With the conclusion of spring practices, BadgerBlitz.com will be evaluating the standing of each of the position groups as we head into summer.

After featuring the cornerbacks yesterday, we’ll be breaking down the outside linebacker position today, which has a heavy dose of transfers.

With so many new faces in this group, it wasn’t surprising to see so much parity in first-team reps. A lot of guys flashed throughout camp as the offensive line battled through injuries but Corey Walker was one of the first guys to pop and has been one of the more consistent edge rushers throughout the spring.

The redshirt notched 5.5 sacks last season for Western Michigan – no Badger topped three sacks in 2024 – after tallying 2.5 sacks in 2023.

But Walker showed more than his ability to get to the quarterback. He made several plays in the backfield against the run and showed some impressive quickness for a six-foot-five, 297-pounder.

There’s going to be more shakeup in rotations once Mason Reiger is healthy, but Walker has made a strong early impression and looks like he’ll be running with the ones when Wisconsin’s 2025 season kicks off.

It’s really tough to put Darryl Peterson’s name here. He’s been an integral piece to this defense for years and is entering his fifth year with the Badgers. Yet, in a room that saw an influx of talent, Peterson didn’t stand out from the pack.

Peterson saw the most snaps of any Wisconsin outside linebacker last season but had merely one sack, down from 4.5 sacks in 2023. Outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell gave Peterson some praise for his contribution in stopping the run, but that too was a weak point for the Badgers a season ago.

Peterson just hasn’t done much to show he’s going to be a key part of the improvement in either department. Maybe more reps will come in fall camp, but it seems many of the transfers are on par with or ahead of Peterson at this point.

How Much Improvement Can Happen In One Year?

Wisconsin’s defensive front was awful by just about every metric and statistic, and they addressed the need for improvement through the transfer portal. But there’s a lot of growth that’s going to need to happen in order for the outside linebacker unit to be league-average or better in the Big Ten.

Is it possible for the Badgers to go from generating the fewest tackles for loss of any team in FBS to a great one that can wreak havoc in just one offseason? I’m not sure. And as impressive as they looked throughout spring – the depth on the edge was one of the biggest takeaways from camp – there’s certainly some confounding factors.

Is the perception of their ability tainted by how abysmal Wisconsin was off the edge in 2024? Did these outside linebackers just capitalize on an injury-plagued offensive line? Both are possible explanations to their spring performances.

Before I fully buy in, I’ve got to see this unit to continue shining this fall.

Wisconsin added three outside linebackers in the class of 2025, but only one player, Nicholas Clayton, enrolled early. If Clayton is an indicator of what the rest of the group will look like, there should be tons of excitement.

Clayton is on the lighter side, being listed as 6-foot-5 and 223 pounds, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting to the quarterback this spring. He had a monster Spring Showcase, accumulating three sacks.

The Florida native has been earning more and more second team reps and even got some action with the ones in Wisconsin’s 15th practice. What’s most exciting, though, is that coach Mitchell indicated that Clayton could see some action this fall.

Jaylen Williams was one of Wisconsin’s biggest recruiting wins of the cycle, getting the four-star from Palatine, Illinois, to flip his commitment from the University of Michigan. Williams is exactly what Wisconsin seems to be looking for off the edge, possessing an impressive 6-foot-5, 255-pound frame and a blend of strength and speed that can be impactful against the run or the pass.

Samuel Lateju, a three-star from New Jersey, rounds out the group. He’ll likely come to Madison needing a bit of technical refinement considering he didn’t start playing football until 2022, but he’s got good size, speed and a great motor. Lateju told BadgerBlitz.com shortly after committing that he planned on “bringing the hell” on the football field once he got on campus.

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