Tag: Eric Burrell

Wisconsin S Eric Burrell added to another watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy

Three days ago, Eric Burrell was named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award that goes to the best defensive back in college football. Yesterday, Burrell was added to another watch list for the prestigious Bronko Nagurski Trophy that is awarded to the best defensive player in college football. 

Three days ago, Eric Burrell was named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award that goes to the best defensive back in college football. Yesterday, Burrell was added to another watch list for the prestigious Bronko Nagurski Trophy that is awarded to the best defensive player in college football. 

After a phenomenal year, where he was the highest-rated returning defensive back in coverage in the Big Ten from Pro Football Focus, the Severn, M.D. native is garnering a lot of attention around college football going into next season. If Burrell is able to keep improving on his success from last year, he could be getting his name called next April.

I wrote about Eric Burrell and his addition to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award yesterday, as well as spoke more in-depth about his play last season here.

The five most important players on the 2020 Wisconsin Badgers

The 2020 college football season is right around the corner and teams around the country have began their in-person preseason programs…

The 2020 college football season is right around the corner and teams around the country have began their in-person preseason programs.

The Wisconsin Badgers, one of those teams holding weight room workouts, head into 2020 without many of their key contributors and most important players from the 2019 unit, those being Jonathan Taylor, Chris Orr, Tyler Biadasz and Zack Baun to name a few.

If you’ve been a college football fan for more than two years, though, you know that the key to a program succeeding year-in and year-out is having new guys come and fill the shoes of departed players.

Here, in order, are my top-5 most important players on the 2020 Wisconsin Badgers.

 

No. 5: Running back [Insert name here]

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Badgers running back Nakia Watson pushes Michigan State safety Xavier Henderson aside on 19-yard run in the first half. NCAA Football Michigan State At Wisconsin. Credit: Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Badgers enter 2020 with Jonathan Taylor’s 2255 scrimmage yards and 26 total touchdowns gone to the NFL and big shoes to fill.

But that’s what the Badgers do, cycle in running backs like it’s been the same player all along.

On Twitter yesterday I saw the perfect description of what the Wisconsin running back system is:

“Wisconsin running backs don’t graduate – they just burn up like a Phoenix and are reborn with a new name and immediate eligibility.” I could not have chosen better words.

Now the only real question Paul Chryst and his staff have is who will their Phoenix be this year–Nakia Watson or Jalen Berger.

No matter who is the starter or who leads the team in carries, though, the position will be a pivotal one to the team’s success this year (as it is every year) because of the way Wisconsin plays football.

Normally the running back position isn’t one of the most valuable on the team–as in some cases much of their success can be attributed to offensive line play and the quarterback’s ability to not let the defense stack the box.

For the Badgers, though, an offense without a ground game and a great running back always seems to be no offense at all.

Chryst and offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph will need Watson or Berger to carry the load and (make a step towards being able to) recreate Taylor’s insane production.

 

Next…No. 4 who is getting some NFL love before he enters his senior season

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The one stat on defense that will define Wisconsin’s 2020 season

Last month I laid out the one stat on offense that will define the Badgers’ 2020 season. Today, we’re looking at the defensive side of…

Last month I laid out the one stat on offense that will define the Badgers’ 2020 season. Today, we’re looking at the defensive side of the football and finding the one area that will dictate whether Jim Leonhard’s defense is able to repeat their impressive 2019 campaign.

Badger fans know well that the 2018 season was a disappointing one on the defensive side of the football. A combination of youth in the secondary and injuries to key contributors handcuffed a unit that ended up finishing the season with more than 150 rushing yards-per-game allowed and almost 350 total yards-per-game allowed.

The 2019 unit, then, bested the squad from the year before in nearly every category, finishing the year only allowing 101 rush yards-per-game, a 51.7 completion percentage, 187 pass yards-per-game and 288 total yards-per-game.

What was the biggest difference between the two teams, aside from many of the key contributors returning for the 2019 season?

