PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — Greg Scruggs got a small taste of his most intriguing player on Sunday.

The Wisconsin defensive line coach finally got a look at Temple transfer Darian Varner in live action.

Varner, who missed spring camp with a lower-body injury, got a handful of reps during 11-on-11 periods in the Badgers' fifth training camp practice at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, an encouraging step for a player the Badgers have high expectations for. He had been limited to individual and non-contact drills in the first four sessions.

"I won't get so caught up in what he can add," Scruggs said of Varner, who wasn’t made available to the media Sunday. "I am just happy to see the kid back out there. The human element of it. He has been working his butt off, working his tail off, working to get back, having a little setback and then having to get back out there and make things happen. I am excited for him to be back out there."

Varner projects to be a crucial part of a defense that lost its top playmakers from last season in nose tackle Keeanu Benton and linebacker Nick Herbig, who were both selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft. Herbig led the Big Ten in sacks (11) and tackles for a loss (15.5), while Benton set career highs in sacks (4.5), tackles for a loss (10) and total tackles (35).

Listed at 6-foot-2, 275 pounds, Varner broke out last season for Temple. He finished with 35 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss (fourth in the American Athletic Conference) and 7.5 sacks (third in the AAC) en route to first-team All-AAC honors. He had 3.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss in an October loss to Tulsa.

"It's his explosion," Scruggs said. "It's his ability to get off the rock and turn the corner. I've seen some of that. He has a natural feel for rushing the passer. He has a natural feel for it, which I was excited to get a little taste of today."

Varner had a one-on-one matchup against Jack Nelson, one of the top offensive tackles in the Big Ten, in a pass-rush drill on Sunday. Varner won that battle.

"He's strong," redshirt junior defensive end James Thompson Jr. said. "He's got the finesse, he's got the bend and the strength.

"He's got a deep bag in his pass rush. We haven’t seen all of it yet."

With Varner trending in the right direction, it may not be long before he gets to show off the full range of his abilities.

"I am hoping he can be as good as he was at Temple," Scruggs said. "Bring the production that he brought from Temple. We'll see what happens from there."

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