Defensive lineman Darian Varner is No. 28 in our Key Badgers series.

Wisconsin's 2023 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.

RECRUITING STORY

Darian Varner, a member of Wisconsin's 11-man transfer class, had originally committed to Virginia Tech before he flipped to the Badgers this winter. Varner was a lightly-recruited two-star prospect coming out of high school in the 2020 cycle.

“The program has great history,” Varner told BadgerBlitz.com after committing to UW. “I’m familiar with the system and it’s something I wanted to be a part of.”

The Virginia native elected to go with Wisconsin over offers from Colorado, Indiana, Vanderbilt, East Carolina, James Madison, Tulane and Appalachian State, among others. Varner had been committed to the Hokies for a little over two weeks before he made the switch.

STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES

Varner adds some much needed experience and depth to a defensive line that lost a captain and its most productive player in three-year starter Keeanu Benton, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Voted a captain by his Temple teammates this past season, the 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive lineman tallied 35 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks on his way to earning all-AAC First-Team honors.

"When I showed all the returning production up on the board, I think he was about 75 percent of it, and he has never played a snap here," defensive line coach Greg Scruggs said of Varner in the spring. "I think he's going to give us juice."

When the Badgers get back on the field for fall camp starting in August, it will mark the first time Varner will suit up for Wisconsin. He was sidelined for the duration of spring camp while dealing with a leg injury and was seen with moving around on crutches. Wisconsin officials did not disclose any details of the injury.

Once Varner joins the fold, it will be interesting to monitor how Scruggs utilizes him. Of the 532 snaps he logged with the Owls this past season, over half (269) came at outside linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus. How quickly can the redshirt junior get back to 100 percent, learn the playbook and get up to speed along the line?

Darian Varner: 2022 Numbers (Temple)

Games Played	Tackles	TFL	Sacks	FF

10	35	12.5	7.5	1

WHY HE'S No. 28

While Varner likely didn't generate as much excitement as some of the other transfer additions, he bolsters a room that only featured senior Isaiah Mullens, juniors Rodas Johnson and Gio Paez, and sophomore James Thompson Jr. as the returnees with experience. Both head coach Luke Fickell and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel noted defensive line as a position that needed depth prior to Varner's addition. At worst, he will add another experienced player to the room. And at best, Varner can be a consistent disruptor along the front seven.

OVERALL

Just how Varner fits in, how healthy he looks and where he lands in the rotation will all be things to keep an eye on when fall camp takes place. If he can anywhere close to replicating the success he had at Temple this past season, it would go a long way toward making up for the production the Badgers lost rushing the passer with Nick Herbig and Benton off to the pros.

"Now we have to get (Varner) right, get him healthy and make sure he knows the playbook and things like that, but he's a big, strong anchor guy who has long arms and is able to disrupt the offensive line," Scruggs added. "He can disrupt the line of scrimmage and also go get after the passer. I am excited to get him back and get him healthy because then we can begin to hone the craft of a player that I believe has a pretty decent foundation."

Key Wisconsin Badgers 2023 Countdown

Voting panel included Jon McNamara, Matt Perkins, Raul Vazquez and Seamus Rohrer.