The Wisconsin Badgers closed out their 2018 season with a blowout win over Miami on Dec. 27, handing the Hurricanes a 35-3 loss in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Now BadgerBlitz.com will take a look back at the season that was, breaking down the bright spots and low points at each position, with an eye on the future as well.

With regular starters D'Cota Dixon and Scott Nelson struggling with in-season injuries, the Badgers needed two new starters to fill in for Wisconsin's games against Illinois and Northwestern. Safety depth was a bit of an issue for UW after Patrick Johnson left the team early in the year, and that mean that senior walk-on Evan Bondoc was promoted to the first team. But Bondoc wasn't just filling in - he made plays for the Badgers in both games, reeling in two interceptions and forcing one fumble between his two starts. It was a good moment for a program player who put in the work to stay with the team during his career and made an impact when his chance came along.

Scott Nelson was one of the team's potential breakout players in 2018 after he put in an early claim on the open free safety spot in spring camp. He made plays in fall camp as well, but a leg injury he suffered in the middle of the season cost him four games in 2018, and when he was on the field the results weren't stellar. Missed tackles were a big problem for Nelson this year - Pro Football Focus had him listed at 13 total missed tackles, and an overall season grade of 64.5. That's not the result the Badgers - or Nelson - were hoping for, but we'll have to wait and see what Nelson can do when he's fully healthy and a year removed from his first college starts.

-- Eric Burrell actually finished the season as Wisconsin's highest-graded safety, which bodes well for his chances to win a full-time starting job in 2019. He played a lot more than people expected him to this year, but there's something to be said for being thrown in to a larger role and thriving.

-- Speaking of being thrown in to a role, Reggie Pearson battled a leg injury as well this season but was healthy enough to make one start for the Badgers when they made their trip to Michigan. Pearson finished the game with a PFF grade of 67.7, and he made a few nice plays in run support. File that game away for when Pearson has a chance to compete for more playing time down the road.

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For the time being it seems like Nelson, when healthy, will retain his starting spot at free safety in his sophomore season. But the Badgers will need to find a new starter at strong safety to take over for D'Cota Dixon - and given how he played in 2018 it seems like Eric Burrell will get the first crack at earning that job on a full-time basis. But don't rule out some of Wisconsin's younger safeties - Seth Currens, Reggie Pearson, and Travian Blaylock have all played in at least one game for the Badgers in their career, and they will have former Houston safety Collin Wilder available to compete for playing time after he sat out the 2018 season. This is a group that's a little deeper than you might think at first glance.

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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.