Tag: mike maskalunas

HC Paul Chryst gives injury update on Wisconsin ILB Mike Maskalunas

HC Paul Chryst gives an update on the return of Wisconsin ILB Mike Maskalunas:

On Thursday evening, Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst announced on ‘The Paul Chryst Radio Show’ that key Badgers’ backup linebacker Mike Maskalunas will be returning to play this week against the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines.

Related: The current Big Ten leaders in tackles for loss

Maskalunas was initially listed as questionable on the Badger preliminary injury report on Monday. The return of Maskalunas will be huge for Wisconsin, as the senior linebacker was often the main backup that rotated in for starters Leo Chenal and Jack Sanborn last season.

Mike Maskalunas will add more depth to this already stacked Badgers’ defense, as they go up against the talented duo of Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins at running back for the Wolverines that have combined for 797 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

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Wisconsin football releases its Week 5 depth chart

Wisconsin football releases its two-deep depth chart ahead of matchup against Michigan:

The Wisconsin Badgers have released their depth chart for Week 5 ahead of their matchup against the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines at Camp Randall Stadium. Despite the Badgers’ struggles on offense against Notre Dame, the two-deep for this week remains unchanged.

Related: LOOK: Wisconsin’s Michigan week injury report

Although their spots have not changed on the two-deep depth chart, it should be noted that backup fullback Quan Easterling and backup tight end Jack Eschenbach were both listed as questionable on this week’s preliminary injury report.

On the defensive side of the ball, starting cornerback Faion Hicks and backup inside linebacker Mike Maskalunas were also listed as questionable. If Hicks is not able to go against Michigan, sophomore Dean Engram or junior Donte Burton would likely fill in for his role.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

Coach Bostad raves about an under-the-radar key piece to the 2020 Badger defense

Heading into the Wisconsin Badgers’ 2020 season, much of the talk on the defensive side of the football has revolved around junior…

Heading into the Wisconsin Badgers’ 2020 season, much of the talk on the defensive side of the football has revolved around junior linebacker Jack Sanborn, the talented veteran secondary and who will replace Zack Baun and Chris Orr’s sack production.

This talk has seen names including Izayah Green-May, Nick Herbig, Leo Chenal come up. What it has also done, though, is leave out a player who is set to have a huge role in Jim Leonhard’s defense.

Related: Wisconsin football 2020 projected two-deep depth chart, preseason edition

That player is senior inside linebacker Mike Maskalunas.

In inside linebackers coach Bob Bostad’s eyes, Maskalunas’ value to the team can be captured by one word: “priceless.”

“Mike’s done a great job,” Bostad said. “I can’t say enough good things about him.” His coach then continued to note the senior’s versatility–saying he’s able to play the MIKE, the WILL and be a leader on special teams.

Maskalunas doesn’t have much on-field experience under his belt, just 14 games played in his first three years and a total of 21 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss and 2 fumble recoveries.

Despite the linebacker not having starts under his belt, though, defensive leader Jack Sanborn shared his coach’s sentiment about Maskalunas’ importance to the team this year.

“[Mike] brings consistency,” Sanborn said. “[He]’s a guy that everyone on the team can rely on.” He then went on to note how the senior has progressed in understanding the defense and in understanding his own technique.

Although Sanborn and sophomore Leo Chenal are lining up to be the team’s primary starters at inside linebacker when Illinois comes town next Friday, just two guys never seems to be enough.

Coach Bostad finishing his comments by saying that he feels “rock-solid” about the trio–Sanborn, Chenal and Maskalunas–heading into the season says a lot about the Chenal-Sanborn duo, but it also indicates Maskalunas having a significant role in what he and Leonhard want to do on defense.

 

The Badgers are set to kick their season off next Friday night against the Illinois Fighting Illini in what has become one of the most long-awaited season openers I can remember.

It will be then when we see what the linebacker rotation looks like and what role Maskalunas has for Coach Bostad, Coach Leonhard and the 2020 Wisconsin Badger defense.

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: Inside Linebackers

How well did Wisconsin’s inside linebackers play 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 inside linebacker from the 2019 season and take a sneak into what the 2020 season may have in store for the position:

Wisconsin lost two impact players in inside linebackers T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly as the two led Wisconsin in tackles with 113 and 89 respectively last season. In addition, Edwards 11.5 tackles for loss and Connelly’s 10 tackles for loss ranked first and second on the team not to mention Edwards had a team leading three interceptions.

Despite losing two high impact players the expectation was that the Badgers were going to simply reload with Chris Orr and Jack Sanborn officially taking over at inside linebacker.

Those expectations were correct.

As the previous season, the top two tacklers by the end of the year were Wisconsin’s middle linebackers as Sanborn finished with 80 tackles and Orr registered 78 tackles.

Orr outside of outside linebacker Zack Baun was one of the clear leaders of not only Wisconsin’s defense but also the team. Orr was able to find a way of consistently making impact plays for Wisconsin’s defense.

Orr who appeared in 50 career games started all 14 games for the Badgers this past season as he posted career highs in both tackles for loss (14) and sacks (11.5).

Orr’s ability to generate pressure up the middle complemented Baun well on the outside and made it difficult for opposing offenses to move the football down the field consistently against Wisconsin’s defense.

Sanborn who played as a true freshman made a nice jump from his freshman to sophomore season. Sanborn with Orr made it difficult to rush the football up the middle. Sanborn did a good job of diagnosing plays and then hitting the rushing lanes for him to execute at a high level.

Fellow inside linebackers Mike Maskalunas and true freshman Leo Chenal were able to make positive contributions on the inside too.

Maskalunas appeared in 14 games finishing the season with 16 tackles and registered 2 pass breakups and recovered one fumble. Chenal missed three games because of a head injury but still finished the season with 20 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, two quarterback hurries and recovered a fumble too.

2020 Wisconsin Inside Linebackers

Losing Orr will hurt as he was a great leader for Wisconsin as he had the respect of all of his teammates. But at the same time with Sanborn returning and the expectation that Chenal will slide in at the other inside linebacker position the Badgers once again should be set at the position like they have been the last few years. Maskalunas will return for his senior season as he’s a reliable player that the coaches can count on as he has a comfort in Wisconsin’s 3-4 defense. The Badgers will need to have a reliable fourth inside linebacker as that responsibility could fall to redshirt freshman Maema Njongmeta or Malik Reed, Jordan Turner, or Preston Zachman as the three will be true freshman. Turner and Zachman both enrolled early at Wisconsin, which will give themselves a good chance of seeing the field early if they can gain a comfort in Wisconsin’s defense.