Two things that in the big picture are directly related to each other.

No. 1: a full 1.1-yard difference in their opponents’ rush yards-per-attempt.

No. 2: a more-than 10 percent difference in the rate at which their opponents converted their third down chances.

Like Wisconsin’s offensive attack, Leonhard’s defense prides itself on being tough against the run and controlling the opponents’ ground game.

In 2018, for various reasons, the defense got ran over and, as a result, saw the entire field open up for opposing teams to use run fakes and get young corners to make mistakes on the outside.

Specifically, that year Leonhard’s defense gave up 4.4 yards-per-attempt on the ground and, as mentioned earlier, 155 rush yards-per-game.

Those tallies are both the highest any Badger defense has allowed since the 2005 squad gave up 4.5 yards-per-rush and 165.8 yards-per-game on the ground. For reference, since 2005 the Badger defense have allowed more than 140 rush yards-per-game one time other than 2018 and more than 130 just three times.

Comparing it now to 2019, the team gave up just 3.3 yards-per-attempt and 99.8 yards-per-game on the ground, both impressive numbers by anybody’s standards and a massive improvement from the previous year.

This improvement played a large role in the 6.5-point difference in opponents scoring-per-game and, therefore, the difference between a 10-4 record (with two losses coming against Ohio State, one of the best teams statistically in the last 15 years) and an 8-5 record.

If that was too many numbers and not enough about what it meant to the unit specifically, the insane rushing numbers the Badgers gave up in 2018 handcuffed the young secondary, kept the opposing offense on the field, allowed opponents to control the game like the Badgers so often do with their rushing attack and, finally, allowed teams to have success in stat No. 2 that will be so important to the 2020 season: third down conversion percentage.

The two stats are correlated because when an opposing team is able to run the ball in early-down situations and set up third-and-short chances, their conversion rate will understandably be a lot higher.

And what has been made clear for years now, specially in the Badgers’ case, winning the time of possession battle and controlling the game with the ball in your offense’s hands is how you win football games.

The first step in this is getting the defense off the field by stopping the opponent on third down.

I mentioned the difference above but, specifically, the 2018 defense gave up a 37.43 percent conversion rate on third down. The 2019 team? 27.27 percent.

This ten percent increase equated to the total of 19 extra conversions by the opponent, or 19 more chances for teams to score and keep Jonathan Taylor and the Badger offense off of the field.

Does stopping the opponent on third down start with stopping the run on first and second down? Absolutely. But a ten percent difference is significant no matter how long the conversions are.

Looking forward to 2020 now, Leonhard will need to try to recreate the production of now-NFL linebackers Chris Orr and Zack Baun and find ways to stop opposing offenses without those two players leading the defense.

Will it be an easy task to find 24 sacks, 33.5 tackles-for-loss and 153 total tackles? No, it won’t. But on the bright side the unit now has future-NFL linebacker Jack Sanborn quarterbacking the defense, a great run-stopping safety tandem in Eric Burrell and Reggie Pearson and an up-and-coming defensive tackle Keeanu Benton who showed flashes of absolute dominance last season as only a true freshman.

The phrase “ball control” sounds at times like a secret Big Ten saying that really just means play old-school football and shame the Big 12 and PAC 12 for not playing a lick of defense.

It really matters though and, as pointed out above, was one of the biggest differences between a struggling 2018 defense and an absolutely dominant 2019 one (again taking into account that their worst performances came against Ohio State, one of the best offenses statistically in college football history).

Only time will tell but if the 2020 squad is able to recreate the production from last season and give quarterback Jack Coan more chances to put points on the board, we could be in for a special season in Madison,

A Wisconsin Badger earns the highest PFF pass coverage grade amongst returning Big Ten defenders

A Wisconsin Badger is the highest-rated coverage defender that is returning next season in the Big Ten

[lawrence-newsletter]Pro Football Focus, a football data company that specializes in analytics, recently named a Wisconsin Badger as the best returning Big Ten defender at covering the pass. That Badger is safety Eric Burrell, who is coming off his best season in Madison as a junior. Burrell is sure to be a leader in 2020 on the defensive side of the ball in his senior season.

