Wisconsin Badgers 2023 Fall Position Preview: Safeties

MADISON — The Wisconsin football team starts training camp four days from now.

As we move our way toward Aug. 2, BadgerBlitz.com continues its position-by-position analysis of the roster with a look at the safeties.

RELATED: Quarterbacks | Cornerbacks | Running backs | Inside linebackers | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Outside linebackers | Special teams

This is one of the strongest position groups on the roster and arguably the strongest on defense.

Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel and co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Colin Hitschler have four safeties who will have significant roles this season. That group includes junior Hunter Wohler, senior Kamo'i Latu, sixth-year senior Travian Blaylock and sophomore Austin Brown.

Wohler, UW's most versatile defender and one of the team's most important players, could emerge as a 2024 NFL Draft prospect this season. Tressel and Hitschler will use him all over the field, just as former defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard did last year when Wohler was healthy. Wohler is strong in coverage, defends the run well and can be used as a pass rusher off the edge.

"He's an extremely instinctual football player," Hitschler said. "He has a great feel for multiple positions. He's a kid you can line up at a variety of different positions, and he'll be successful no matter what he does. He just has instincts."

A transfer from Utah last spring, Latu started 12 games in his first season with the Badgers, recording 55 tackles (fifth on the team), three tackles for a loss, two sacks and two interceptions.

Blaylock, who's battled injuries throughout his career, missed the entire season after tearing his ACL during spring camp. He made a full recovery and will be ready for UW's season opener against Buffalo.

"One thing coach Fick (head coach Luke Fickell) talks about is effort and attitude," Blaylock said. "That's something I bring to the table. Running to the football, I am a pretty fast guy. I bring that speed and athleticism to the back end.

"...It's time to go, man. It's time to rock."

Wisconsin will use three-safety looks often, and those packages during spring ball generally included Wohler, Latu and Blaylock. Brown and Preston Zachman, another potential contributor, worked with the second-team defense. He played in six games before suffering a season-ending injury in 2022.

"The depth in the room is really strong," Hitschler said. "We knew that coming in."

You could technically say the same thing for Wohler, who hasn’t truly broken out for Wisconsin yet. He played sparingly as a true freshman and missed a significant portion of last season with an injury.

But Brown, who mostly played on special teams as a true freshman last season, is a truer breakout pick. The 6-foot-1, 207-pound sophomore has many of the same strengths as Wohler.

“It’s just a matter of time before he is special," Hitschler said. "He’s smart, he works really hard, and he’s an instinctual football player who can do a lot of different things really well. I am excited to see what Austin does this year.

Brown was the boundary safety for UW's second-team defense throughout the spring.

"Being on the far side of the field, I can work my speed to the field if I need to get there," Brown said. "At the boundary, I can play in the box a lot more. I get in the hole a lot more and hit some running backs."

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