Wisconsin's 2024 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 Luke Fickell's squad this year.

Playing time, past performance and positional depth all factored into our staff rankings.

Hunter Wohler was a massive get for Wisconsin in the class of 2021. The Muskego native was a Rivals200 prospect and listed offers from Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame, among others.

Wohler gave Wisconsin fans an early Christmas gift, committing to the Badgers the day before Christmas Eve in 2019.

"I actually called coach (Paul) Chryst on Thursday," Wohler said. "I kept it pretty low-key because I wanted to tell my family first. But he was super excited and he can't wait to get to work...It just felt like the right fit for me. It felt like home."

Besides his brilliance on the football field, Wohler was a big win for Wisconsin recruiting because it's rare to see a blue-chip safety with that kind of talent and upside from inside the state.

2023 was Wohler's first season as a full-time starter at safety, and what a debut it was. He easily led Wisconsin in tackles with 120, and tacked on six PBUs, two interceptions and a sack as well.

Wohler can play all over the field. Last season, he lined up in the box, in the back end, along the line of scrimmage and in the slot. He even took a handful of snaps as an outside corner, although it goes without saying that's not his forte. Still, that level of diversity in his snap count distribution confirms what your eyes tell you when watching Wohler: he can play just about anywhere on the field, and make quite the impact doing it.

"One of the things for us is, how can we get him at the point of attack? You want him in the post, but you want him in man coverage. You want him in the flat, but you also want him in the half," Alex Grinch said this spring. Wisconsin's new safeties coach didn't hold back when showering Wohler with praise.

"Fortunately or unfortunately, there's only one of him; we have to play with 10 others. I've been very impressed. I could downplay and that would be inaccurate on my part to do so. He's a dude; fun to coach," he said.

It's hard to find a weakness in Wohler's game. A few big receptions he allowed in coverage last fall come to mind, but he played in the box so often that many times, it wasn't truly a blown coverage on his part. Wohler simply recognized where the ball was going and happened to be the closest Badger to the receiver when it got there.

The safety also plays with great closing speed and is one of the most sure-handed tacklers on the team. According to Pro Football Focus, he had a missed tackle rate of 7.3 percent. If you're missing less than one in 10 of your tackle attempts, you're going to bring most ball-carriers to the ground with ease.

"You want a guy, you kinda look up and 24's there. It's a credit to him, obviously a credit to the previous coaches as well, credit to the staff, in terms of getting him in tune to this particular defense. He just has a great grasp and understanding of the field and space and where the eyes of the quarterback are not directed, but where he's actually looking," Grinch added. "The spacial awareness as a post player or half-field safety and understanding when I have the appropriate depth, or when I need to gain more. He's one of those guys that you don't find a lot in the way of deficiencies, which is really really good."

Wohler is the queen on Wisconsin's defensive chess board: he can play anywhere and assume any role. His talent, versatility and the sheer heart and soul he plays with makes him easily the most important player on this defense.

One of the reasons Wohler's unique skillset is so critical to the Badgers' defense is that he allows coordinator Mike Tressel to do so many things. Because Wohler is adept at both free and strong safety, that allows Tressel to disguise coverages and alter his defensive alignment post-snap. The safety is the kind of player offenses need to locate and account for on every single play.

If all goes according to plan, this should be Wohler's sendoff season in Madison. The safety will once again be a key cog and vocal leader in a defense looking to return to its expected level of dominance. Players like Wohler, especially from inside the state, don't come around often. He's cherished by his teammates and coaching staff, who will look to help him lead the Badgers to their most successful season since he stepped on campus.

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