Last season Bryson Williams started the year off at nose tackle before being injured in the USF game with a sprained knee. He came back for two full games but his season ended after reinjuring his knee against Iowa. Despite only playing in three games, he was able to have six total tackles on the season
Keeanu Benton, a sophomore from Janesville, Wisc., stepped into William’s role and played well down the stretch of the season. He had 12 total tackles as well as two sacks in 2019. Benton’s play wasn’t outstanding, but he has proved that he can play the position at the college level.
#Badgers true freshman nose tackle Keeanu Benton making one of the best offensive linemen in the country, Ohio State's Wyatt Davis, look bad.
Benton is going to be a good one. Doesn't finish the play, but makes Dobbins stop and re-direct. pic.twitter.com/QD0RSO0zHf
— Owen Riese (@RieseDraft) May 4, 2020
Benton played well last season, but expectations for Williams have been high since before he arrived on campus. Bryson Williams was a highly recruited player by Paul Chryst out of Nebraska that Wisconsin was able to steal from underneath the Cornhuskers. He has practiced well and was supposed to have a breakout year before injuries derailed his season.
Keeanu Benton’s play last year has put him in the lead spot to win the position this season as was reported in the predicted 2020 Wisconsin depth chart from Ourlads. However, the talent of Williams could change this depth chart by the beginning of the season. Both bring the gap stuffing size and strength that has been a staple of Wisconsin nose tackles. This position battle is going to be a tough decision for Jim Leonhard and Paul Chryst before this season.
Both of these players deserve to be on the field for next season, and that is why a rotation should be set up to keep both of these 300lb+ nose tackles fresh on long drives. The Wisconsin defense will be extremely deep with experienced players all around next year, and a strategy of rotation especially in the front four or five could keep players healthier and the defense fresher.