Key Wisconsin Badgers 2020: No. 10 - Cornerback Faion Hicks

Wisconsin's 2020 football season is (hopefully) right around the corner, so BadgerBlitz.com ranked the Top 25 players who we think will be the keys to success for Paul Chryst's squad this year.

Playing time, past performance and positional depth all factored into our staff rankings.

Kicking off our Top 10 most valuable Badgers is redshirt junior Faion Hicks. A three-star corner out of Florida, Hicks didn’t garner much attention from major programs out of high school, with only three Power Five schools extending offers at time.

Despite the lack of scholarships, Hicks has quickly become a consistent starter for Wisconsin over the last two seasons. In a secondary that coordinator Jim Leonhard constantly shuffles, Hicks has played in 26 games over the last two years with 22 starts on the outside and one at nickel. His 12 starts in 2019 led the cornerback group, a season in which he totaled 32 tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass break-up.

The Florida native has developed nicely into the No. 1 corner on the outside for UW. In 2019, the Wisconsin secondary was the beneficiary of tremendous play from edge rushers and the defensive line, making opposing offenses one-dimensional. Seemingly the only receiver that had regular success against Hicks was Ohio State wide out Chris Olave.

Naturally as a cornerback, it’s one of the position groups where it might be better if your name isn't called. A sign of sound play on the outside may involve not having the ball thrown in the direction of your receiver, and that was the case for Hicks in 2019.

At 5-foot-10 and 186 pounds, Hicks had games where he eliminated the opposing receiver to limited targets and, in turn, catches. The lack of attention a quarterback give his man is undoubtedly an indicator of his success, but it also limits a defensive back's chances to make a splash play. Since recording his first interception in his Wisconsin debut against Western Kentucky, Hicks has yet to snag a second INT. Additionally, his Pro Football Focus grade of 53.2 was one of the lowest on Wisconsin's defense in 2019.

Hicks is as close to a No. 1 corner as there is on the Wisconsin defense, with Leonhard trying new groups in the secondary so frequently. He will have a tough task in 2020 with the Badgers set to challenge NFL-caliber receivers like Nico Collins, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Rashod Bateman and Rondale Moore, among others. Now in a shortened, Big Ten-only season, Hicks' production will be put under a microscope.

Though the Wisconsin defense lost the likes of Chris Orr and Zack Baun to the NFL, there is a lot to like about the group that is returning, and the secondary is a shining example of that. The defensive back room is bringing back everyone, and Hicks will be the leader of a veteran-laden group. Look for him to assert himself as a consistent corner in the fall.