Key Wisconsin Badgers 2020: No. 7 - Inside linebacker Jack Sanborn

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.

A four-star recruit out of Lake Zurich High School in Illinois, Jack Sanborn quickly developed into a starter for Wisconsin. The inside linebacker picked the Badgers over offers from Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Michigan State and Iowa, among others, during his recruitment.

Now a junior, Sanborn saw the field immediately as a true freshman in 2018, appearing in 11 games. Last fall, he transitioned into a starting role next to Chris Orr and led the unit with 80 tackles. He also recorded three pass break-ups, 5.5 sacks and had the most interceptions on the defense (3), along with safety Eric Burrell.

Now heading into his junior season, Sanborn will take the reins as the leader of the inside linebacker room with Orr now on the Carolina Panthers' roster.

Surprisingly, Sanborn graded out poorly in run defense (56.5) and as a tackler, overall, according to PFF, with a grade of 39.0 last season. Those two marks are certainly something Sanborn can improve on in 2020.

This is an intangible aspect that is tough to gauge, but with Orr - the heart and soul of the defense in 2019 - out of the picture, Sanborn will be asked to shoulder a leadership load, both on and off the field.

A Wisconsin defense that was in the top 10 this past season lost its two most productive players in Orr and Zack Baun. With that, Sanborn will be asked to take another big step in his development. He already turned in a productive season in 2019 and should only grow with the added experience and opportunities.

Sanborn, 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, has garnered some national recognition, being named to the watchlists for the Butkus, Lott IMPACT and Chuck Bednarik awards. Sanborn’s decision to opt for the draft is months away, but he’s got attention already with Pro Football Focus, which recently listed him as the fifth best draft-eligible linebacker.