Key Wisconsin Badgers 2020: No. 21 - Inside linebacker Leo Chenal

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 in to our staff rankings.

Listed this spring at 6-foot-2 and 246 pounds, Leo Chenal's success in the weight room is well documented. The sophomore middle linebacker took to Twitter back in May to show a video of 40 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press.

"It's great and you love it because he's (Chenal) not satisfied at all," Wisconsin head strength and conditioning coach Ross Kolodziej told reporters in May. "The week before that, he had a video of 315 (pounds) for 18 (reps), which I think is almost even more impressive. You love that you have those guys - again, that's the locker room and that's a guy who is training and putting it out there. Having been in that locker room as a man you look at that video and say, 'Dang, what am I doing?' So that's the driving force."

A three-star recruit coming out of high school, Chenal played last fall as a true freshman, one of just two signees from the 2019 class (along with Keeanu Benton) not to use a redshirt season. In 2019, Chenal appeared in 11 games and recorded 20 total tackles - 16 solo and four assisted - one sack and one fumble recovery.

The departure of Chris Orr leaves a big void at inside linebacker. Jack Sanborn led the unit in tackles last season, but who opens next to him with the No. 1 defense is still an unknown. Outside of Chenal, walk-on Mike Maskalunas is the only other returning inside linebacker with playing experience.

Whether or not Chenal emerges as a starter is yet to be seen, but there is no doubt he will see more playing time in 2020. In a crowded linebacker room last season, Chenal became a solid depth piece in the rotation behind Sanborn and Orr. He was only able to tally a single sack, which came in garbage time against Kent State. One of the pleasant surprises of the 2019 season were the 10.5 sacks that Orr exploded for. Chenal can become an x-factor if he can provide a similar pass rush from that position.

One of the biggest pieces Wisconsin will have to replace in 2020 is the on-field production and vocal leadership of Orr. Chenal will be one of the primary inside linebackers asked to take on the tall task, and he has the tools to become an extremely productive player for the Badgers.

The Wisconsin native looks poised for a breakout campaign with an expanded role and unique skillset. Chenal can be next in line to continue Wisconsin’s great tradition of producing talented linebackers but for 2020, he should be a nice piece next to Sanborn.