This past season, the Severn, Maryland native set career-highs in nearly every statistical category, including total tackles, solo tackles, interceptions, and passes defended (PD). Burrell finished the year with 55 total tackles, a pair of sacks, three interceptions, and six passes defended. He finished with a PFF coverage grade of 88.9.

Burrell came into the year behind Scott Nelson on the depth chart, but after Nelson went out of the season-opener against USF with a leg injury that would ultimately hold him out the entire year, Burrell shined as the weekly starter. Wisconsin will have an embarrassment of riches next season at the safety position with Burrell, Nelson, and redshirt-sophomore Reggie Pearson all returning.

 

PFF loves Badger safety Eric Burrell heading into 2020

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard heads into the 2020 season looking for two new defensive leaders with the departures of…

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Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard heads into the 2020 season looking for two new defensive leaders with the departures of Zack Baun and Chris Orr.

According to ProFootballFocus, one of those impact players will be safety Eric Burrell.

In an article posted on February 19 Anthony Treash, one of PFF’s senior college analysts, listed the top-10 players returning to the Big Ten in 2020.

At the top he listed the obvious names including Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan and Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman.

His No. 8 player on the list? Wisconsin safety Eric Burrell.

“Wisconsin Badgers safety Eric Burrell has played in the box, slot and at deep safety over the past couple seasons, and regardless of where he was at, he shined in coverage,” Treash wrote. “Among safeties, Burrell’s two-year PFF coverage grade is among the 10 best in the FBS — and he was one of the 20 most valuable safeties overall.”

While missed tackles are a continuing problem for the Maryland native, Treash concluded his piece by noting that “[Burrell] could very well end the 2020 season as one of the five best safeties in the country in coverage.”

These are glowing remarks for the safety who came to Madison in 2016 as a four-star prospect according to ESPN and made an immediate impact when he took over as a starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2018, recording 41 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles.

His 2019 campaign continued his rise at the position as he started 13 games and recorded 55 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

And, if that wasn’t enough, he recorded three of the Badgers’ top-10 defensive plays of the year including a clutch stop on a 2-point conversion to help seal a win against Iowa.

PFF isn’t the only outlet loving Burrell’s future as TheDraftNetwork lists the safety as the No. 158 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Burrell will enter 2020 as the starter at free safety across from the sure-tackling strong safety Reggie Pearson on a Badger defense set to again be one of the best in the conference and in the nation.

Projecting Wisconsin’s defensive depth chart for the 2020 season

Earlier this week I took an early look at what Wisconsin’s offense will look like come Week 1. Today we shift focus to the other side of…

Earlier this week I took an early look at what Wisconsin’s offense will look like come Week 1. Today we shift focus to the other side of the football, and predict how Jim Leonhard‘s defense will line up when the season, hopefully, gets underway in September.

2019 saw the Badger defense rank No. 6 in the country and No. 2 in the Big Ten in yards-per-game allowed, No. 7 in the nation and No. 2 in the conference in rush-yards-per-game, No. 13 in the nation and No. 4 in the conference in pass yards and saw the team shut out four opponents on its way to a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl appearance.

Much of the unit’s success was due to insane senior year production from linebackers Zack Baun and Chris Orr, guys who combined for 24 sacks, 33.5 tackles-for-loss, 153 total tackles and four forced fumbles.

The two now gone to the NFL, Baun with the New Orleans Saints and Orr with the Carolina Panthers, leaves two massive holes on Leonhard’s defense with their potential replacements having big shoes to fill.

Here’s an early look at what the defensive unit will look like when football season comes around.

 

Defensive Line

Starters: Isaiahh Loudermilk (defensive end), Garrett Rand (defensive end), Keeanu Benton (defensive tackle)

Backups: Matt Henningsen, Bryson Williams, Boyd Dietzen

The line will be one of the strongest units on the Badger defense this season.

