The Badgers have a much different defense in 2025.
My two-part series examining the most vital Wisconsin Badgers players continues, with today’s installment moving across the line of scrimmage to examine the defense. (Part I is here.)
Let’s dig in, shall we?
5. S Austin Brown
While he might not be one of the first names that comes to mind for most Wisconsin fans, Brown, who should play safety exclusively this season, is a vital cog. That’s because Wisconsin lost Hunter Wohler and all of the consistent production and assignment-oriented play that left with him.
Brown will need to step up and be a player for things to work in the safety room, and he should be up to the task. If, for some reason, Brown finds himself back in the slot come August, he’ll still be a valuable contributor, and his positional flexibility is huge.
4. DT Charles Perkins
One of the major shortcomings for Wisconsin’s defenses under Mike Tressel has been its lack of impact playmakers.
Enter Charles Perkins, an athletic and powerful FCS transfer DT. While it’s possible that he doesn’t even start, a few people who watched spring practice for the Badgers wouldn’t be surprised if Perkins ends up a true impact guy this season, whether he’s clogging up rushing lanes or getting into the backfield. The tools are very much there.
3. CB Nyzier Fourqurean
Unexpectedly getting this smooth, high-floor player back for one more year was a huge boost for Wisconsin. Fourqurean gives the Badgers a reliable and deeply experienced pair of starting cornerbacks this fall.
While he wasn’t perfect in 2024, it seems like there is still some unrealized upside for Fourqurean, and tapping into it effectively could be a big boost for the defense. He’s a rock-solid player on a team badly in need of them.
2. LB Christian Alliegro
Yes, I’ll hardly be the only one to rank the fluid, powerful linebacker highly, but it’s impossible to ignore his upside, which he’s flashed on numerous occasions already.
Athletic with a non-stop motor, Alliegro’s potential is tantalizing, and Wisconsin needs him to make a huge jump this season. With more snaps and (hopefully) scheme adjustments made by his coaches, Alliegro should have ample opportunity to make an impact this season for the Badgers.
An All-Big Ten type campaign may not be likely, but it is certainly possible. That’s part of why he’s ranked this highly.
1. CB Ricardo Hallman
Let me handle this right at the outset: getting Hallman back for the season was a massive win for Luke Fickell. The cornerback’s talent, experience, and leadership will be pivotal to the team.
In my opinion, he was unfairly maligned in 2024 for an interception-free campaign after leading the Big Ten in picks the season before. But that was more about teams throwing away from him than a lack of performance, and a bounce-back season statistically may be in the offing for Hallman, especially given the high number of solid (or better) passing offenses the Badgers face this fall.
Hallman is a plug-and-play Big Ten CB1, and Wisconsin fans should feel fortunate that he’s in the fold.