MADISON, WIS. -- Wisconsin needs to replace the production and experience of multi-year starters Isaiahh Loudermilk and Garrett Rand on the defensive line. Luckily for the Badgers, Matt Henningsen returns for his fifth year to help lead Ross Kolodziej's room.
Henningsen walked on to the program in 2017 and emerged to take on a first-team spot just a year later, becoming a presence on the line ever since. Though he only participated in two games in 2020 due to a season-ending bicep tear suffered at Michigan, he has played in 29 contests in the last three years, 16 of which have been starts.
Along with his accolades on the field, which includes two defensive touchdowns scored in 2019, Henningsen also stands out in the classroom. He claimed a 2020-21 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America selection in July.
A reporter asked Kolodziej earlier this month about how Henningsen leads his teammates in the meeting rooms.
"I think he's everything you'd want in kind of that veteran leader in the room," Kolodziej said on Aug. 14. "Very smart guy that cares about what we do, how we do it. Cares about the group."
Kolodziej, Wisconsin's former strength and conditioning coach who transitioned to its defensive line coach earlier this year, called out how Henningsen will have the linemen watch and evaluate film. He also notes the necessary corrections before the coaches enter the room.
"A lot of times, I'm walking in the room, and they're like, 'I already know, Coach, I already know,' Kolodziej said. "He's doing a great job of driving that, making it more of a player-driven than a coach-driven type of room. So excited for the leadership that he brings, that he demands out of the guys, and he can certainly do that because he's a very low to zero mental-error guy.
"Really appreciate it with which how he approaches the game, approaches practice, approaches the offseason work. He just does a great job consistently across the board."
BadgerBlitz.com spoke with Henningsen early on Friday afternoon after Wisconsin's 13th fall camp practice on a very of topics.
Questions and answers have been edited lightly for clarity.
BadgerBlitz.com: Matt, going into what, technically going to be the third week of fall camp, just how are you feeling? How do you feel the defense is looking so far during the past couple of weeks of fall camp?
MH: We call them blocks, two blocks into fall camp. As a defense, we've been making plays, but there's still things to sure up. I mean, you're not ready to play a game until you're ready for game day, right? We're still 15 days out so there's still some things to tie up, but we're still making plays out here, we're seeing growth. We're trying to tie up the different, little mistakes people are making. You strive for perfection, but you can obviously never get there. So just doing whatever you can to be the best team for Week 1.
BB: You've been a multi-year starter now. What are you seeing from your development? What are you seeing from this fall camp to even take it to another level on your end?
MH: I suppose my emphasis this fall camp has just been playmaking. Just trying to do more, get in more positions to be a big playmaker. Get more TFLs, get more sacks, understand what the offense is doing so I can beat him to it. Just stuff like that, right? Just doing whatever I can to be an impact player whenever I step onto the field.
BB: With Keeanu Benton, I know that we see him get in the backfield, create some pressures and whatnot. Just how has he progressed even from like, I know he didn't get much team reps in spring ball at least from what we saw, but how is he taking that step forward and just what could he bring to that line?
MH: I mean, it's so cool seeing how much Keeanu has grown. You can tell he's having fun while he's out there, and that's the biggest thing with Keeanu. That's how he leads by just having fun and being himself and just doing his thing, right?
He's a loud guy, he's the guy that brings energy. He makes plays. He knows where the ball is going to be. He has a natural type of athleticism that lends itself to the nose tackle position, and it's really cool, right? It's been really cool seeing him grow into the player that he's become.
BB: The rest of the line, too, where you have Isaiah Mullens who's been getting the first-team reps but also the second-team line with Rodas Johnson and James Thompson Jr. Just what steps have you seen them take from spring ball to fall camp, too?
MH: It's been awesome seeing all those guys grow. Every single one of those guys has grown into their own personality, their own role, their own player, it's so cool. And, obviously, James had that injury that set him back and that's the first play you're out there. That's hard, right? Like you take a lot of guys and you get hurt -- you get a season-ending injury the first snap you ever get in -- that's tough to bounce back from. The way that he worked for it, the way that he put in the time and the effort and I saw him in training room doing everything he could. That's just something that gives you confidence that you understand that he's all in, and that's something cool with James, and Rodas has grown a lot during his time here.
It's been awesome to see he's become one of the more mature guys in the d-line room now and he understands everything. He's making plays, he brings a lot of energy and just the amount he's grown has been awesome. I mean I'm super proud of a guy like him.
Then Isaiah Mullens, I've been with him since my second year here. I mean, he's a big guy, super strong guy, and it's been cool seeing him transfer that strength that he has to the football field. He's a special type of athlete, a special type of just specimen with his size and his just strength. We call him 'The Big Tree.' He's just a giant human being that is able to move bodies, and that's what you want from a good d-lineman.
BB: You saw Leo Chenal in the backfield making plays like he has, whether it's a pressure, it's a sack or a TFL or he just reads it. What steps have you seen him take and even just with Jack Sanborn, what type of pair could they be?
MH: Oh, yeah, they're awesome. I mean, it's kind of frustrating for me sometimes because I feel like I shed my blocker and get in the backfield, but Leo's already back there making a tackle. I'm like, "Ahh!" but I got to celebrate with them so I'm super pumped for him because Leo's just a great guy. I mean, I can't even call him a young guy anymore. He's a playmaker, right? We're hoping to use him in many different ways this year, and I'm pumped for a guy like him and just the way he holds himself, the way he treats other people. It's awesome. I really admire a guy like him, and 'Born' is great leader while he's out there. I mean, a lot of experience under his belt. He's a special type of player. He has great awareness for the ball, great understanding, great communication.
You feel really comfortable as a d-lineman when you have guys behind you like that who can fill the holes that quickly, because then the double teams won't stay on you that long. You'll be able to get in the backfield. The o-linemen will be a little bit more on their heels thinking that a big 265-pound linebacker is just gonna be running at 28 miles an hour or whatever the heck it is down straight at them. That's comforting for a guy like me. It's not comforting for the o-linemen, but it's pretty cool having those guys behind me.
BB: Last year to this year in terms of your responsibilities at defensive line, I know Rodas had said there's not really as much two-gapping this time. I guess for those that aren't football savvy or whatnot, just has anything really changed in terms of your responsibilities from what you've been asked to now with what you have with coach Kolodziej?
MH: I suppose the biggest thing is just getting up field more, trying to make disruption in the backfield. Just doing whatever you can to just disrupt plays. We're not necessarily emphasizing on eating two blockers as much as we are on getting in the backfield and forcing a cut back or forcing a TFL or anything like that, right? It's more just like trying to have more impact plays from the defensive line.
