Published Jul 24, 2017
One Burning Question: Defensive Line
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John Veldhuis  •  BadgerBlitz
Senior Writer
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@JohnVeldhuis

With Wisconsin's fall camp set to start in late July, BadgerBlitz.com will be running through the burning questions that the Badgers will be looking to answer at each position group before they open their season on Sept. 1 against Utah State.

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Position Primer

Wisconsin's defensive line has a lot to live up to in 2017, in part because they're set to return every member of last year's position group - from the two-deep down to the underclassmen. It's an experienced group that could be the foundation of another top-tier Wisconsin defense.

The three seniors-to-be (Chikwe Obasih, Conor Sheehy and Alec James) have 121 career games played between them - and there should be a fierce competition for the other starting spot at defensive end opposite Obasih, who is set to conclude his UW career as a four-year starter in Wisconsin's 3-4 defense.

Olive Sagapolu should hold on to his vital role at nose guard, too, where he's played in 22 games for the Badgers since his true freshman season in 2015. But the depth behind him is a bit of a question mark - Sheehy filled in for Sagapolu for a few games during the middle of last season, but with three nose guards set to begin their junior seasons the Badgers will need to start developing some younger players sooner rather than later.

There are a couple young players who could work their way in to the rotation this year, too, particularly defensive ends Garrett Rand and Isaiahh Loudermilk. Rand got on the field last year as a true freshman and Loudermilk is coming off of a very impressive performance in spring camp, but preseason camp will give the coaching staff a chance to figure out just how many reps they have to spread around.

Returning Players

Incoming Freshmen

One Burning Question: Just how deep can the Badgers make their rotation this year?

We have a pretty good idea of what the top part of Wisconsin's two-deep is going to look like, with the three seniors and Olive Sagapolu primed to take on their old roles from last season. But the Badgers have enough bodies to where they could establish a good rotation this season if everyone stays healthy- which could help the group as a whole stay fresh deeper in to games and keep the line performing at a high level.

That makes the development of Wisconsin's underclassmen something to watch during fall camp. Garrett Rand got on the field last year as a true freshman thanks to being a college-ready athlete, but it will be interesting to see how he's grown from year one to year two. Isaiahh Loudermilk took a big step forward during his redshirt year both on the field and in the weight room, too. If those two can contribute and spell Wisconsin's starters effectively, this could be one of Wisconsin's best defensive lines in a while.

Developing a backup plan at nose guard should be a priority, too. Sheehy was able to fill in for Sagapolu for a few games last year, but it would help the Badgers if Billy Hirschfeld or Jeremy Patterson could become a reliable second option if Sagapolu misses any time this season. Hirschfeld might be closer to that than Patterson, but fall camp will give us a good indication of just what the Badgers have to work with.

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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.