Wisconsin Badgers 2024 Spring Position Preview: Inside Linebackers

As Luke Fickell's second act in Madison draws closer, BadgerBlitz.com will break down Wisconsin's roster position by position ahead of spring camp, which is slated to take place from March 22 to May 2.

BadgerBlitz.com is once again expected to watch any open practices available for reporters to attend. Thus, our position previews continue Friday with the inside linebackers, a unit that should be one of the more entertaining to follow this spring.

PREVIEWS: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | TIGHT ENDS | WIDE RECEIVERS | OFFENSIVE LINE | DEFENSIVE LINE | OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS |

Wisconsin lost quite a lot at inside linebacker this offseason. Between Jordan Turner, Maema Njongmeta and Tatum Grass — all of who have moved on from the program for various reasons — the Badgers have 1,062 snaps to replace.

Perhaps that's a good thing.

Last fall, it was painfully evident that as talented as Njongmeta and Turner are in their own right, neither was a scheme fit for what Mike Tressel wanted his inside linebackers to do. The defensive coordinator needs inside backers that can cover large swaths of turf, close gaps in space and operate sideline-to-sideline. Njongmeta and Turner are more old-school: they're north-and-south thumpers, and Tressel needs something more in the mold of an off-ball linebacker.

Enter three transfers: Jaheim Thomas, Tackett Curtis and Sebastian Cheeks. Thomas, who came to Wisconsin from Arkansas, was fourth in the SEC in total tackles last season and tacked on four sacks. He's a plug-and-play starter and should assume a starting role immediately. Curtis, a former USC trojan, was one of the best freshman defenders in the Pac-12 as a Mike linebacker. He plays like a heat-seeking missile with some nasty physicality, and should be one of the more exciting players on Wisconsin's defense. Curtis was one of the best linebackers available in the portal. Cheeks, meanwhile, spent two seasons in Chapel Hill with North Carolina. The former four-star prospect has yet to contribute meaningfully on defense, but the staff loves his potential.

Wisconsin certainly brought in the cavalry via the transfer portal, but they return some highly promising players at the position as well. Jake Chaney, who played the most out of any Badgers inside linebacker last season, returns for his senior season. Chaney, unlike his colleagues last season, does possess the requisite explosiveness and lateral quickness required in Tressel's scheme. With his experience, he figures to be a lock to open camp as a starter.

Perhaps the most intriguing player at the position is Christian Alliegro. The ex-lacrosse star found a path to playing time last season with his speed, and his ceiling appears as high as anyone in the room. He'll enter his true sophomore season this fall.

The rest of the room consists of walk-on Evan Van Dyn Hoven and a pair of freshman in Tyler Jansey and Landon Gauthier. With how stacked with talent this room is, especially at the top, it's hard to envision any of those three getting significant looks this spring.

Wisconsin's three transfers at inside linebacker will dominate the storylines at the position, and for good reason. Thomas is a proven commodity who cemented himself as one of the better defenders in the SEC a season ago — that's extremely exciting for the Badgers. Curtis, meanwhile, was a Rivals100 prospect coming out of high school who could've played anywhere he wanted, and he backed up all the hype in Los Angeles. Cheeks is another former blue chip prospect whom the Badgers heavily recruited.

It'll be fascinating to see how each player looks in Tressel's defense. Thomas, with his body of work, figures to get the benefit of the doubt and roll with the starters, at least initially. If Curtis can play like he did as a true freshman at USC, he'll become a staple of the rotation in no time. Cheeks, considering his lack of experience, will have to work his way up the pecking order.

Thomas should play with the starters, but it's not hard to imagine Curtis making the biggest splash in the spring with his undeniable athleticism. At least on paper, the Badgers have an embarrassment of riches at inside linebacker.

Again, the transfers will dominate the headlines. But I'll be most intrigued to see how Alliegro, who quietly looked like one of the most natural linebackers the Badgers deployed last season, looks as a sophomore.

Alliegro is simply a phenomenal athlete. He could play all kinds of positions on the gridiron, but his instincts and closing speed lend themselves particularly well to inside backer. Alliegro looks like the future of the position, both in Madison and more generally in terms of player archetype. He'll have his work cut out for him this spring in the hunt for reps with how many talented players there are in his room, but Alleigro looks like a budding star.

_________________________________________________

*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den

*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel

*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)

*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45, @seamus_rohrer, @DonnieSlusher_

*Like us on Facebook