Northwood University is proud to announce that several current and incoming Timberwolves will compete in one of the world’s premier esports tournaments, the Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. These elite student-athletes will be representing top-tier professional organizations across two major titles: Call of Duty and Overwatch.
Jeremiah “Nium” Harrison, a current Northwood student from Ferris, Texas, will represent Team WaR in Call of Duty during the tournament’s July 24–27 bracket. Harrison, known for his high-impact performance in the Call of Duty Challengers circuit, earned his place on the roster after one of Team WaR’s players was signed by a Call of Duty League team. Although not part of the initial qualification lineup, Harrison’s breakout season made him a clear choice to step into the spotlight.
Meanwhile, the Overwatch portion of the EWC will take place July 31–Aug. 3, and Northwood will have its largest representation ever. Current Timberwolves Joseph “Lep” Cambriani, of Plano, Texas, and Julian “Rokit” Pizana, of El Paso, Texas, will team up with incoming students Ryan “Painkiller” Cooper, of Hopatcong, New Jersey, and Rocco “Kronik” Iacobacci, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, under the professional organization NTMR (Nightmare). The NTMR Overwatch core will also be competing together as Northwood’s starting roster for the 2025–26 collegiate season.
“I feel as though NU has always played a significant role in my success as a professional,” said Julian “Rokit” Pizana. “Being surrounded by like-minded, passionate competitors motivates me to work harder every single day. Additionally, the program has always been incredibly generous and flexible with the different opportunities they’ve presented me, and they have given me a multitude of resources to help me succeed in my professional career. I couldn’t be more stoked to give Northwood some much-deserved representation at the Esports World Cup.”
Notably, Northwood Overwatch alumni Landon “Landon” McGee and Diego “Vega” Moran will also be competing in the event, though as opponents. Their presence, along with the NTMR roster and Nium’s Call of Duty debut, makes Northwood the only university with representation across multiple game titles in the 2025 Esports World Cup.
“For the program, it shows that our efforts in talent development and player scouting have been paying off,” said Northwood Esports Coach Jacob R. Jacob. “While still top talent, many of these players were just shy of qualifying for major events like the Esports World Cup in the past. Now, thanks to the environment we’ve created — surrounding players with like-minded, driven teammates — we’re seeing Northwood become a launchpad to the professional scene.”
The significance of this moment isn’t lost on Assistant Coach Aden Frosch, who notes how rare it is to see collegiate representation at this global level.
“Prior to this year, only one other current Northwood student had competed at the event — Aaron ‘Noxes’ Cadiz, in 2023 and 2024, as a coach for the South African Rocket League team, Limitless,” said Frosch. “Now, in 2025, we’re sending five players across two titles — more than most colleges combined. It’s a testament to what makes Northwood Esports different.”
The Esports World Cup features a staggering $7 million prize pool across 26 titles, drawing top talent from around the globe to Riyadh this summer. To learn more, visit https://esportsworldcup.com/en.
For more information about Northwood Esports, visit https://esports.northwood.edu/ or utilize this inquiry form to connect with the Northwood Esports coaching staff.