With the team only saying goodbye to backup defensive end David Pfaff after the 2019 season, Leonhard now welcomes back two seniors in Rand and Loudermilk on the edge, a true-sophomore in Benton at tackle after he showed insane potential filling in as a true-freshman and a healthy Williams to complement Benton up front.

The two names to watch along the line as the season progresses are Benton, again only a true-sophomore, and Loudermilk, the one of the group who has the best shot at earning all-conference honors.

After several years of injury-riddled defensive lines, the unit will be a deep one in 2020 and will go a long way to help Leonhard try to find the production lost in the departures of Baun and Orr.

 

Linebacker

Starters: Jack Sanborn (inside), Leo Chenal (inside), Noah Burks (outside), Izayah Green-May (outside)

Backups: Mike Maskalunas, Jaylan Franklin, Spencer Lytle, Maema Njongmeta

As documented above, the linebacker position is the only defensive unit experiencing significant turnover heading into 2020.

The bright spot, though, is coach Paul Chryst seems to need to reload the position every year as names including T.J. Watt, T.J. Edwards, Ryan Connelly, Jack Cichy and now Baun and Orr enter the NFL, and he never has trouble doing so.

This year the name that will step into the role as the leader of the position group and one of the leaders of the entire defense is the junior Sanborn, the team’s leader in tackles and interceptions in 2019 and a guy already receiving NFL-caliber reviews.

With Sanborn will be Chenal at inside linebacker, a true-sophomore who showed flashes during limited playing time in 2019, Burks, a starter as a junior last season who produced seven tackles-for-loss, 36 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and one interception across from Baun, and Green-May, a physically-impressive junior who got injured early in the season after an impressive fall camp.

There will probably be an adjustment period as Chenal and Green-May step into starting roles but the presence of Sanborn, TheDraftNetwork’s No. 72 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft, will pay dividends for Leonhard as he works to make the transition easy and return the position to its 2019 form.

Behind the four probable starters is the senior Maskalunas, a former walk-on who has a shot to play a rotation role, and a bevy of young talent including incoming four-star recruits Nate Herbig and Kaden Johnson and three-star recruit Malik Reed.

 

Secondary

Starters: Caesar Williams (cornerback), Faion Hicks (cornerback), Eric Burrell (safety), Reggie Pearson (safety)

Backups: Rachad Wildgoose, Donte Burton, Collin Wilder, John Torchio

The secondary, like the defensive line, returns their entire unit from the 2019 campaign.

This will be the story with the 2020 Badger defense, as aside from the obvious at linebacker the unit returns nearly its entire core from 2019, a recipe that has led to success in recent years for Chryst and Leonhard.

The probable starters at cornerback are the senior Williams, a guy who showed out late in the season and was a big reason the Badgers were able to reclaim the axe against Minnesota, and Hicks, a junior with tons of college experience.

The backups behind Williams and Hicks for the deep Badger secondary are likely to be Wildgoose, another upperclassman with plenty of experience, and Burton, a sophomore who is set to take over a starting role after Williams and Hicks’ time in Madison is done.

At safety Leonhard will deploy TheDraftNetwork’s No. 158 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft in Burrell, a senior who finished 2019 with 55 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles and was recently named by ProFootballFocus as the No. 8 returning player in the Big Ten for the 2020 season, and Pearson, a sure-tackling junior who impressed a season ago as a true sophomore recording 60 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and two forced fumbles.

The unit, again returning every contributor from 2019, will be one of the best in the conference as Leonhard works to return the defense to its 2019 form.

 

The experience all over the defensive unit returning to Madison, as outlined above, will be key during today’s unique time as not only is a September start to the season in question, but it is increasingly unlikely that summer camps will be able to occur in-person.

Unlike other schools in the conference who need to usher in an almost-entirely new unit on defense, Wisconsin has the experience all over the field that will make the transition from quarantine to the field a lot smoother as the plans for the upcoming season round into form.

