Wisconsin Football position-by-position breakdown: Defensive Line

The Wisconsin Badgers have considerably improved their roster with an overload of expertise at a number of key positions, which has come following a training change to former Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell.

With the quantity of competitors at a number of positions, and with the primary switch portal interval formally over, let’s consider each place group heading into 2023.

Earlier this 12 months, we evaluated each offensive place group forward of spring ball. Now, we transition to the defensive facet of the ball, beginning with the line of defense, which has seen some overhaul with former starters Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton departing to the NFL Draft.

Starters: Darian Varner(R-Jr.), Rodas Johnson(R-Sr.), Isaiah Mullens(Sixth-Sr.)

Backup: James Thompson Jr.(R-Jr.), Gio Paez(R-Sr.), Curt Neal(R-Fr.), Jeff Pietrowski(R-Jr.)

Competitors: Cade McDonald(R-Jr.), Manny Mullens(So.), Ben Barten(R-Jr.)

The Wisconsin Badgers made two key additions by way of the switch portal, including Temple’s Darian Varner and Michigan State’s Jeff Pietrowski to account for the departures of edge rusher Nick Herbig and defensive deal with Keeanu Benton.

Varner comes into the group as essentially the most established edge rusher on the workforce, and may slide right into a beginning spot on the sting, along with his body offering a greater defender in opposition to the run.

Pietrowski involves Wisconsin after an injury-plagued 2022 marketing campaign, serving because the depth that head coach Luke Fickell instructed the workforce was searching for on the edge place.

Along with the transfers, the Badgers return three key gamers from their rotation in 2022, as Isaiah Mullens has elected to return again for a sixth season, becoming a member of Rodas Johnson and James Thompson Jr. because the incumbents.

The Badgers are missing depth at nostril deal with after the lack of Keeanu Benton, with Gio Paez serving because the logical possibility at nostril deal with.

Nonetheless, the Badgers may see motion from redshirt freshman Curt Neal, whereas true freshman Jamel Howard Jr. options to play a task in Wisconsin’s future plans.

Whereas Mullens is the larger physique, Thompson Jr. has a novel body, which may see him earn extra taking part in time if he can show to be sound in opposition to the run, given the explosiveness he possesses at his top.