Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel met with the assembled media on Monday before the Badgers hit the road to begin 2024 training camp at UW-Platteville.
One big topic of conversation was the team’s defensive line, arguably its biggest weakness entering the 2024 season.
Related: Position battles to follow as Wisconsin Badgers begin 2024 fall training camp
Tressel highlighted two players who may correct that statement, players who have taken significant steps forward this offseason: redshirt senior James Thompson Jr. and redshirt sophomore Curt Neal.
Thompson Jr. projects to lead the room after recording 29 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks in 2023. Neal, meanwhile, should take advantage of available snaps after tallying only 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss as a redshirt freshman a season ago.
The two players project to lead a room that added two transfers this offseason in Elijah Hills (Albany) and Brandon Lane (Stephen F. Austin). They both enter with plenty of experience at the FCS level, but each need to prove it in the Big Ten.
Mike Tressel mentioned James Thompson Jr. and Curtis Neal as two DL who have taken big steps in the off-season.
Also heavily counting on Stephen F. Austin transfer Brandon Lane.#Badgers
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) July 29, 2024
Thompson Jr., Neal, Lane and Hills are likely to be the top four in a rotation that also includes redshirt seniors Ben Barten and Cade McDonald, redshirt freshman Jamel Howard and a host of talented incoming freshmen.
The position’s future in the next few years is certainly brighter than its status as a potential weakness entering 2024. But the possible emergence of the two players Tressel mentioned may change that ‘weakness’ status.
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