Marquette grad, former Wisconsin TE Riley Nowakowski selected in NFL draft
Riley Nowakowski, a Marquette High graduate, will begin his career in the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Reigning college football national champion Indiana is scoring big in the NFL draft . Six Hoosiers were selected through five rounds, making the 2026 draft one of the program’s most successful. Riley Nowakowski is part of the reason why.
The tight end who played his high school ball at Marquette was the sixth Indiana player selected Saturday, April 25. Nowakowski was taken with the 29th pick of the fifth round (169th overall) by Pittsburgh. Riley Nowakowski’s draft grade: B USA TODAY gave the selection a B-.
CBS Sports liked it a little better, giving it a B. Where did Riley Nowakowski play in college? Nowakowski was a key cog for Indiana’s national championship team, but he played his first five seasons at Wisconsin .
Riley Nowakowski highlights Nowakowski began his career as a walk-on outside linebacker who shifted to fullback before finding a home at tight end. He played two seasons at that position at Wisconsin but blossomed at Indiana. He was a second-team all-Big Ten selection by the media and a third-team choice on the coaches’ team.