A way-too-early look at Wisconsin’s 2021 NFL Draft prospects

TheDraftNetwork.com took no time releasing their way-too-early 2021 NFL Draft big board when last week’s draft concluded. Sometimes you…

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TheDraftNetwork.com took no time releasing their way-too-early 2021 NFL Draft big board when last week’s draft concluded.

Sometimes you have players like Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Biadasz who are sure-fire NFL players even entering a season. On the other hand, sometimes you have a player like Zack Baun that wasn’t on the NFL draft radar before he experienced a break-out senior season.

The Badgers should have some of both in 2020, as there are several names on TheDraftNetwork’s 2021 big board and many others who have a shot at joining that list.

First, here’s who TheDraftNetwork lists as no-doubt NFL draft prospects entering the 2020 season.

 

Linebacker Jack Sanborn (No. 72 overall on TDN’s big board)

Sanborn will be a junior in 2020 so it isn’t a sure thing that he enters the 2021 NFL Draft.

Regardless, Sanborn is coming off a team-high 80 tackles and three interceptions in 2019 and is still improving at a rapid pace.

Even if it isn’t until 2022, Sanborn will hear his name called on draft day.

 

Tight end Jake Ferguson (No. 90 overall on TDN’s big board)

Maybe a bit of a surprise?

Ferguson is coming off a 33-catch, 407-yard season, good for second-best on the team in both categories behind now-Detroit Lion wide receiver Quintez Cephus.

Once the man filling the shoes of current NFL tight end Troy Fumagalli, Ferguson has finished second on the team in receptions two straight years and is molding into a really good receiving tight end in addition to excelling, as many Badgers do, as a blocker.

Ferguson, like Sanborn, is not entering his final season of eligibility in 2020 but were he to enter the draft after the season he projects as a fringe third round prospect.

 

Here’s who TheDraftNetwork lists as more questionable 2021 NFL Draft prospects.

 

Safety Eric Burrell (No. 158 overall on TDN’s big board)

Burrell broke onto the scene in 2018 and became the team’s 6th-leading tackler as a starter at safety opposite current Tampa Bay Buccaneer D’Cota Dixon.

In 2019 the Maryland native improved again as the leader of the secondary as he was the team’s 5th-leading tackler to go along with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

The senior returns to an experienced and talented secondary unit in Madison and, according to TDN, has a real chance at playing at the next level.

 

Left tackle Cole Van Lanen (No. 181 overall on TDN’s big board)

Van Lanen is thought of as a sure-fire NFL prospect though has been overshadowed a bit by the other NFL talent along the Wisconsin offensive line during the past few years.

The analysts at TDN mention how the left tackle “is an absolute load coming off the snap. He’s got natural power for days thanks to his foot drive and mass, once he’s able to create any level of forward push, he’s consistent in his efforts to continue to balloon the point of attack,” and how “he’s going to be a natural in the run game at the next level.”

As the 2020 season progresses expect Van Lanen to shoot up draft boards and into one of the top tiers at his position.

 

Finally, here’s who TheDraftNetwork lists as questionable/fringe 2021 draft prospects and who I believe are other names to watch as the season progresses

Isaiahh Loudermilk (No. 232 overall)

Logan Bruss (No. 244 overall)

Jack Coan (No. 305 overall)

Garrett Rand (Unranked)

Caesar Williams (Unranked)

Danny Davis (Unranked)

 

 

Wisconsin to Push Back Start Date of Spring Football

Paul Chryst on Monday announced that he was going to push back the start date of spring football.

Wisconsin spring football was officially supposed to start on March 10th but it was announced on Monday that Paul Chryst has elected to push back the start of spring football.

Wisconsin will be on spring break next week and with winter conditioning recently wrapped up Chryst wanted to give his team two weeks to recover in order to maximize the 15 spring practices. The new tentative start date for spring football is March 22nd.

