The Badgers made a lot of changes on the defensive side of the ball.
The Wisconsin Badgers had a disappointing 2024 campaign, going 5-7 and ending the year on five straight losses.
It was their worst season in 22 years, as they did not make a bowl game, prompting quite a few changes for head coach Luke Fickell this offseason.
Wisconsin struggled on both sides of the ball last year. Their scoring offense was in the bottom third of the country, thanks to an ugly passing offense and a rushing attack that could never get going with consistency.
Defensively, however, the Badgers took a big step back from their usual elite ranks, especially against the run. Wisconsin ranked 89th in the country, allowing 168.8 rushing yards per game, while also giving up 4.6 yards per carry, good for 93rd in the country.
Both of those numbers, combined with a sack rate that was 114th in the country, led to a forgettable defensive performance for the Badgers in 2024 under coordinator Mike Tressel.
All year long, it felt like the personnel didn’t match the scheme well, as Wisconsin was constantly gashed in the run game. They also failed to get off the field on third downs (78th in the country), creating another big issue.
Stopping a run was a key emphasis for the Badgers this offseason, starting with a philosophy change of becoming bigger up front, both on the interior and at the edge spots, where Wisconsin didn’t get much production at all in 2024.
The Badgers brought in seven outside linebacker or defensive line transfers this cycle: Tulane’s Parker Petersen, LSU’s Jay’Viar Suggs, UT-Martin’s Charles Perkins, Grambling’s Micheal Garner, Western Michigan’s Corey Walker, Louisville’s Mason Reiger, and Kentucky’s Tyreese Fearbry.
In our weekly mailbag, we got several questions about Wisconsin’s defense in 2025.
Kcbadger81: I think there’s a lot of cautious optimism about the offense because of the change in system and the Grimes hire but what about the defense? Are there any indications of changes in the defensive approach? I know they have gotten bigger up front but what might they do differently on defense this season?
PopularBackupQB: This is my biggest question as well. We heard a lot about bigger fronts in the spring, but what else is new about the defense? I think Tressel has been constrained by the roster, but he has got to be more aggressive especially against the run.
Let’s break it all down.
There are definitely changes in the defensive approach, starting with the defensive fronts. Wisconsin has included more packages where they’re involving three down linemen with two outside linebackers on the edge.
What’s more notable is that the team’s outside linebackers are much bigger this year. After getting players in the 240-250 pound range last year, Micheal Garner and Corey Walker are both nearly 300 pounds on the edge this year.
Wisconsin still has outside linebackers around 250-260 pounds, such as Darryl Peterson and Mason Reiger, but they want to get bigger on one side, while having a reliable contributor on the other edge. The logic? If you can contain the edges, which Wisconsin couldn’t do in 2024, it’s easier to stop the run with bigger bodies up front.
The Badgers have also opened up a hybrid linebacker spot, moving Aaron Witt and Thomas Heiberger to this position. While both were outside linebackers last year, they’re more in space this year, as Witt was tasked with being in coverage more than ever before. Those guys are still rushing the passer in certain packages, but it’s a different look than before.
As a result, Witt has slimmed down to 245 pounds, while Heiberger is around 240 pounds.
Now, while Wisconsin has brought in quite a few run defenders, I’m not sure what their pass-rush potential will be in 2025. The hope from defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow is that continuous penetration will eventually result in sacks, but Wisconsin had a big problem in that department last year, and that could continue again.
The issue with not getting much pressure is that the Badgers are already putting a bigger onus on their secondary by stacking up more in the box. They believe their corners can handle that responsibility. But, struggling to generate pressure could put the cornerbacks and safeties at even more of a disadvantage in coverage.
One other notable change that we heard from both players and coach E.J. Whitlow is what they’re asking players up front to do. They heard and saw the issues with not being as aggressive off the ball last year. That’s a mentality change in 2025. Rather than flowing and just doing their jobs, the coaches have asked players to be more aggressive at the line of scrimmage to force more negative plays.
The hope is that the Badgers can put themselves in more favorable situations, even if they give up a first down here and there.
Ultimately, while Wisconsin did make quite a few changes for the front seven, they’re going to have to create pressure as well defensively, which is a big question mark for me. I’m not convinced that the run defense is fixed yet either, but that will be determined once the rotation is more set in the fall.
The potential is definitely there for a strong defensive year. But, it all starts with the run.