developmental NIU edge who’s still waiting for his first impact snap
CJ Wade is a 6-foot-3, 239-pound defensive end from Cedar Rapids who entered Northern Illinois as a 2024 freshman and, as of the 2025 NIU roster, was still a redshirt freshman with no recorded game action. The big takeaway is upside: he has the frame for the position, but the current fit question is whether he can turn that size into reliable edge production and earn rotation snaps in a deep defensive-end room. If you want a true “prove-it” body with room to grow, he’s one to watch.
