The official start of the Luke Fickell era is closing in and one of his defensive athletes was ranked in the top 30 Big Ten players by analyst Jake Butt. The former Michigan tight end has linebacker Maema Njongmeta as his 24th ranked overall athlete in the conference.
Njongmeta led Wisconsin with 95 total tackles, including 3.5 sacks, over 13 contests in 2022. He’s expected to be one of their defensive leaders again this year in a new scheme under Mike Tressel.
The linebacker is currently sidelined following surgery on his right hand, but he’s expected to be back at practice soon.
Njongmeta and the Badgers are set to start their 2023 campaign Sept. 2 at home against Buffalo.
"I think this guy is one of the most underrated players in the Big Ten." @BadgerFootball LB @the_maema slides in at No. 24 on @JBooty88's 𝗝𝗕𝟯𝟬 Top Players Countdown. pic.twitter.com/Lf65ZFTwid
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 7, 2023
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