Entering the 2022 season, Wisconsin is replacing eight starters from the top total defense in the country from last fall. So how exactly is the Badgers coaching staff preparing a new crop of players to maintain a similar level of excellence in 2022?
The answer: Jim Leonhard and other members of the defensive coaching staff are bringing their cleats to practice and instructing players by literally going through drills and hitting tackling dummies. Still, replacing two superstar linebackers, Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal, does present a challenge when it comes to creating the necessary rapport between that is vital to Leonhard’s defense continuing to give the Badgers an opportunity to compete for a Big Ten championship.
“I would say the biggest challenge is trying to connect with people,” returning starting defensive tackle Keeanu Benton said at Big Ten Media Days this week. “I’ve been playing with Leo and Sanborn behind for a couple of years, now it’s all pretty new. Got eight new guys behind me and on the side of me. It’s going to be different. But I feel like going into this fall camp and how at the summer up, it’s really set us up for success.”
To be successful, Benton and linebacker Nick Herbig are at the foundation of the necessary relationship building between the defensive line and linebackers. Herbig brought Benton and defensive end Rodas Johnson back to Hawaii this offseason. The two got matching tattoos that represent how strong their relationship currently is – but also how strong it needs to be on the field for the Badger defense to be successful.
“It’s just a reminder that at the end of the day, we’re going to be family for life,” Herbig said of the tattoo. “That’s what our tattoo says, F4L. Family for life. And I think that those guys are like family to me. Those guys are my brothers. I’d give them the shirt off my back, I’m proud to call them family.”
Benton, as the starting defensive tackle, never stacks the most important numbers when it comes to sacks or tackles for loss. But that’s of no bother to him. He’s more focused on continuing to control the gaps for linebackers behind him, most notably Herbig, who should be primed for a true breakout season in 2022.
“I’m willing to sacrifice some statistics to help you become better,” Benton said. “If it’s better for you to make that tackle. So go get it. Get it done. Somebody’s going to make the tackle. If I have to take that double, triple team, in order for you to get in there and make a play, so be it. That’s how we’re going to win games.”
How Wisconsin wins football games, to Benton, is linked to the connections players have, but also the energy the coaching staff brings to practice. Wearing cleats, the Badgers coaching staff is “ready to go,” Benton says. The senior thinks the foundation of this is understood so well because they played at Wisconsin.
“I mean that’s the culture,” Benton said. “They played at Wisconsin. They know what they’re doing. They know if they’re stiff or not and that it’s at their own risk. But it’s nothing crazy. Coach (Ross) Koldziej comes in, hits some bags and runs through the drill so we know what we’re doing before we do it when it’s a new drill introduced.”
Wisconsin failed to play in the 2021 Big Ten Championship after starting sluggishly a season ago. But entering 2022, the Badgers were picked atop the Big Ten West and could be facing Ohio State in a rematch of the 2019 title game come November. Of course, an entire regular season has to be played before that and a lot has to go right. But getting back to the turf (Lucas Oil Stadium) Herbig filed questions on this week is the Badgers' goal.
“Winning the Big Ten,” Herbig said when asked what he wants to accomplish. “If we win the Big Ten, that opens up our bigger goals of going to the national championship, being in the national championship. But it all starts with the Big Ten and keeping the main thing the main thing.
“They say offense wins games, defense wins championships. If we do our job, and are the best defense in the country, we shouldn’t have a problem.”
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