Wisconsin Football: Replacing DT Keeanu Benton

The 6’4, 315-pound Keeanu Benton was an excellent nostril sort out/defensive sort out throughout his 4 years with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Benton finishes his profession at Wisconsin with 80 tackles and 9 sacks.

Earlier than the NFL Draft, Benton has been making a stronger case for himself to be drafted greater on the Senior Bowl.

Benton leaving for the NFL leaves an enormous void alongside the defensive entrance.

Dropping an anchor on the defensive position is all the time arduous to exchange. Good factor the Badgers have loads of expertise on the protection to attempt to fill that void.

Luke Fickell often runs a 3-3-5 protection which requires 3 defensive linemen. Whereas the Jim Leonhard protection was a 3-4, it has some similarities, so the workforce has a participant on the workforce that matches the Benton function.

Often, with the 3-4 that Wisconsin ran final 12 months you will have two defensive tackles and two defensive ends/outdoors linebackers.

With Luke Fickell, you will note extra of a conventional nostril sort out taking part in the 0 method proper above the middle. They may have two gaps taking each A gaps as their duty.

I might count on a couple of gamers to exchange Benton. Just a few to regulate are Gio Paez and Curt Neal battling for the beginning nostril sort out function.

Now, this does not imply they would be the solely guys that get run-at-nose sort out, I count on the defensive ends that Jim Leonhard used final 12 months may also play some nostril sort out.

Gamers like Rodas Johnson, James Thompson Jr., and Isaiah Mullens can all get taking part in time on the nostril sort out place.

The nostril sort out place in Fickells protection is extra just like the defensive finish place in Leonhard’s protection as a result of they’re inside on the guards somewhat that out large.

The most efficient substitute from final season which will get reps on the nostril sort out place is Rodas Johnson and James Thompson Jr., each with 23 tackles, Johson with 1 sack, and Thompson with 2.

There are additionally Isaish Mullens who had 11 tackles, Gio Paez with 11 tackles, and Curt Neal with 3 tackles.

If I needed to predict who will begin in substitute of Keeanu Benton leaving for the NFL, I’d say the highest two proper now are Gio Paez and Curt Neal.