Wisconsin's 2018 football season is right around the corner, so BadgerBlitz.com contributors Jon McNamara, John Veldhuis, Jon Gorman and Jonathan Mills ranked the Top 30 players who we think are the keys to success for Paul Chryst's squad this year.
Playing time, past performance and positional depth all factored in to our individual rankings, which were combined into a final score.
30: CHRIS JAMES / 29: ANTHONY LOTTI / 28: JAKE FERGUSON / 27: ALEC INGOLD / 26: BRYSON WILLIAMS / 25: MADISON CONE / 24: RAFAEL GAGLIANONE / 23: BEAU BENZSCHAWEL / 22: AARON VOPAL / 21: SCOTT NELSON / 20: CAESAR WILLIAMS / 19: TYLER BIADASZ / 18: KYLE PENNISTON/ 17. A.J. TAYLOR / 16. DANNY DAVIS III / 15. ZANDER NEUVILLE / 14. DAVID EDWARDS / 13. ZACK BAUN
Although uncertainty surrounds the return of redshirt sophomore Isaiahh Loudermilk (6-foot-7, 298 pounds), it is undeniable Wisconsin needs the defensive end to bounce back after undergoing knee surgery in the spring. If Loudermilk is sidelined for an extended period of time, it would be a significant blow to the program after Garrett Rand's recent season-ending injury.
As a result, Loudermilk's presence becomes increasingly important as the Badgers try to replace the combined production of Alec James, Conor Sheehy and Chikwe Obasih. In 2017, Loudermilk saw the field as a rotational piece and logged 11 tackles in 11 games. This season, it appeared Loudermilk and Rand were the only projected starters at their respective positions. Now, the finalized starting rotation becomes murky as the Badger backups vie for spots of their own (as if the defensive line wasn't already thin enough).
With Loudermilk's projected absence, the program's depth chart takes a hit. Not surprisingly, Loudermilk will be asked to produce and perform at a high level when he returns.
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This player played in all 14 games in 2017 and has developed into a key piece of the Badger linebacker corps since accepting a walk-on offer a few years ago.
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Jonathan Mills covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @therealJMlLLS
