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.
STRENGTHS
Wisconsin landed Utah transfer Kamo'i Latu in May, and the addition brought some much needed depth to the safety room. Latu, who played at St. Louis High School with outside linebacker Nick Herbig, will join a room where only John Torchio and Hunter Wohler have seen meaningful reps at the college level. Fifth-year senior Travian Blaylock is expected to miss the 2022 season with a torn ACL he suffered during spring camp.
"That's where the transfer portal changes things because we don't have to go from experienced to non-experienced," defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said in late March. "We love the guys in the room. We are not down on anybody in the secondary room but we knew we needed depth."
Leonhard, who has been known to rotate a number of defensive backs in his secondary, should get a significant boost from Latu, who has appeared in 19 games for the Utes. He earned Pac-12 freshman of the week honors following Week 5 of the 2021 season.
WEAKNESSES
With his commitment coming in May, Latu will be entering a new program without the benefit of spring practices. The 6-foot, 195-pound safety will be ahead of backups Preston Zachman, Owen Arnett and Bryce Carey in terms of experience at the college level, but Latu will be asked to digest the playbook get up to speed during fall camp.
WHY HE'S No. 29
Latu will be new to the program, but the third-year safety will likely play a major role in the secondary with the current lack of depth and how much Leonhard likes to rotate players. After a season-ending injury to Blaylock, playing time is wide open behind Wohler and Torchio.
OVERALL
Leonhard and his unit needed reinforcements for a back end void of overall experience. Following years of veteran leadership at safety from Collin Wilder and Scott Nelson, Leonhard will be lacking that familiar veteran depth. Latu should add some stability to a room filled with inexperienced reserves.
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