Wisconsin inside linebackers ‘growing up quick’ during fall camp

For two seasons in Madison, Leo Chanel and Jack Sanborn roamed the middle of the field as dominant linebackers and leaders of the defense. Their excellence came with a caveat, though: lack of experience for those behind them.

Of the returning members of the inside linebacker room, Tatum Grass is the most experienced with 63 snaps last season. Maema Njongmeta had 58. Jordan Turner had 24.

That playing time isn’t negligible, but it certainly doesn’t look like much compared to Sanborn and Chanel’s 692 and 607 snaps, respectively. The Badgers’ inside linebackers have some serious production to replace going into the 2022 season.

The successors to Sanborn and Chanel will be decided by a fierce competition between a group of relatively inexperienced but hungry players. At the last practice open to the media on Monday, the first two up were Jake Chaney and Turner, a redshirt sophomore.

With a new position coach in Mark D’Onofrio, the inside linebacker rotation was largely a mystery. Even so, it was still surprising to see Chaney, who had exactly one tackle last year, running with the starters.

“We’re not even in the meat of fall camp yet…there’s definitely room for starters, role players. There’s a lot of questions to be answered,” Chaney told BadgerBlitz.com.

Inside linebacker is one of the many positions at which head coach Paul Chryst expects a “healthy competition.” And it appears Chaney is embracing that battle. If he started on Monday, though, he must’ve had a good practice the last time the Badgers took the field on Friday.

“Whoever has the best practice the day before starts off the next practice. It just goes back and forth, back and forth,” Chaney said.

That’s one of the wrinkles D’Onofrio, who will be tasked with retooling the inside linebacker room after Bill Sheridan’s abrupt resignation in May, has added. Couple that with the departures of Sanborn and Chanel, and the position will look completely different than it did in 2021. But D’Onofrio is comfortable with that, as he pours over game and practice film to determine his rotation.

“It’s our job to figure out who the best guys are,” the coach said. “But the more guys that play at a Big Ten championship level, the more guys will play.”

D’Onofrio is coming into a program with an established defense and philosophy, something he's aware of. He’s been “asking a lot of questions…to find out how kids see certain things, what they feel like has helped them and what they feel like maybe hasn’t.” His approach seems to be resonating with his players.

“(D’Onofrio) brings his personality. He shows that he’s passionate about what he’s doing… Sometimes I feel like he’s gonna come out there and hit the sleds with us, but he knows he can’t do that,” Turner laughed.

“He’s a good dude, I’ll say that first off,” Chaney added. “His knowledge of the game is unmatched, and he’s bringing a lot to the defense.”

The competition that D’Onofrio has facilitated amongst the linebackers is reportedly fierce.

“We’re all pushing each other to be better. It’s been fun, seeing us ball out each day on film, seeing us all flying around and making plays,” Turner said.

“A good competition to watch is JT (Jordan Turner) and Tate (Grass)...They’re playmakers and ballers. It’s a good thing to watch; it elevates your play, too,” Chaney raved.

The Badgers’ linebackers are also seeing their peers come into their own before their very eyes.

“When he came in, he was like a little brother,” Turner said of Chaney. “He grew up kinda quick. He started maturing way faster than I did. And when you see him on the field, man, he’s always twitchy, flying around and thumping. You hear it when Jake is out on the practice field.”

“He’s focused, dialed in. I see it in his eyes.”

For how different the inside linebackers will look this season for the Badgers, they understand their roots and respect the legacy that Sanborn and Chanel left. Chaney spent a season with them, Turner spent two. For a program like Wisconsin that prides itself on player development, Sanborn and Chanel’s relationship and mentorship with the current rotation will be key to replicating their success.

“I just wanted to soak up as much information as I can from them because I knew they were both going to the league,” Turner said.

“I learned a lot of football IQ stuff, to help tip me as to what plays are gonna happen. So, talking to Jack and Leo the whole two years I’ve been here asking them, ‘hey, why’d you do that, why’d you just shoot (the gap), what made you do that?’”

For Chaney, Sanborn isn’t just an older mentor, but a mentor whose style should try to be replicated.

“I watch a lot of his film, I really try to model (his consistency). I watch practice film from his freshman year, practice film from his sophomore year, games from his sophomore year. That’s who I really model my game after. I really look up to him,” Chaney said.

“Learning how they got through the day, how they studied, how they ate, how they hydrated, and how they went around and talked to people. They offered us so much life advice, just by their actions.”

Now, Chaney and Turner, along with Grass, Njongmeta, and the rest of the inside linebackers, will have to step into that role. The Badgers have their defensive leaders, from Nick Herbig preying on quarterbacks to Keeanu Benton overpowering offensive linemen. But with program stalwarts Sanborn and Chanel gone, the rest of the linebackers will have to make like Chaney and grow up quick.

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