MADISON, Wis. -- During spring camp, the field inside the McClain Center - or at Camp Randall Stadium - slowly trickles down after a two-hour practice with the exception of a familiar crowd.

Right at the end of each session, you can usually find the quarterbacks getting in extra throws. That group also has been getting in extended work with the centers on snapping.

To the side, defensive end Rodas Johnson or linebacker Jordan Turner, among others, are often working with one or two of their teammates and guiding them through hand placement and positional work. Earlier this week, Johnson led a group of four or five defensive linemen who focused on explosion and their get off.

Usually around midfield, a number of different receivers work with each other. This past Saturday, Markus Allen, CJ Williams and Quincy Burroughs worked with one of them on the ground and the other two dropping a football at the receiver to adjust to. Skyler Bell and Keontez Lewis have a routine where one stands in front of the other. Whoever is in back drops a football from behind for the other to catch. Chimere Dike and Haakon Anderson are often working together as well.

Through all that, you'll always find third-year outside linebacker Darryl Peterson as the last player on the field working on his game. His routine includes a chunk of time working on a dummy, going through hand placement and different pass rush moves before finally calling it a day after running the length of the field. The after-practice work, which usually ends up panning out to another 30 or 40 minutes of reps after practice, is something he's done since getting to UW.

"I want to be one of the greatest players to ever play in this building, and I take that stuff very seriously," Peterson said. "I feel like as long as I'm here, that won't change."

Up until this spring, the Ohio native was accompanied by a well-respected teammate and team leader. For the most part, former Wisconsin outside linebacker Nick Herbig was right there with Peterson, though reluctantly at times.

"There would be times where we had just gone through a hard practice and I'd look around he's still going. I'd be like '*explective*, he's still going?'" Herbig said during fall camp last August.

The two built a close bond over the last two years. The time spent playing alongside a future NFL draft pick has left a tangible goal for how Peterson wants to contribute. His goal this offseason and into the fall is to be a playmaker in much the same way Herbig was.

Spring break serves as a week for players between winter workouts and camp practices. During that period, Peterson went down to Florida, where he spent time with Javon Gopie, the “sack sensei,” who has been in the training industry since 2014. After starting out working primarily with strength and conditioning, Gopie branched out to more skill-specific work when it comes to pass rushing at outside linebacker and defensive line the last four or five years. His group includes high school, college and pro players.

“I just really want to create spaces to continue to develop defensive linemen and just want to create a one-stop shop to be able to develop the whole athlete when it comes to pass rushing, so just exclusively defensive linemen, outside linebackers and pass rushers,” Gopie told BadgerBlitz.com

The week of spring break was the first time two worked together, with Peterson initially reaching out to Gopie. At his base in Florida, he guides players through drills in the weight room before they go through pass rush training and start “defining their pass rush moves and understanding their progression.” They also go through their film of the week and get recovery treatment.

“We really just want them to learn what it takes to be a pro,” Gopie said.

While the two got to know each other, the pass-rush specialist got a sense for what the linebacker wants to get done and the trajectory Peterson is aiming for.

“He had an opportunity to play with the player that led the nation in sacks (per game) so he knows that that’s tangible. That’s what he wants,” Gopie said of their conversations. “He’s definitely disciplined in his approach and he understands what it takes to be successful.

"He’s got some experience, he got a chance to play and start last year, so he’s definitely going to do some big things. It’s going to be a big year for him. He’s next up. He has all the intangibles to do a lot of those things. He has that same skillset, he’s very eager to learn and he was a pleasure to work with. He’s going to be a phenomenal player and I’m excited to continue working with Darryl."

Through seven practices, what’s stood out far for the defense under new defensive coordinator Mike Tressel is the shifting nature of the formations with Peterson being right in the middle of it all. Under Jim Leonhard and Bobby April, he was asked to play both the boundary and field positions, and it seems like 2023 will be no different.

Peterson has lined up as a stand-up edge rusher, right alongside the inside backers and even at defensive back depth. Safety Hunter Wohler has been a helpful hand during the process for the versatile linebacker.

Seeing a bump in playing time from 35 snaps up to 331 snaps this past season, the former four-star recruit steadily improved throughout the season. Tallying three sacks on 11 pressures on the year, Peterson saw four of the pressures come in the final three games, which is also the same timeframe he notched the three sacks.

"Nick was an All-American and first-team All-Big Ten. I feel like at this position - especially with the defense that we're running - for us to have a great defense, the outside backers have to be that guy," Peterson said of his goals. "There's no pressure, though. I feel like I just want to keep building confidence and keep getting confident in the scheme and in my play and I feel like it'll be that."

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