Wisconsin's 2022 football season is right around the corner, so BadgerBlitz.com ranked the top 30 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.

Jim Leonhard's defense is in the middle of an offseason of near complete turnover. From a unit that ranked No. 1 in run defense and No. 4 in pass defense last fall, Leonhard will have to replace eight of 11 starters, including a duo at safety in Scott Nelson and Collin Wilder.

Hunter Wohler, who took first-team reps this spring, is expected to start in 2022 with veteran Travian Blaylock lost for the season due to injury. The former four-star recruit saw the field primarily on special teams before work as a reserve on defense came later in the year. According to Pro Football Focus, Wohler logged 178 snaps on special teams with 70 coming on the defensive side of the ball.

"In the fall I was kind of struggling to wrap my head around the scheme and what we were trying to accomplish as a defense," Wohler said. "So this spring I really wanted to understand why we’re doing what we’re doing and understand why we do it to counter the offense - what the offense does and how that affects us, how you can use your leverage. So just mentally understanding the game more than I did before."

"A great way to learn the speed of the game at the college level is on special teams, and Hunter was one of our best special teams players all year last year. You take a lot of thinking away," Leonhard said. "There’s a little less thinking, little less scheme - more so just play fast, play physical. To me, once you play special teams and learn how fast you can diagnose things and how fast and physical you play, that’s the answer.

"It was halfway through the year that you saw the click with him and you just saw, day in and day out, the play speed and the production he was having in practice just jump through the roof."

Wohler's play at the end of the 2021 season carried over to the spring where he took most of the reps with the first-team defense for the final two weeks of camp. The former standout from Muskego (WI) High School popped often, whether forcing errant throws or getting to the passer for a would-be sack.

"Mentally, knowing the game overall. Knowing where I got to be, communication-wise," Wohler said of his growth from the end of the season to the spring. "I feel like last year in the fall I was too quiet, not as vocal as I should be. Not in front of the team necessarily but just on the field relaying calls to people, getting everyone the checks."

With the departures of Nelson and Wilder go the 629 and 409 snaps, respectively, each took on the back end a season ago. Wohler will have the unusual task of going from a first-year player grasping the system to one who stays on the field consistently in Year 2.

Along with the necessary leap in play, the second-year player will also be asked to take on a role as a vocal leader in the room. Behind John Torchio and Wohler, walk-ons Owen Arnett and Bryce Carey took reps as the reserve safeties in the spring at arguably UW's thinnest position.

“I can’t be the only leader in the room, he (Wohler) has to step up in that, so I think that’s something he can work on and has been working on,” Torchio said of his partner in the secondary. “He carries himself more than a freshman. I know I didn’t carry myself like that as a freshman.”

Wohler may also have to hold off a push this fall from Kamo'i Latu, a transfer from Utah who figures to at least be in the two-deep in 2022.

Leonhard has traditionally liked to keep his secondary fresh and in rotation. The lack of depth and experience at safety, however, may force the starting duo of Torchio and Wohler to serve as workhorses. If Wohler can manage to make an accelerated leap, he can become a difference maker on the back end. His athleticism and burst is an intriguing match with Torchio's experience.

“I would say it’s a huge concern. I like to play a lot of guys and let them play fast. Expect them to have a huge role on special teams and impact the game in a lot of different ways,” Leonhard said evaluating the group at safety. “I played five guys a lot last year and I’d say at least four pretty consistently in most games, so it’s a big concern of mine to not have that depth. You’re an injury away from being light.

“I know we have flexibility within the corner room to help out, and if we need to use that we will. But it’s definitely concerning coming out of spring the depth at the position.”

Despite losing most of the starting core from a stout unit, the expectations remain high on the defensive side of the ball. Now in line to take most of, if not all, the reps with the first team, Wohler's continued development is a storyline to watch as one of the more exciting young pieces on Wisconsin’s roster.

“I’ve been really impressed with Hunter. He was a guy last year that honestly could have played more,” Torchio said. “He was behind three guys that obviously had more experience than him, but I’ve been really impressed with him taking that next step.”

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