Wisconsin
2024 Wisconsin Badgers Positional Review: Safeties
2024 Wisconsin Badgers Positional Review: Safeties
Wisconsin football saw its season end without bowl practices for the first time since 2001. The Badgers hit a new low this century in year two of the Luke Fickell era, and will face a critical get-right year in 2025.
Over the next two weeks, BadgerBlitz.com will examine the 2024 Badgers position by position. Today, we’ll wrap up the series with the safeties, a unit that helped anchor a strong defensive backfield in 2024.
POSITIONAL REVIEWS: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends | Offensive Line | Defensive Line | Outside Linebackers | Inside Linebackers | Cornerbacks
2024 HIGH: Preston Zachman’s continued development
Redshirt senior Preston Zachman continued his development into a highly reliable safety in 2024, and even better news? He’s coming back next fall.
Zachman became somewhat of a surprise starter alongside Hunter Wohler last season, but he played well in the process, displaying his football IQ and a knack for being in the right place in the right time. He continued to take steps in a positive direction this season, posting a career-best stat-line of 58 total tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and four pass breakups.
The safety has a penchant for making routine plays routinely. He missed just six tackles on 753 total snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He also surrendered just one touchdown across 366 coverage snaps. But Zachman can also make the big play. His most impressive rep of the season was likely his interception in Los Angeles, pictured above. In coverage against dynamic slot weapon Zachariah Branch, a matchup most would deem a mismatch, he blanketed the receiver, bodied him at the catch point, reeled in the interception and talked smack in the star pass-catcher’s face after the whistle.
The ball skills he displayed were impressive, but it was also a clinic in technique and positioning. Zachman is one of the most fundamentally sound players on Mike Tressel‘s defense, and his return for 2025 is massive for a secondary that figures to be relatively inexperienced and also just lost its best player in Wohler.
2024 LOW: Hunter Wohler vs. USC
Interestingly enough, one of Zachman’s best games (USC) was also one of Wohler’s worst. He gave up two touchdowns in the second half alone, helping the Trojans complete the comeback victory.
With time dwindling in the third quarter, USC faced a 3rd-and-7 from the Badgers eight yard-line. Wisconsin sent six pass-rushers after Trojans’ quarterback Miller Moss, leaving five one-on-ones in coverage against a five wide look. That included Wohler on the 6-foot-6 wideout Duce Robinson.
Robinson ran a skinny post and simply boxed Wohler out to reel in a touchdown, looking like a forward pulling down a rebound over a guard. It’s hard to blame Wohler for giving up four inches of height to the physical specimen of a wideout, but still, the safety was directly responsible for that touchdown.
Wohler gave up a touchdown on the very next drive as well. The Trojans marched down the field in nine plays but were faced with a 4th-and-1 on the Badgers’ seven yard line. Moss ran a read option, and kept the ball with outside linebacker Aaron Witt crashing off the strong side. Wohler read the play well, and came face-to-face with Moss in the open field. If he made the tackle, it would’ve been a turnover on downs. Instead, Moss hit him with a filthy spin move, breaking the safety’s ankles and scoring a touchdown. Another straight-up mano a mano that Wohler lost resulting in a touchdown, on consecutive drives no less.
ONE STORYLINE TO FOLLOW BEFORE THE 2025 SEASON: Which transfer nabs a starting role?
With the return of Zachman and Austin Brown, Wisconsin is in a solid spot at safety. The Badgers have two experienced starters, in addition to a plethora of young players including four true freshmen. Zachman and Brown both figure to be starters given their experience and solid play in 2024. But if we’ve learned anything about Tressel’s defense over the course of two seasons, it’s that he deploys three safeties frequently. Especially given the fact that Wisconsin figures to be inexperienced at cornerback with just four corners currently on the roster, safeties can be expected to play plenty of snaps.
The Badgers have signed two transfers at safety at the time of writing: Matthew Traynor (FCS Richmond) and Matt Jung (D-III Bethel). Traynor is a versatile safety who can line up anywhere, while Jung absolutely stuffed the stat-sheet at the D-III level. Both figure to get plenty of run behind Zachman and Brown. But which player looks more dynamic? Who appears to be adjusting to Big Ten competition better? Where in the alignment does either player line up? These will be critical questions to answer this spring and into fall camp.
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An aerial view of Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
An aerial view of Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., home of the Wisconsin Badgers.
MADISON – A recent court ruling has opened the door for former junior college players to gain another year of NCAA eligibility.
It appears that Tawee Walker is going to take advantage of the opportunity.
According to On3, Wisconsin’s senior running back will enter the transfer portal in search of a home for next season. The news came one day after the NCAA approved a blanket waiver granting one more year of eligibility to athletes who competed at a non-NCAA school for one or more years and would have otherwise exhausted their eligibility during the 2024-25 school year.
Walker fits the bill. He played the the 2021 season at Palomar College. a junior college in San Marcos, California, before competing for Oklahoma in 2022 and ’23 and Wisconsin this season. The NCAA counts his junior college season towards his four years of college eligibility.
The waiver stems from a case brought forward by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. A Tennessee court ruled that counting the two seasons he played at a junior college toward his NCAA eligibility violated the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Walker, a 5-foot-9, 218-pound Las Vegas native, led the Badgers with 864 yards in 190 carries, a 4.5-yard average, and scored 10 touchdowns.
He begin the season sharing the No. 1 tailback role with Chez Mellusi and blossomed after Mellusi took what proved to be a permanent leave Oct. 3.
As Wisconsin’s primary ball carrier Walker ran for 718 yards in 152 carries, a 4.7-yard average, with nine touchdowns.
