Mike Tressel: 'Truthfully...we've gotten more athletic'

The Badgers were plagued by, among many other things, slow starts, the lack of a pass rush and the lack of ability to contain mobile quarterbacks. Only two players, Hunter Wohler and Ricardo Hallman, emerged as true stars on that side of the ball. The result was a mediocre defense that seemed to lack an identity.

Of course, one must also consider the circumstances. Tressel was working with a roster almost entirely composed of players signed by the previous staff to play in Jim Leonhard's old-school, 3-4 defense. You didn't have to be a football savant to see that play-style clashed with Tressel's scheme, a defensive back-heavy, base 2-4-5 system.

Simply put, many players' skillsets simply didn't match the scheme Tressel deploys. A full offseason of high school recruits and transfers, however, has given Wisconsin's defense reinforcements with which to work. That's exciting to Tressel, who believes the roster is now more tailored to what he needs.

“Truthfully, we’ve gotten a little bit longer. Hopefully, as we see it on the field, we’ve gotten a little more athletic," he said.

The Badgers reeled in seven transfers on the defensive side of the ball, three of whom will report directly to Tressel as inside linebackers. Jaheim Thomas (Arkansas), Tackett Curtis (USC) and Sebastian Cheeks (North Carolina) have joined Wisconsin's inside backers, making them one of the deepest positions on the roster.

"I know there’s a lot of guys in the room who believe they’re starter material, and they are, but only two can start," Tressel added.

The Badgers' front seven needed a makeover from top to bottom, but inside linebacker is an area in which reinforcements will be especially welcomed. Two players who played starter-level snaps a season ago, Maema Njongmeta and Jordan Turner, are no longer with the program. Both are talented linebackers, but both fit much more snuggly into Leonhard's defensive scheme as north-and-south, run-stuffing thumpers.

That clashed with Tressel's need for linebackers who can cover ground quickly and make plays in the open field as well as in the box. Tressel admitted that fell somewhat by the wayside as the staff prepped for its debut year in Madison.

“I think all of would say, coach (Luke Fickell) would say, we probably didn’t figure out athleticism in space in spring practice as much as we would’ve liked to, because you’re limited in how much you wanna tackle in spring and how much you wanna go to the ground. We need to find ways to put people in those space situations, which exposed us a couple times last fall," he said.

“I wish we could’ve identified our strengths faster. I do think we adapted as the year went on, which happens in year one. I wish it would’ve happened faster," the coach added. "Identifying and playing to strengths is something we take pride in. Hopefully we can identify that right off the bat and any adaptations happen sooner.”

It's not just inside linebackers that have undergone a makeover. Wisconsin's pass-rushers did little to inspire long-term confidence last season. Enter two transfer outside linebackers, Leon Lowery (Syracuse) and John Pius (William & Mary). Based on Tressel's comments, those two players also appear to fit his desired scheme more than what he had to work with last year.

“I think that John and Leon both have shown that they can have a great impact. They have some natural pass rush, they have some physicality. They have more length than we’ve had," he said.

Wisconsin worked the transfer portal tirelessly this offseason to upgrade several positions of need on defense, focusing on inside and outside linebackers. But these aren't simply new players; these are players in the mold of what Tressel is looking for, and there's a big difference. Tressel is hoping they aren't just reinforcements; they're the cavalry.

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