Wisconsin’s 2023 defense returns a slew of talent from its 2022 group. It’s a pleasant surprise, as a program that goes through a coaching change often sees high roster turnover on both sides of the football.
That was not the case with Luke Fickell taking over in Madison. The defense returns the bulk of its secondary, both inside linebackers, a chunk of its outside linebacking core and several players along the defensive line.
That all said, the losses are noteworthy. The 2022 defense was led in large part by defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and outside linebacker Nick Herbig. Both were selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft. The two players combined for 15.5 of the teams sacks, 83 tackles and 25.5 tackles-for-loss. If you watched the unit play, it was clear the two players were much of the engine behind the group operating successfully.
The program is well-equipped to replace Herbig’s production at outside linebacker with several ascending players set to take on big roles. More questions remain along the defensive line.
If ProFootballFocus’ grades are any indication, one answer may come from a depth piece entering the year. The service had James Thompson Jr. as one of its highest-graded returning Big Ten defensive linemen with a mark of 72.9.
Highest graded returning Big Ten Defensive Tacklesđź’Ş pic.twitter.com/fkeicjW82U
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 16, 2023
Thompson Jr. recorded 22 tackles, two sacks and 6.5 tackles-for-loss in limited action last season. The defensive end group is projected to be led by Isaiah Mullens and Rodas Johnson, with Thompson Jr. and transfer portal addition Darian Varner also playing significant snaps.
I’ve always been a big fan of what Thompson Jr. could bring to a defense. It shouldn’t surprise anybody if he cracks the starting group as the 2023 season progresses.