It was also learned on Monday that the Badgers will be without eight players for the entire spring due to injuries. They are nose tackle Keeanu Benton (core), long snapper Josh Bernhagen (left leg), safety Eric Burrell (left arm), wide receiver Jack Dunn (left leg), offensive lineman Kayden Lyles (right and left leg), safety Scott Nelson (left leg), running back Brady Schipper (right and left arm), and nose tackle Bryson Williams (left leg).

It shouldn’t be surprising that Nelson and Williams aren’t available this spring considering both were lost at some point during last season because of an injury. Nelson only played in one game last year and Williams appeared in six games.

Not having Lyles available during spring football will hurt as he was expected to fight for a starting spot on the interior of the offensive line. Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Joe Rudolph wasn’t going to name a starting five by the end of spring football but Lyles needed the reps in order to set himself up to have a productive fall camp and to allow Rudolph his first chance of trying out different offensive line combinations.

Wisconsin will officially open the season against Indiana on Friday, September 4th at Camp Randall Stadium.

 

Projecting Wisconsin’s 2020 Spring Defensive Depth Chart

Who will open up on Wisconsin’s spring depth chart on the defensive side of the football?

Wisconsin’s defense in 2020 will be missing not only two key players but also two key leaders to not only the defense but the entire team. Those two players being 2019 team captains outside linebacker Zack Baun and inside linebacker Chris Orr. Despite Wisconsin losing Baun and Orr to graduation the Badgers still return an impressive nine starters from last year’s defense.

In this Badgers Wire feature, we project what the spring depth chart on defense will look like when the Badgers open up spring practice.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Defensive Line: DE 1. Isaiahh Loudermilk and Garrett Rand, 2. Matt Henningsen and Isaiah Mullens NT 1. Keeanu Benton 2. Gio Paez

Loudermilk and Rand were able to stay healthy over the course of their redshirt junior seasons and as long as they stay healthy they have established themselves as starters at the defensive end positions. Henningsen used last year’s spring practice to put him in a position to have a terrific redshirt sophomore season. If Henningsen can put together a productive spring like he did in 2019 should allow him to take another step in his development. Mullens appeared in 13 games mostly on special teams as he registered one tackle. With backup defensive end David Pfaff graduating he’ll have a chance in spring football to show why he deserves to be apart of the defensive line rotation. At nose tackle, Keeanu Benton will be going through his first spring practice and will receive plenty of valuable practice reps as Bryson Williams could miss all of spring football as he continues to recover from his left leg injury that he suffered this past season. If Williams can’t go that will mean more reps for redshirt freshman Gio Paez as it will be critical that he takes advantage of his reps.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Linebackers: OLB 1. Noah Burks and Izayah Green-May, 2. Spencer Lytle and Jaylan Franklin ILB 1. Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal 2. Mike Maskalunas and Maema Njongmeta

Christian Bell would’ve had a chance at competing for one of the starting outside linebacker positions opposite of Noah Burks but instead elected to transfer. That leave’s Green-May as the likely starter opposite of Burks when Wisconsin opens spring football. Green-May initially started the 2019 season as a starter but suffered a right arm injury early in the season, which caused him to miss time. Green-May was able to put together a productive fall camp and the practice habits he developed last year will need to continue if he wants to establish himself as the starter once again. Outside linebackers coach Bobby April will also give Franklin and Lytle a look as a starter opposite of Burks. Making it an important spring for both of them as the Badgers look for a starter who can complement Burks. Wisconsin may lose Chris Orr at middle linebacker but the transition between Orr and Leo Chenal should be a smooth one. Chenal gained valuable experience last year as he played as a true freshman. Chenal will receive plenty of reps over spring football and he should be able to take a nice step in his development. Maskalunas will be Chenal’s top competitor for the other starting inside linebacker position as he’s been serviceable during his time at Wisconsin. Njongmeta redshirted last season and will be going through his first spring practice.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Cornerbacks: 1. Faion Hicks and Rachad Wildgoose 2. Caesar Williams and Semar Melvin

