Where Wisconsin safety Hunter Wohler believes he has grown this spring

MADISON, WIS. -- The true freshman who played the most games for Wisconsin last season wasn't Braelon Allen. It was, however, his roommate.

Hunter Wohler participated in all 13 contests in 2021. The majority of that action, though, was on special teams. Pro Football Focus (PFF) credited the former four-star safety with 70 total defensive snaps in six games (Allen reportedly played 310 on offense in 12 contests).

Wohler contributed 17 tackles, three for loss, one sack and one pass breakup last season on special teams play and a limited role in the secondary. He now enters Wisconsin's final week of spring ball primed for significant responsibilities within the defense.

Wohler, when asked to critique his performance, believes it has "gone pretty well."

“There's definitely some missed opportunities, some plays that can be made," Wohler said on Monday. "So within this next week, you want to clean those things up, make some more plays. But I think it's gone well, just being able to play fast and help develop not only myself but the guys around me."

“And I think one of the biggest things this spring to was just building those relationships with not only into the DBs but the linebackers, the D-line and the offense. Furthering our relationship and just getting to that point where like, ‘Yeah, we're gonna be fighting next to each other so we got to be close, and we got to be a brotherhood.'"

Wohler, the No. 175 player in the country for the 2021 class, called out his progress during the 12 completed practices, most notably with the mental side of the game.

“Knowing where I got to be, knowing who I can help, who can help me, and I think communication wise," Wohler said. "In the fall, felt like I was a little too quiet. Not as vocal as I should be – not in front of the team, necessarily -- but just on the field. Relaying calls to people, getting everyone their checks, so I think that's kind of where I've grown the most this spring."

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard told reporters on Monday that Wohler was one of the program's best players on special teams in 2021. PFF reported that the safety logged 178 snaps alone in that phase of the game.

Participating on special teams has less thinking and scheme and more playing fast and physical, along with needing to hold football awareness and intelligence, as Leonhard explained. After picking up on how quickly one can identify then utilize speed and physicality, that can translate to the defensive side of the ball.

“So it was about halfway through the year, you definitely felt that click in him and just saw day in and day out, the play speed, the production that he was having in practice just jumped through the roof," Leonhard said. "You can just feel that with guys a lot coming off of special teams. That's what you hope happens is they take what they've learned and just learn how to play faster on defense, and it definitely worked for him.”

BadgerBlitz.com previously wrote about Wohler's development in early November of 2021, and the young safety reiterated the significance of playing special teams to his progression and the ability to participate more in 2022.

“I think it was huge, just getting that confidence, being able to learn how to play the game, and know that you're not going to be bigger than everyone on the field," Wohler said. "You're not going to use your athleticism to out beat anyone. So it's just knowing that you got to be more tactical. You got to play with your head a little bit more than just to your athleticism, speed and everything.

"So that helped, and then just knowing that it's such a technical game. You have to focus on the little things that details so that has helped me for coming into this spring and being able to just introduce me to the game of college football.”

Wohler is projected to play a big role this fall alongside rising fifth-year seniors John Torchio and Travian Blaylock with 2021 starters Scott Nelson and Collin Wilder off to chase their NFL dreams. Torchio received 383 snaps on defense, according to PFF, with 35 tackles and three interceptions last year. The service reported 140 reps for Blaylock.

Entering winter conditioning, Wohler hoped to home in on grasping the overall game. He felt that he struggled to comprehend Wisconsin's schemes and what the defense attempted to attain last fall.

"So this spring, I really wanted to just understand why we're doing what we're doing and understand why we do it to counter the offense," Wohler said. "What the offense does and how that affects us. Who you can play with, how you can use your leverage, so just mentally understand the game more than I did in the fall.”

Wohler and Torchio have also seen their reps as a duo grow recently due to an injury that has left the safety room thin in numbers. Blaylock left a Tuesday practice two weeks ago, and the fifth-year senior "was having a huge, huge spring," according to Leonhard.

Blaylock’s timetable for return from what UW called a right leg injury is still undetermined. Torchio and Wohler have received snaps as a first-team tandem since then. The rising sophomore was asked how much changed for him working next to the upperclassmen, with his own mentality and what he needs to accomplish on the field.

“I don't think it changed much," Wohler said. "Me and Torch had a good relationship coming into the spring to begin with. With (Trae) going down, we always want to stay prepared for whatever our role might be, and with football, it can change in an instant. You never know what can happen, so you always got to be ready.

“I think that mine and Torch’s relationship has definitely developed over the past few weeks, better than we already had. But when a guy like Trae goes down, it hurts for sure. He's a vocal leader for us. He brings a lot to the table, not only physically, but emotionally. He's the heart of our DB room, so that hurts, I think for sure. But we always got to be ready to step up when our name is called.”

Torchio praised Wohler, and he believes the younger safety could have seen the field more last season if not for the depth in the group. That said, the upperclassmen also discussed one area of potential growth for the second-year Badger.

"I can't be the only leader in the room," Torchio said. "He needs to also step up in that, so I think that's something that he can work on, and I think he has been working on. So that's what I'm most impressed with.

"He carries himself more than a freshman. I know I didn't carry myself like that when I was a freshman.”

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