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.

Eric Burrell, a three-star prospect from Maryland, has developed into a star for defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. Because of his location in high school, Burrell held plenty of offers from the ACC during his recruitment but ultimately went with the Badgers. The now-redshirt senior found consistent playing time in 2018 but really broke onto the scene this past season, where he recorded 55 tackles - three for a loss - two sacks, nine pass break-ups and a team-leading three interceptions.

After Wisconsin lost safety Scott Nelson for the year in Week 1, Burrell and Reggie Pearson took over the position and flourished for UW. Burrell was stout in coverage and also made a number of plays in the backfield, highlighted by a sack against Northwestern that was picked up in the end zone by defensive lineman Matt Henningsen. Pro Football Focus rated Burrell as the best returning defensive back in the conference and one of the top returning players in the Big Ten. PFF also went on to write that Burrell could end the season as one of the top five safeties in the nation in coverage.

When it comes to Burrell's play on the field, there isn't much to criticize. He's become a ball hawk on the back end for Wisconsin and has stepped up to make plays in the backfield. But if there is one area of improvement, it's becoming a better tackler. Burrell graded out at 38.5 last year, according to PFF - his biggest whiff coming early in the season when a miss against Ronnie Bell ultimately resulted in a 68-yard gain. Burrell has become a great safety for Wisconsin but can round out his game by cleaning up the missed tackles.

Now entering his final year of eligibility, Burrell, 6-foot and 199 pounds, will look to become the leader of an experienced Badgers' secondary. After elevating his game this past season, Burrell can take the next step into the elite safety conversation across the country with another jump in play this fall.

Burrell has already received a ton of national recognition after being named to the watchlists for the Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe awards. He will likely become a leader of the defense and could set himself up for a spot in the 2021 NFL Draft with another big season.