John Torchio, Keeanu Benton took unusual paths to lead Wisconsin's defense

MADISON - Wisconsin’s starting defense this season has been a combination of transfers and youth. But two seniors - John Torchio and Keeanu Benton - have held down the secondary and front seven, respectively, all season long.

Benton has tallied 31 tackles, eight stops for loss and four sacks, all of which are season-highs. Torchio is up to five interceptions, good for fourth in the nation. The former walk-on has also returned two of the takeaways for scores.

Neither had a traditional recruiting process coming out of high school. In fact, each can tab an assist to a mentor or family member that helped them get on Wisconsin’s radar.

Benton got help from his wrestling coach Mark Mullen, who got in contact with current athletic director UW Chris McIntosh. Benton sent over his film, which was then passed down from McIntosh to the football staff. The coaches loved his tape and Benton quickly came on a visit.

The now senior nose tackle remembers the visit in detail. He came to watch a practice with his coach because his parents couldn’t get out of work in time.

“I came here we watched practice and that was my first time seeing JT (Jonathan Taylor),” he recalled. “He ran past me and it was the softest feet I’ve ever heard. OK, that’s who everybody is talking about.”

Following the session, he went up to Paul Chryst’s office to chat. Chryst, the head coach at the time, said he liked the Wisconsin native’s film and asked questions to get the know the young nose tackle. That’s when Benton’s memory of the visit goes blank.

“Once he said 'we’ll offer you a full ride,' I kind of got tunnel vision and blacked out a little bit,” Benton said. “He was like, ‘do you understand what I’m saying?’ He had to say it two or three times. I couldn’t stop smiling. It was a dream come true.”

The scholarship came at the tail end of Benton’s junior season. That opportunity changed everything for the young athlete, who had just picked up football three years earlier in eighth grade. Part of the necessity to wait until the eighth grade was that was the first time he could take part in the game for free. Growing up, Benton had been a multi-sport athlete, taking part in wrestling and swimming before falling in love with football.

Walking on at a program just wasn’t a possibility given his family’s financial status.

“Didn’t know what I was going to do,” he said. “I was going to go to the trades, really. I wasn’t going to walk on anywhere. My parents couldn’t afford it.

“If I didn’t get a scholarship to play anywhere, I was just going to go to the trades and try to make some money.”

Now four years later, the senior has a realistic chance to be taken in the NFL Draft next April. The steady climb comes after joining the rotation in the front seven right away as a true freshman in 2019.

“Freshman year I feel like I overthought a lot and I was out there just playing fast,” he said. “I didn’t know my assignment a lot. I was just playing fast and getting in the backfield. I know what I’m doing now.”

Torchio, Benton's senior teammate in the back end, also had unorthodox path to Madison. He was never actually recruited by Wisconsin. In fact, much of the process was led by his efforts.

Taking part in a camp at UW heading into his senior season, Torchio didn’t really catch the attention of the Badgers. As his recruiting process went along, he received offers from Cal, San Jose State and Air Force, among others. The California native remained interested in UW, though.

He asked his sister, Katherine Torchio, who played on women’s soccer team, for the contact info of a friend of hers on the football team. She just so happened to pass along Jack Cichy’s number, who also walked on at UW. Torchio explained his situation and Cichy suggested he reach out to Matt Miller, now a scout with the Tennessee Titans, who was part of the recruiting staff at the time.

“I DMed (direct messaged) Matt Miller and he said we were all full for walk ons,” Torchio recalled. “I sent my film anyway and he said, ‘we’re going to see what we can do for you, you really want to be a Badger?’”

This all happened around a week before Signing Day. Jim Leonhard, the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at the time, texted Torchio back. A visit was scheduled and Torchio committed that day.

As a walk-on, Torchio entered the program with Reggie Pearson, who is now playing for Texas Tech, and Travian Blaylock, who has battled injuries for much of his time in Madison. Torchio saw the field in short notice as a redshirt freshman in 2019 following ejections to Eric Burrell and Pearson against Michigan, and would start for the first the following week against Northwestern.

“It’s been a wild ride,” he told BadgerBlitz.com on a phone call. “I’m a walk on and I’m coming on with Reggie Pearson and Tray Blaylock, so I’m thinking wow am I ever going to get a chance to play.”

The interception in his first extended amount of playing time against Michigan was the first glimpse of his ball hawking ability that earned him the nickname of "Jewelry Thief." With five interceptions this season to boost his career total to nine, Torchio will lead the defense in picks for the second consecutive season.

The final game in Camp Randall Saturday afternoon will mark the final home game in what has been a bet on himself that has paid off.

“No. Even if I never played, I would have stayed here,” he said.

“We were hoping for a better year and were hoping to contend in the Big Ten but from just individual success, it’s really rewarding to look back and see how far I’ve come.”

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