MADISON, Wis. – One of the major concerns inside linebacker coach Bob Bostad had when he took the position in 2017 was finding quality depth behind his two projected starters.

Four seasons later, it is still a primary concern.

Developing quality depth at inside linebacker has been a challenge for the Badgers’ defense over the last several seasons due to a combination of injuries or young players proving they aren’t ready for sustained reps. It’s a situation that has put a burden on Bostad’s starters.

In 2017 and 2018, starters Ryan Connelly and T.J. Edwards played nearly 2,800 snaps, leaving between 300-350 snaps left for the rest of the group. It was the same scenario in 2019 with Jack Sanborn (780 snaps) and Chris Orr (718) handling the brunt of the work while Leo Chenal (145) and Mike Maskalunas (112) worked for the second team.

Even in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Sanborn (413) and Chenal (409) were on the field 93.8 percent of the time.

“I want the absolute best player on the field,” Bostad said. “I am going to play him until I feel like I can’t. We had some options last year and at certain times we put guys in to give them a breather, but it’s definitely a concern.”

But as the Badgers near the halfway point of camp, there’s optimism that Bostad will not have to grind Chenal and Sanborn into the ground for a second straight season.

To begin, Mike Maskalunas elected to return for an extra senior season. Listed as the backup at both inside positions last season, Maskalunas played less than 45 snaps in five games. He’s been out of practice with a core injury but plans to be back practicing before the end of camp.

“I think I’ve gotten to the point where I have a really strong grasp of the playbook in terms of paper football and knowing the x’s and o’s of everything,” said Maskalunas, who was credited with five tackles last year. “The thing I’ve really been striving to workout is making those exciting, play-making-type plays.”

With Maskalunas on the mend, not to mention redshirt freshmen Malik Reed and Jordan Turner also banged up, the reps have gone to a pair of college roommates in sophomores Tatum Grass and Maema Njongmeta. Grass, a walk-on from Holmen, played mostly on special teams last season before cracking into the two-deep late in the season. His production in camp is growing because of his increased level of physicality and confidence as he gets further removed from high school when he played outside linebacker, defensive end and on offense.

“Gaining that mental confidence with the playbook, it was something I hadn’t seen before,” Grass said. “Transitioning into that college defensive system and learning that playbook, I think I’ve come a long way in gaining that confidence.”

Njongmeta was in the same recruiting class as Chenal and likely could have contributed a year ago if it wasn’t for a string of bad luck. Starting with an undiagnosed hernia, Njongmeta dealt with COVID before the season and was held out of practice when tests uncovered a heart (pericardial) effusion.

Less than a year later, Njongmeta is one of the early standouts in camp.

“He’s been invaluable,” Bostad said. “Halfway through camp, he’s doing some really good things, kind of the things that we saw when he was a high school player that we really, really liked. He’s starting to do those things. He’s more comfortable.”

Of all the starters returning to Wisconsin’s defense, Sanborn might be the heartbeat of the unit. The team’s leading tackler for the previous two seasons, he finished his seven-game schedule last year with 52 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and a bowl game interception.

Throughout spring practices, Sanborn has noticeably exerted his leadership skills by spending time on the practice field coaching the players behind him on the depth chart. It’s a way to bring the group together, said Bostad, by one person not playing coy with individual success, as well as solidifying the group’s depth for the fall.

“We’ve always been a group that we’re trying to help each other get better,” Bostad said. “It’s not a hold-on-to-your-secrets type of outfit. We do a lot of that in our meetings, let the players answer questions or they will add on to things. We’ve got quite a few guys who are at that stage in our career that they can help our young guys. That’s huge. Those are some of the things that separate us from other programs. We’re trying to help everybody get better.”