His best stretch was a three-game run against Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern when he gained 418 yards in 66 carries, a 6.3-yard average, and scored six times.
Despite earning a 23-point win over Detroit Mercy, the Wisconsin men received fewer votes in both the AP and Coaches Poll Top 25s, which were released on Monday.
The Badgers (10-3, 0-2) stretched their win streak to two following three straight losses, which included two in Big Ten play. Wisconsin returns to league action on Friday, Jan. 3 when they welcome Iowa to Madison.
In the AP Poll, the Badgers picked up nine votes, as No. 25 Baylor received 125. In the Coaches Poll, Wisconsin got seven votes, with No. 25 Purdue receiving 73.
Oregon is the highest-ranked Big Ten team in both rankings, coming in at No. 9. Michigan State is 18th in both with Purdue No. 21 in the AP Poll followed by UCLA, with Illinois No. 24. In the Coaches Poll, UCLA is 21st, Illinois is 22nd and Purdue is 25th.
Tennessee remained No. 1, receiving the majority of the first-place votes. SEC rival Auburn is second followed by Iowa State and Duke.
Here is the college basketball men’s AP Coaches Poll Top 25 for Week 8:
(Dec. 23)
1. Tennessee (41)
2. Auburn (21)
3. Iowa State
4. Duke
5. Alabama
6. Florida
7. Kansas
8. Marquette
9. Oregon
10. Kentucky
11. Connecticut
12. Oklahoma
13. Texas A&M
14. Gonzaga
15. Houston
16. Mississippi
17. Cincinnati
18. Michigan State
19. Mississippi State
20. San Diego State
21. Purdue
22. UCLA
23. Arkansas
24. Illinois
25. Baylor
Others receiving votes: Maryland 119, Dayton 108, Drake 91, St. John’s 90, Memphis 65, Michigan 50, Georgia 45, Pittsburgh 27, West Virginia 26, Missouri 25, Ohio State 23, North Carolina 20, Clemson 18, Arizona State 13, Utah State 9, Wisconsin 9, Texas Tech 8, Indiana 8, St. Bonaventure 4, Penn State 3.
Dropped from rankings: Memphis 21, Dayton 22, Michigan 24, Clemson 25.
Here is the college basketball men’s Coaches Poll Top 25 for Week 8:
(Dec. 23)
1. Tennessee (20)
2. Auburn (11)
3. Iowa State
4. Duke
5. Florida
6. Alabama
7. Kansas
8. Marquette
9. Oregon
10. Kentucky
11. Oklahoma
12. Houston
13. Texas A&M
14. Connecticut
15. Gonzaga
16. Mississippi
17. Cincinnati
18. Michigan State
19. Mississippi State
20. San Diego State
21. UCLA
22. Illinois
23. Baylor
24. St. John’s
25. Purdue
Others receiving votes: Maryland 65; Michigan 52; Drake 51; Arkansas 51; Georgia 42; Clemson 40; Dayton 28; Memphis 25; Pittsburgh 22; Utah State 14; Texas Tech 9; Wisconsin 7; North Carolina 6; Missouri 6; West Virginia 5; Penn State 1.
Dropped from rankings: Michigan 21; Memphis 22; Dayton 24.
Wisconsin
Community remembers teacher killed in Wisconsin school shooting as Christian with Southern roots
Family and friends said their final farewells Monday to a substitute teacher killed in a shooting at a private religious school in Wisconsin last week, describing her as a devout Christian with Southern roots who made copious notes in her personal Bible and planned to take her children to Disney World next year.
Erin Michelle West, 42, was killed on Dec. 16 when 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow opened fire with a handgun at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. A 14-year-old student, Rubi Vergara, also was killed and six others were wounded before Rupnow turned the gun on herself. Rupnow was a first-semester student at the school. Investigators are still trying to piece together her motive.
Scores of people attended West’s midday funeral at Doxa Church in Fitchburg, a Madison suburb. West’s casket was set up before a stage decorated with Christmas trees adorned with golden lights. A giant photograph of her was displayed on a screen above the stage throughout the hourlong service.
Rob Warren, the church’s pastor, fought back tears as he welcomed people.
“In a sense, no one wants to be here,” he said. “But in another sense I believe we’re all supposed to be here right now, to hurt and heal together. As painful as it is, I believe we really all do need this moment.”
According to West’s obituary, she was born in St. Charles, Missouri, and graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2005. She married her husband, Jack, in 2005, in Powder Springs, Georgia. The couple has three daughters.
Warren read several verses from West’s personal Bible, remarking on all the handwritten notes and underlined sections throughout. He said that after Jack West gave him the Bible, the first page he turned to had the phrase “the Gospel is for everyone” written in blue ink.
“This is what Erin West was about,” the pastor said, adding later: “Erin is in heaven right now with Jesus and she’s more alive than she ever has been and that’s the truth.”
Nate Kaloupek, Doxa Church’s director of leadership development and equipping, gave a short elegy, describing how Erin met Jack in an online Christian chatroom and how Jack’s company, Cardinal Glass, moved the couple around the country, first to Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest before they settled in Wisconsin about six years ago.
Struggling at times to find his voice, Kaloupek said Erin loved the fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A and she showed her Georgia roots often by quipping “love y’all” or “hey, y’all.”
He joked that Erin was “really bad” at hiding her emotions and felt God had called her to work at ALCS. She led prayers for people in their church group and tracked what prayers were answered, he said.
She loved camping trips with her family, wine-tasting trips with her husband and was looking forward to taking their daughters to Disney World this spring, he added, before concluding the elegy with: “She’d want me to say ‘love y’all.’ Thank you.”
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