Josh Fussell
DB · Freshman
6'0" · 180 lbs · Defense
Also wearing #13: Gavin Frakes (QB)
Background
- Hometown
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- High school
- Lakota West
Recruiting
- Rating
- 3-star (0.8567 247 composite)
- National rank
- #1220
- Class
- 2023
- Source
- 247 composite
2026 season
No 2026 stats recorded yet.
Season by season
2025tap to read
Earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors … Played in 11 games with 10 starts … Registered 32 total tackles, 18 solo tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss and a team-high nine pass breakups … Ranked third in the Big Ten in pass breakups and first among underclassmen in the conference … Became the the third Wildcat to post at least 12 pass breakups as an underclassman since 2005, joining Greg Newsome II and Matthew Harris … Opened the season with two total tackles against Tulane (8/30) … Named to PFF Big Team of the Week with an 84.2 grade and three pass breakups against Western Illinois (9/5) ... Secured PFF Big Ten Team of the Week honors with one tackle, a pass breakup and a 75.4 grade against Oregon (9/13) … Added a solo tackle and a pass breakup against Penn State (10/11) … Tallied four total tackles and a pass breakup against Purdue (10/18) … Registered three total tackles (two solo) at USC (11/7) … Became the first NU first-year or sophomore to record seven or more pass breakups in a season since Newsome II in 2019 when he logged a pass breakup and seven total tackles against Michigan (11/15) … Posted six total tackles with 1.0 tackles for loss and a pass breakup against Minnesota (11/22) … Added another pass breakup and three total tackles (two solo) at Illinois (11/29).
2024tap to read
Played in 12 games, starting the final eight, in his a redshirt first-year season, tallying 39 tackles, five pass breakups, and one tackle for loss … Named Academic All-Big Ten … Finished with three tackles in consecutive weeks against Miami (Ohio) (8/31) and Duke (9/6) … Recorded the first pass breakup of his career while totaling five tackles against Washington (9/21) … Registered a pass breakup and three tackles in a win over Maryland (10/11) … Logged a pass breakup against Wisconsin (10/19) … Had three tackles in a win at Purdue (11/2) … Set a career-high with seven tackles while recording a pass breakup against Ohio State (11/16) … Totaled seven tackles for the second consecutive game, while recording his first career tackle for loss against Michigan (11/23) … Recorded a pass breakup and two tackles against Illinois (11/30).
2023tap to read
Played in one game against Penn State (9/30) … Redshirted. High School: Four-year varsity letterwinner at Lakota West High School … Consensus three-star prospect according to 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN, and was named the No. 33 player in Ohio by ESPN … Combined for 72 total tackles, 19 pass breakups and nine interceptions throughout his high school career … Posted eight pass breakups in both his junior and senior campaigns … As a junior, led the Greater Miami Conference with six interceptions … Verbally committed to Northwestern on May 19, 2022.
Official bio
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2025 Redshirt Sophomore:
Earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors … Played in 11 games with 10 starts … Registered 32 total tackles, 18 solo tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss and a team-high nine pass breakups … Ranked third in the Big Ten in pass breakups and first among underclassmen in the conference … Became the the third Wildcat to post at least 12 pass breakups as an underclassman since 2005, joining Greg Newsome II and Matthew Harris … Opened the season with two total tackles against Tulane (8/30) … Named to PFF Big Team of the Week with an 84.2 grade and three pass breakups against Western Illinois (9/5) ... Secured PFF Big Ten Team of the Week honors with one tackle, a pass breakup and a 75.4 grade against Oregon (9/13) … Added a solo tackle and a pass breakup against Penn State (10/11) … Tallied four total tackles and a pass breakup against Purdue (10/18) … Registered three total tackles (two solo) at USC (11/7) … Became the first NU first-year or sophomore to record seven or more pass breakups in a season since Newsome II in 2019 when he logged a pass breakup and seven total tackles against Michigan (11/15) … Posted six total tackles with 1.0 tackles for loss and a pass breakup against Minnesota (11/22) … Added another pass breakup and three total tackles (two solo) at Illinois (11/29).
2024 Redshirt First-Year:
Played in 12 games, starting the final eight, in his a redshirt first-year season, tallying 39 tackles, five pass breakups, and one tackle for loss … Named Academic All-Big Ten … Finished with three tackles in consecutive weeks against Miami (Ohio) (8/31) and Duke (9/6) … Recorded the first pass breakup of his career while totaling five tackles against Washington (9/21) … Registered a pass breakup and three tackles in a win over Maryland (10/11) … Logged a pass breakup against Wisconsin (10/19) … Had three tackles in a win at Purdue (11/2) … Set a career-high with seven tackles while recording a pass breakup against Ohio State (11/16) … Totaled seven tackles for the second consecutive game, while recording his first career tackle for loss against Michigan (11/23) … Recorded a pass breakup and two tackles against Illinois (11/30).
2023 First-Year:
Played in one game against Penn State (9/30) … Redshirted.
High School:
Four-year varsity letterwinner at Lakota West High School … Consensus three-star prospect according to 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN, and was named the No. 33 player in Ohio by ESPN … Combined for 72 total tackles, 19 pass breakups and nine interceptions throughout his high school career … Posted eight pass breakups in both his junior and senior campaigns … As a junior, led the Greater Miami Conference with six interceptions … Verbally committed to Northwestern on May 19, 2022.