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 in toour staff rankings.

Bob Bostad, who coached the inside linebackers in 2021, made it no secret how he would divide snaps at the position. He kept dynamic playmakers Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal on the field as much as possible in favor of a set rotation.

Now with both on an NFL roster, the task of new inside linebackers coach Mark D'Onofrio will be to find a steady duo to man the middle of the defense. Atop the list this summer could be junior Tatum Grass, who established his spot with the No. 1 unit during spring camp.

"I'd say more it's just a new opportunity. Those guys that were here got a lot of game reps and were really good players, so it was nice to be behind them and learn from them," Grass said of the inside linebacker room. "It does feel like there is new opportunity just for the whole group."

The 6-foot-2, 231-pound former walk-on appeared with the first team alongside Maema Njongmeta to open the spring, a pre-set plan former position coach Bill Sheridan laid out strictly based on snaps from the 2021 season. As camp progressed, however, redshirt sophomore Jordan Turner joined Grass with the top unit.

Of the returning inside backers, Grass has logged the most live reps. Now with two starting spots and plenty of snaps available, Grass has a big opportunity ahead of him this fall.

Inexperience is a question mark with Grass, but with Sanborn and Chenal atop the depth chart for two seasons, there weren't many snaps to go around for any of the inside linebackers. It will also be interesting to see D'Onofrio's vision for the group this fall. Will he view Grass a top option, or will the first-year assistant coach dig deeper into the group?

Having held a starting role throughout the spring, expect to see Grass open with the No. 1 unit next month. Given the overall inexperience, however, will coordinator Jim Leonhard revert to playing more of a traditional rotation by including Njongmeta, Jake Chaney, Jake Ratzlaff or Spencer Lytle more often along with Grass and Turner? That could be a storyline to watch this fall.

"None of us are 6-foot-3, 260 (pounds) like Leo," Grass said. "We can't replace Leo's skillset but we're going to become the best version of ourselves to help this defense."

Going back to 2019 with the breakout of Chris Orr, UW has featured a formidable duo at inside linebacker the past few seasons. While unfair to expect fairly inexperienced players to replicate that kind of production, the group will be asked to maintain the standard in 2022. Grass projects to be a key piece to the inside linebacker puzzle and overall success of the defense.

_________________________________________________

*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den

*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel

*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)

*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45, @pete_brey12

*Like us on Facebook