Five things to watch on Wisconsin's defense as spring football starts
COLTEN BARTHOLOMEW
Updated
The University of Wisconsin football team’s defense already recorded perhaps its most important stop of the year.
Keeping coordinator Jim Leonhard in Madison — a decision he says was him choosing UW more than turning down the Green Bay Packers’ offer of the same job — means one of the most promising young coaches in football will lead the Badgers’ defense once again.
UW defensive end Matt Henningsen sacks Iowa's Nate Stanley during the first quarter of a 2019 game. Henningsen missed most of last season due to an elbow injury, but has the most experience among the defensive ends on UW's roster this spring.
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The Badgers must find a new top unit at the defensive end spots after two years of productive play from Isaiahh Loudermilk and Garrett Rand. Loudermilk is making a run at the NFL while Rand stepped away from football due to injuries.
Junior Matt Henningsen, who missed five games last season after tearing his bicep, and sophomore Isaiah Mullens are the most experienced players in the group and can serve as the starters, but building the talent behind them will be crucial this spring.
The Badgers have been churning out pro-ready outside linebackers in recent years, with players like Zack Baun, Vince Biegel, Andrew Van Ginkel, Leon Jacobs and T.J. Watt becoming NFL starters. The current group of outside backers has high-level talent but didn’t have the most productive season in 2020. UW had 11 sacks last season, with four coming from its outside linebackers.
Both starters return in senior Noah Burks and freshman Nick Herbig, and key rotation players like C.J. Goetz, Spencer Lytle and Marty Strey also are back. This group could be defined by the development of freshmen Kaden Johnson and Aaron Witt. Johnson was a four-star recruit and saw action in three games last season, while Witt played in five games and tallied a strip sack in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over Wake Forest.
Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Mike Maskalunas (58) breaks up a pass intended for Michigan State's C.J. Hayes in 2019.
STEVE APPS, STATE JOURNAL
When inside linebacker Jack Sanborn announced his return for another year at UW, it gave the Badgers one of the best tandems of linebackers in the Big Ten for another season. Sanborn (52) and Chenal (46) led the Badgers in tackles and Chenal (three sacks, seven hurries) was the most productive pass-rusher on the team.
Senior Mike Maskalunas will play his final year at UW this fall after serving as the backup at both inside linebacker spots last season. This spring could be a showcase for young players in this group like Tate Grass, Maema Njongmeta, Malik Reed and Jordan Turner to push for roles.
Wisconsin Badgers safety Eric Burrell (25) celebrates an interception of pass from Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan last season.
STEVE APPS, STATE JOURNAL
The only vacated starting role in the Badgers’ defense without a proven replacement is safety. Eric Burrell played in 48 games and made 26 starts over four seasons at UW, but the Badgers need to find his replacement this spring as he makes his way to the pros.
There are options for the spot in players like Titus Toler and John Torchio, who have seen time over the past two seasons. Leonhard could opt for Scott Nelson and Collin Wilder to man both safety spots after the two rotated at one last season.
Wisconsin cornerback Faion Hicks (1) tackles Iowa wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette in a game last season.
CHARLIE NEIBERGALL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
UW cornerbacks were short on highlights in 2020. None of the team’s seven interceptions came from corners, they were beat for big plays on multiple occasions in rivalry games at Northwestern and Iowa, and they didn’t take the step forward one would expect from a group that had between six and seven players with significant playing time under their belts.
New cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat inherits a room with multiple starters back, including Faion Hicks and Casear Williams, and young players needing to become more consistent like Donte Burton, Deron Harrell and Semar Melvin.
The Badgers athletic department has had two leaders in three-plus decades. With Barry Alvarez set to retire soon, who’s next and what should their priorities be?
“(Jim Leonhard) painted me a really clear picture of what I'll be doing in his defense, what he saw for me,” Townsend said. “His career and what he's known for doing and developing players, that was a big deal to me.
State Journal beat reporters Colten Bartholomew, Jim Polzin and Todd Milewski get together over Zoom to discuss the news around the Badgers men’s basketball and men’s and women’s hockey programs.
"I love this group of kids and I want to continue to develop them. And with COVID being the way it was last year, I’d have felt a specific way about myself having left after that season," Leonhard said.
State Journal beat reporters Colten Bartholomew, Todd Milewski and Jim Polzin get together over Zoom for a special episode dedicated to the impending retirement of University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez.
Former Badgers starter Jack Coan and returning sophomore Drew Pyne have been splitting the first-team reps through the first four spring practices at Notre Dame.
“Man, Witt’s a dog,” sophomore Nick Herbig said. “He doesn't always get his job done in the prettiest way, but he gets his job done. No matter what, he’s scrapping, clawing, he's fighting every rep."
“You want the ability for a lot of guys to get reps. And the first thing to go is the number of reps when you don't have (healthy players), or those guys that need the reps aren't practicing," UW coach Paul Chryst said.
“What I do is special, whether it's in the NFL or college or wherever, every day is a gift and every day is special," Badgers RB coach Gary Brown told reporters.
Making headway and earning reps at inside linebacker for the loaded Badgers is a difficult task, but sophomore Tatum Grass was able to do that last season despite being a redshirt freshman walk-on and still new to the position.
Jake Ferguson breaks down why he returned to Wisconsin, the dynamics of the tight end meeting room, what he makes fun of coach Mickey Turner about, how veterans get through spring practices.
“He told us that he wanted corners that played with a dog mentality. He just want dogs out there on the island," Badgers junior Alexander Smith said of new cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat.
State Journal beat reporters Colten Bartholomew and Jim Polzin get together over Zoom for a special episode of the show: UW senior cornerbacks Faion Hicks and Caesar Williams enter the Red Zone!
"The age of football that we're in with all the spread, all the RPO, you can create some issues," Jim Leonhard said of using his safeties at different positions.
“I would say, in general, I hated the combine, the pro day, the draft, because I thought most of it was pretty silly,” Joe Thomas told the State Journal earlier this month.
