Following the conclusion of fall camp, BadgerBlitz.com will take a look at each position group and where they stand with the final phase of the offseason wrapping up.

We'll continue our defensive overviews with the outside linebackers.

RELATED: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Darryl Peterson.

Peterson became incredibly valuable last season as one of very few edge rushers the coaching staff felt any confidence in. He ended up finishing tied for sixth in defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, but he struggled with inconsistency as the year progressed.

Fast forward to 2024, and Peterson was the only returning player in his room who received significant playing time in 2023.

So they looked to the transfer portal and acquired two new edge rushers who, like Peterson, have both veteran experience and freak athleticism. John Pius and Leon Lowery came from William and Mary and Syracuse, respectively, and seemed to instantly slot in around the top of the rotation.

At the beginning of spring camp, they were arguably outplaying Peterson. Their pure talent felt like a shot of caffeine in the previously barren outside linebacker room. But as the spring wore on, Peterson began to stack good days on top of one another, and his consistency bled into fall, this time with some new responsibilities.

The coaches began to line Peterson up closer to the interior, often facing him off with guards rather than just tackles. It allowed them to play more of their freakish linebackers and take some of the load off of their thinner defensive line room.

Peterson played about as well in this role as they could have hoped. He would obviously look small at times surrounded by guards, but he still affected the quarterback and made more tackles in the run game than expected.

Barring injury, he’ll almost certainly finish top-five in snaps on the defense given his experience, leadership and versatility.

“I’m excited to help any way I can — if it’s the sam, the jack, going to a 3-tech, or if they want to put me off the ball and let me come down and blitz, I wouldn’t be mad at that either,” Peterson said with a smile during the fall.

Depth. The additions of Pius and Lowery, as well as promising freshmen Thomas Heiberger and Anelu Lafaele, made this room look like one of the deepest on the team following spring camp. But after just a couple of injuries, confidence has eroded.

Heiberger suffered an injury that seems to be somewhat significant, expecting to last “into the season,” according to Luke Fickell.

“He was on a path to earn the right to play as a true freshman,” said outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell.

Redshirt junior Aaron Witt has been sidelined with injuries for the past two years, and has even dealt with a handful of minor injuries during the past few months. He’s set to be ready for the season opener, but is ultimately difficult to rely on as an important member of the rotation.

In their place, the coaches decided to get creative, moving a few players from crowded rooms to the outside.

First was freshman Ernest Willor, one of a few promising young defensive linemen who weren’t getting much play in a veteran room.

“When Thomas went down, when Witt went down, we became thin there. So we moved Ernest outside and played him at the jack on the boundary. We may have found a home. It may just be a better fit in the long run, it gives us some more size on the edge,” Fickell said.

They also moved newcomer Sebastian Cheeks, who was buried in an inside linebacker room that may have been too big for him.

“He was playing a lot, but rolling with three different will linebackers and not playing nearly as much, then all of a sudden you put him on the edge and some of his strengths show up a little bit different,” Mitchell said.

While Willor and Cheeks had quality fall camps, they’ll only receive significant playing time in case of emergency. The goal may just be to tread water with the backups until Heiberger returns.

How much should Aaron Witt play?

Coaches have indicated that they see Witt as a member of the top-four in this room, essentially on the same level as Peterson, Lowery and Pius. Even though he’s shown why he’s deserving of playing time when he’s healthy, Witt’s injury history puts his reliability in doubt.

Witt has registered just 52 snaps in four seasons, according to PFF. There were also multiple occasions during the recent spring and fall camps where he would miss one or two or more days due to a minor injury in practice.

Frankly, he’s about as injury prone as they come. But he’s still a great athlete, which is why so many coaches and players have kept their faith in him.

The season opener will roll around, and Witt will be listed on the two-deep. That feels certain. But as the season wears on and the opponents get tougher, the coaches will need him. Perhaps they should keep November in mind when figuring out how many snaps to dole out to their more injury prone players.

The room is led by two redshirt juniors in Peterson and Witt, and two redshirt seniors in Pius and Lowery. It gets much younger after that, with freshmen Heiberger and Lafaele headlining the next generation.

This leaves plenty of opportunities for the incoming three outside linebackers in the 2025 class.

After signing three-star Franklin, Tennessee native Brendan Anes, Badger coaches told him their desired number of outside linebackers in the class was two. Three-star Lawrencville, New Jersey native Samuel Lateju would later sign in March, bringing his 6-foot-5, 230 pound frame to fill out their linebacker class.

Their goal for the class had been fulfilled, until they received a commitment from three-star Nicolas Clayton. The Florida native brings a rare level of size, length and athleticism.

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