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.

Garrett Rand, a former four-star defensive tackle, made an impact right away in the trenches for the Badgers in 2016. He played in all 14 games as a true freshman and equalled that same number the following season. Rand’s career, though, hit a roadblock in 2018 when he suffered a torn achilles during summer workouts.

After lacking depth on the defensive line in 2018, Rand helped the Badgers bounce back the following year. The Arizona native returned in 2019 and formed a dominant pairing at defensive end with teammate Isaiahh Loudermilk. Rand, 6-foot-2 and 285 pounds, totaled 27 tackles - 13 solo and 14 assisted - three tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one quarterback hit.

Rand helped lead UW to the sixth best run defense in the country. His best performance came against Minnesota when he recorded seven tackles and one sack that forced a fumble, ultimately sealing the win and ticket to the Big Ten title game.

It’s tough to gauge success in the trenches, especially for defensive linemen in a 3-4 scheme. But Rand had a successful 2019 campaign despite posting modest stats. For as much success as he had against the run and in creating penetration, Rand was only able to accumulate one sack on the year. The Badgers defense will be losing 24 sacks that Chris Orr and Zack Baun racked up last fall, and Rand can help eat up bodies up front to help make up for those losses in 2020.

Going into his senior year, Rand will look to cap off his Badgers career emphatically. UW will be filled with depth along its defensive line, getting back nose tackle Bryson Williams to team up with Rand, Loudermilk, Matt Henningsen and Keeanu Benton. The depth may limit one player from being a total star, but success up front is the catalyst to making things easier for the back end and creating holes for linebackers to have success in the backfield.

We started our countdown with a starting corner and secondary that is filled with experience. The defensive line, much like the secondary, is loaded with returning veterans who have a good amount of playing experience. Rand is once again penciled in as a starter and will be a part of a group that should be a position of strength for coordinator Jim Leonhard.