guys you’ve been with for five years. The energy has never been higher around here to get a win and play in December.”

Metz enrolled at NU in the same recruiting class as graduate student linebacker Xander Mueller. One of two defensive captains, Mueller rose from the special teams ranks as a younger contributor to a premier Will linebacker in the Big Ten. 

One month ago, Mueller sustained a lower-body injury against Wisconsin on Oct. 19. While the veteran linebacker hasn’t played since his injury, his fellow Illinois native in Metz swiftly stepped into the starting lineup in his stead. 

Since Mueller went down, Metz has tallied 26 total tackles, two sacks and the second of his two forced fumbles this season. He said Mueller has supported him every step of the way.

“Off the field, he’s helping us with the film study — helping me work through the tracks and getting the right looks,” Metz said. “He’s constantly in my ear during the game, coaching me up. He’s one of my best friends, and I really appreciate all the work that he put in. As soon as he went down, he didn’t blink. It was just a new role for him. He’s working his a– off to get back.”

For coach David Braun, who said Mueller’s return timetable remains “up in the air,” Metz’s ability to jump from the special teams unit to the first-team defense serves as a credit to his work ethic.

Braun said Metz underwent offseason surgeries following the 2022 season that hindered his ability to make a full impact during the coach’s first year at the helm. 

“Postseason last year, transitioning from the Las Vegas Bowl to spring ball and then over to the summer, you just saw a complete transformation in that young man,” Braun said. “Not only from his attitude and the way he was attacking, but just the way that he looked like a real linebacker in the Big Ten… This opportunity came, and he was ready for it.”

During the offseason, Metz said he focused on putting his past injuries firmly on the back burner. 

He added that defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Tim McGarigle has fostered a culture of accountability throughout his position group, and every linebacker pushes one another to consistently improve.

“The big thing for me was just getting my body back from my prior injuries, putting the weight back on, getting my upper body strength back with the shoulders and just preparing myself conditioning-wise for the season,” Metz said. “I didn’t really know where I would step in, but I was confident that if I was thrown into the fire, I could execute.”

In NU’s Saturday game against No. 2 Ohio State, Metz fulfilled a childhood dream of starting in Wrigley Field. 

A Glen Ellyn, Illinois, native, Metz said he attended countless Chicago Cubs games growing up.

“I remember being a kid sitting in those stands, and it was kind of surreal,” Metz said. “I took a moment in warmups to just look at home plate and look around. I was like, ‘This is really cool. This is something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.”

Just a week later, Metz may very well start in another historic venue, with the ’Cats taking on Michigan at Michigan Stadium this Saturday. 

Regardless of his weekend role, the 6-foot-3, 234-pound linebacker said he carries immense appreciation for every last moment he spends with the program.

“Over the course of the many years, there’s the ups and downs, the good seasons, the bad seasons, the bowl wins and the tough losses,” Metz said. “I just feel like a different person on the backend of this program, and I’m grateful for all the investment the staff has poured into me over these last five years.”

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