Wisconsin football: Four Badgers earn AP All-Big Ten honors

Whereas the ultimate outcomes of the common season had been considerably of a letdown for the Wisconsin Badgers soccer crew, a number of gamers have earned postseason awards over the previous two weeks.

11 complete gamers got here away with some kind of All-Large Ten acknowledgment by the convention, whereas freshman Skyler Bell just lately earned honorable point out Freshman All-American honors by School Soccer Information earlier this week. 

Whereas the current hiring of Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo are presently dominating the headlines for UW, on Wednesday 4 gamers from the 2022 crew got here away with All-Large Ten honors by the Related Press. 

Representing Wisconsin on the primary crew had been exterior linebacker Nick Herbig and security John Torchio. 

In his third season as a full-time starter for the Badgers, Herbig put collectively an enormous season in 2022. Herbig led the Large Ten in sacks this yr with 11, which was 3.5 greater than the subsequent highest within the convention. He additionally added 47 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss, showcasing his skills to create havoc within the backfield constantly, whereas enjoying in 11 video games. Herbig was a consensus First-Crew All-Large Ten choice by the league as effectively, and just lately made the nationwide Walter Camp Basis All-American Crew as a second-team choose. 

For Herbig, it is going to now be attention-grabbing to trace what he does subsequent season, as his title has been elevated on NFL Draft boards primarily based on his sturdy junior marketing campaign. Arguably the perfect participant on Wisconsin’s whole crew in 2022, if he had been to return it could be a big win for Luke Fickell and the defensive workers. 

Additionally becoming a member of Herbig with the primary crew is senior security John Torchio, who completed the regulars season with 5 interceptions, second-most within the Large Ten. He additionally took two of these interceptions again for touchdowns and completed with the fifth-most tackles on the crew with 52 complete. Torchio had a sack and 5 cross breakups too whereas beginning all 12 video games for the Badgers. Torchio was additionally a first-team part by the Large Ten and was chosen as Wisconsin’s Large Ten Sportsmanship Honoree for his management and consummate professionalism on the sector. 

Torchio has already introduced that he’ll check the NFL Draft and won’t be coming again for a sixth season in Madison. The previous walk-on is one other shining instance of Wisconsin’s stellar participant improvement. 

Past Herbig and Torchio, senior defensive sort out Keeanu Benton was a second-team choice by the Related Press after placing collectively the perfect numbers of his profession.

The extremely efficient nostril sort out recorded 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, all whereas routinely battling double groups within the inside of the defensive position. One of many crew captains for the Badgers in 2022, Benton performed a key function in Wisconsin’s protection and he’ll probably have a robust NFL profession. A season in the past Benton was a Second-Crew All-Large Ten choose, and his play this previous season solely additional strengthens his legacy at Wisconsin. From Janesville (Wis.), Benton made the choice to return again to UW after receiving NFL curiosity a yr in the past, and he’s set to take part within the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl in January earlier than heading to the NFL this season. 

Final, however actually not least, star working again Braelon Allen made the AP Second-Crew All-Large Ten crew. The 240-pound sophomore surpassed 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season in Madison and just lately made the All-Large Ten crew for a second-straight yr as effectively. 

Allen is simply the fifth participant in Wisconsin program historical past to hurry for 1,000 yards in his first two seasons, and he finally completed the 2022 season with 1,126 speeding yards and 10 touchdowns regardless of lacking the ultimate sport of the season in opposition to Minnesota. Allen additionally added 11 receptions for 104 yards by means of the air. 

For the reason that teaching change, Allen has squashed any switch rumors, Tweeting that he’s a Wisconsin Badger. The information of his return is critical for Wisconsin as they appear to construct the offense round their star tailback, who can even have a wholesome Chez Mellusi to run alongside him after Mellusi shared that he’ll return in 2023. 

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