As Luke Fickell's third 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 13 to April 24.
BadgerBlitz.com is once again expected to watch any open practices available for reporters to attend. Thus, our position previews continue Thursday with the defensive line, a unit that underwent a near complete overhaul this offseason.
ROSTER OVERVIEW
If fans were tired of watching the Badgers' defensive line get pushed around for the better part of the 2024 campaign, rest assured Wisconsin's front office was as well: it signed four linemen via the winter transfer portal in an effort to remake what was a deeply flawed defensive line.
Just one starter from 2024 returns: nose guard Ben Barten. He'll be a sixth-year senior this fall, and he quietly displayed some individual development as last season progressed even while the line as a whole struggled. Though he somehow didn't log a single tackle-for-loss, let alone a sack, across a team-high 484 snaps, he displayed some quick hands, swatting five passes and blocking a field goal. He also logged 22 total tackles and recovered two fumbles. He figures to be a starter through and through, although given the heavy influx of bodies at the position, there's plenty of snaps up for grabs.
Of the four transfers — Parker Petersen (Tulane), Charles Perkins (UT-Martin), Corey Walker (Western Michigan) and Jay'Viar Suggs (LSU) — there's a combination of experience and production, but not necessarily an overwhelming amount of either.
Of the bunch, Walker had the most productive season last fall with 38 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and five pass breakups. Perkins was a freshman All-American at the FCS level after a nine tackle-for-loss, 2.5 sack performance in 2023. Suggs likely has the highest pedigree, coming from LSU and with schools like Michigan, Penn State and Oklahoma also involved in his recruitment this winter. Petersen could be the most intriguing, as he had some shiny offers in the portal and was previously listed at 6-foot-4, 301 pounds.
How the transfers shake out is anyone's guess. All will be at least seniors with the exception of Perkins, who will be a junior, so if there's anyone that might take a back seat this spring the former UT-Martin standout makes some sense.
Wisconsin also returns Brandon Lane, who will be a redshirt senior. The former Stephen F. Austin transfer played a limited 97 snaps across 10 games last fall, and he's another wild card in the defensive trenches.
Moving down the line in terms of eligibility, the Badgers have two sophomores in Dillan Johnson and Jamel Howard. Johnson played 139 snaps across 11 games last season, logging seven tackles. Howard has yet to play in his career.
Wisconsin signed three defensive linemen in the 2025 cycle, two of whom will be on campus early this spring: Torin Pettaway and Xavier Okponu.
One question heading into spring practices: Which transfers stand out?
The Badgers took a kitchen sink approach at defensive line this offseason, and it's hard to blame them. Recruiting linemen in the portal is often a complete gamble, as starter-quality players are hard to find and even harder to sign. The Badgers hope a strength-in-numbers approach yields them some quality starters, but they're not just pelting the wall hoping something sticks. There's a method to how Wisconsin beefed up its defensive line.
First and foremost, the Badgers wanted to get bigger in the trenches. Each lineman signed is at least 6-foot-3, with Petersen at 6-foot-4 and Walker at 6-foot-5. Couple those frames with a Brady Collins strength program, and Wisconsin could have some imposing defensive linemen in 2025. But size is just one prerequisite.
Each linemen the Badgers signed has, to a degree, a track record of wreaking havoc. That's something that the entire defense, not only the trenches, lacked last season. Wisconsin's starting defensive linemen last fall— three players and 1,335 snaps — combined for 9.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks. Each player the Badgers signed logged at least 2.0 sacks last fall, while individually each had other outstanding stats that represent a level of havoc; Walker, for example, swatted five passes in 2024.
Still, there's no telling who stands out the most. At the moment, I'd lead towards Petersen, who has an intriguing combination of athleticism, size and production, and Walker, who is coming off a great season in the MAC.
Player to watch this spring: Parker Petersen
Any of the aforementioned transfers would be an acceptable answer. As would the rising sophomore Johnson, or even the former big recruiting win Howard. There's plenty of intrigue in this room, but Petersen again might be the most intriguing athlete.
The former Tulane player emerged as one of the better defensive linemen in the American Athletic Conference last season, and has a big frame and couples that with a high motor. Wisconsin wasted little time with Petersen; the Badgers were the first school to give him a call once he entered the portal. It's a good thing they did, too, because Auburn, Notre Dame and USC were hot on the lineman's trail as well.
“I knew that it would be very hard for another school to match my level of interest in Wisconsin and the path that they paved for me with my role coming in,' he told BadgerBlitz.com in a previous interview.
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