Hicks has been a regular starter at cornerback for Wisconsin the past two seasons and that shouldn’t change heading into spring practices. Wildgoose and Williams started eight and seven games respectively a season ago. The trio has been Wisconsin’s most consistent group of cornerbacks. Semar Melvin is coming off a redshirt season but he was able to take advantage of the redshirt rule by playing in four games without burning a year of eligibility. Melvin was up and down, which is understandable but the reps he does receive during spring practice will be invaluable as he looks to build off of his freshman season. Jim Leonhard will also likely rotate in Donte Burton and Deron Harrell too as the starters at cornerback or with the second string cornerbacks too.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Safety: FS 1. Eric Burrell, 2. John Torchio SS 1. Reggie Pearson, 2. Collin Wilder

Wisconsin Football Season Review: Safeties

Evaluating the play of Wisconsin’s safeties during the 2019 season.

Wisconsin finished its fifth season under head coach Paul Chryst as Chryst improved his overall record to 52-16 and has a posted a 34-10 record in conference games. After not winning the Big Ten West Division title in 2018 the Badgers were back in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game as the West representative for the fourth time in the last six years since the Big Ten went to its current format.

In this Badgers Wire feature we will examine the play of Wisconsin’s safeties from the 2019 season and take a sneak into what the 2020 season may have in store for the position:

Wisconsin was only set to lose D’Cota Dixon to graduation following the 2018 season at the safety position as it was expected the starters for this past season would be redshirt sophomore Scott Nelson at free safety and redshirt freshman Reggie Pearson at strong safety.

Nelson who missed time as a redshirt freshman only played in one game this past year as he lost for the season with a left leg injury following Wisconsin’s game against South Florida.

Luckily for Wisconsin they had the depth to absorb the loss of Nelson as Eric Burrell stepped in seamlessly at the free safety position.

Between the combination of Burrell and Pearson, the duo formed a formidable safety combination in the Big Ten. As the two did well of making sure they didn’t allow a lot of chunk plays through the air.

Pearson led the two in tackles with 60 but Burrell wasn’t far behind with 55. If there was one area where Burrell succeeded from the safety position it was making a play on the ball as he picked off three passes, registered six pass breakups, forced two fumbles, and recovered two as well.

Burrell also was able to make his way into the backfield as he registered 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Pearson who is one of the bigger hitters on the defensive side of the football also made his presence in the backfield finishing the year with 3.5 tackles for loss and forced two fumbles.

Burrell was a consensus All-Big Ten Honorable mention selection due to his productivity throughout the season.

Although Pearson and Burrell were able to help make plays for Wisconsin from the safety position the Badgers also had a reliable third safety in Collin Wilder.

Wilder who had to sit out the 2018 season due to him transferring in from Houston was steady in his play. Wilder finished the season with 19 tackles but when the football was thrown in his direction it appeared that he was ready to try and make a play on the football as he registered an interception and broke up six passes.

Madison Cone split his defensive reps between the nickel cornerback position and also at safety. Cone did miss time this year because of injury, which affected his impact on the team as he finished the season with seven tackles in 10 games.

2020 Wisconsin Safeties

The way Burrell played throughout the course of the season will likely allow him to continue to be the starter at free safety. But having your backups at the safety positions be Nelson and Wilder the Badgers, if they want, should be able to interchange their safeties and be comfortable that there won’t be a drop off. In addition, the Badgers have done well in recruiting the position. Although the competition at safety will be high the Badgers will need to continue to develop players like Cone, John Torchio, and Titus Toler. Torchio finished the season in the two deep as he was Burrell’s backup at free safety. Torchio a walk-on saw most of his time when the game was decided but did start the game against Northwestern as Burrell had to miss the first half due to a targeting call. Torchio finished the season with three tackles, two pass breakups, and one interception. Torchio will be a name to keep your eye on as a potential contributor down the road.