LAS VEGAS — Northwestern quarterback Jack Lausch, who started the Wildcats’ final 10 games last season, has left the program to focus on his baseball career.

Lausch, a decorated high school baseball prospect who came to Northwestern to play football, led the Wildcats with 1,714 passing yards and 7 touchdowns with 8 interceptions in 2024. He also added 213 rushing yards and two scores.

Lausch, who joined the baseball team for the 2025 season while also going through spring football practice, told football coach David Braun in June that he planned to focus solely on baseball, where he hit .268 with six home runs and 28 RBIs as Northwestern’s starting center fielder.

He was not selected in the MLB draft earlier this month but could pursue pro baseball or return to Northwestern for the 2026 season. If Lausch remained with the football team, he would have been in a reserve role behind SMU transfer Preston Stone, who has been named the Wildcats’ starting quarterback for this fall.

“I’m really clear that we wanted Jack back,” Braun told ESPN. “He had to go through information gathering. I totally understood his decision. Like, he’s got a chance to play pro [baseball]. What he accomplished last year by being a starting quarterback in the Big Ten and then going and playing baseball is really impressive.”

Braun supported Lausch’s attempt to play both sports, and he worked with Northwestern baseball coach Ben Greenspan to map out a schedule so he could be around each of the teams as much as possible.

Lausch competed during the spring for the backup quarterback job with Ryan Boe. After he told Braun of his decision to step away from football, Northwestern added quarterback transfer Gavin Frakes, who had initially committed to Oklahoma after playing at both Virginia and New Mexico State.

Stone started for SMU in 2023 before sustaining a broken leg in the regular-season finale against Navy. He returned to open the 2024 season as the Mustangs’ starter but was replaced by Kevin Jennings as SMU reached the College Football Playoff.

Braun said Stone made it “abundantly clear” in spring practice that he would be Northwestern’s starter.

“Our players know it; coaches know it,” Braun said. “Playing any games around that would just have been stupid. What he navigated last year wasn’t easy. He didn’t lose that job. He just got beat out by a really good player.

“I want Preston Stone to know this is your team, man.”