The Wisconsin Badgers closed out their abbreviated 2020 season with a 42-28 victory over Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec.30.

In a year where COVID dominated the headlines, BadgerBlitz.com looks back at the season that was, breaking down the bright spots and low points at each position, with an eye toward the future.

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Wisconsin had high expectations for junior Jack Sanborn entering his second season as a starter, but the Badgers knew they had to find a capable cohort to take some pressure off, arguably, the best player in UW’s front seven. UW found that player in Leo Chenal and the two became a tremendous combination for a Wisconsin defense that finished fifth in total defense (299.9 yards) and rush defense (96.1), ninth in scoring (17.4) and 10th in red-zone defense (72.2 percent).

Starting with Sanborn; the junior led Wisconsin in tackles for the second straight season and his teammates view him as a game-changer in the front seven. Sanborn had one of the four interceptions in the second half of UW’s bowl win over Wake Forest that flipped momentum and his career-high 14 tackles against Northwestern held the Wildcats to 24 rushing yards on 23 attempts.

“Anytime you can get a middle linebacker in our system with the communication and the different looks that we give, when you get experience in there and you get a guy confident and making calls and getting people lined up and adjustments, it truly is priceless in how we want to play football,” defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said of Sanborn early this season. “We love what he’s done.”

Chenal finished second on the team in tackles with 46 (31 solos), tied with outside linebacker Nick Herbig for the team lead in tackles for loss (6.0) and added three sacks, one interception, seven quarterback hurries and one forced fumble in seven starts. One of his finest games was against Minnesota when he delivered 10 solo tackles (13 total), five tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble in UW’s overtime victory.

“I’m always thinking about that, how far I’ve come,” Chenal said. “It’s pretty crazy just to think how much more confident … and how much things have slowed down for me in just one year of time.”

To be honest, this is stretching a bit in terms of a low point because the inside linebackers group had an exceptionally strong season. In trying to find one, however, the fact that senior Mike Maskalunas suffered a lower-body injury at Michigan and missed the two losses to Northwestern and Indiana was unfortunate. Maskalunas was the primarily back-up at both inside linebacker positions and his absence didn’t give Chenal or Sanborn much reprieve. Maskalunas ended up playing five games and finishing with four tackles.

Both Sanborn and Maskalunas announced they are returning in 2021, meaning the Badgers will have their top three inside linebackers to build on entering next fall. Considering Sanborn and Maskalunas likely won’t need as much work to prepare for the upcoming season, spring will allow the staff to start getting their hands dirty with the plethora of inside linebackers they have recruited the last few years.

The Badgers had four scholarship freshmen on the roster this past season (Maema Njongmeta, Malik Reed, Jordan Turner and Preston Zachman) but Njongmeta was the only one who played, and it was only five snaps. Walk-on redshirt freshman Tatum Grass participated the most of the reserves (a total of eight snaps). All five of these players will be battling for the No.4 inside linebacker role.