Wisconsin football shows off defensive size, new offensive approach in fifth practice of spring

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MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin completed its fifth spring practice Tuesday morning. Here are six takeaways from inside the McClain Center:

1. One thing that has been noticeable about Wisconsin’s defense early this spring has been the size up front. Luke Fickell has said on multiple occasions that a big reason for the team’s defensive struggles late last season was a lack of size and physicality along the line. That’s why Wisconsin got bigger through the transfer portal with Charles Perkins (316 pounds, UT-Martin), Parker Peterson (315 pounds, Tulane), Michael Garner (300 pounds, Grambling State), Jay’viar Suggs (299 pounds, LSU) and Corey Walker (297 pounds, Western Michigan).

Returning defensive lineman Dillan Johnson bulked up from 293 pounds to 312 pounds, while Ben Barten is up from 308 to 323 pounds, and Brandon Lane went from 312 pounds to 320 pounds.

Walker and Garner are listed on the roster as outside linebackers and have spent the spring playing on the edge. Garner forced a fumble from running back Darrion Dupree during practice on Tuesday, while Walker has been a consistent force. That has left a ton of opportunities inside for Perkins, Suggs, Peterson and Barten. Perkins lined up with Peterson and later with Barten. Suggs earned reps with outside linebacker Darryl Peterson, who is playing with his hand on the ground this spring. Perkins and Suggs have brought some needed strength inside.

“They’re grown men and understand, I think, a little bit more of the expectation of what we need,” Luke Fickell said after practice. “For us, it’s still about being able to have five or so of those guys inside there. If you look at us, maybe we had one guy that was 300 pounds last year. And I think we’ve got at least five right now just playing on the interior.”

2. The most notable development about Wisconsin’s offense under coordinator Jeff Grimes hasn’t been an individual standout or position group as much as it has been the overall approach. Grimes has utilized a variety of looks that are predicated on both pre-snap movement and post-snap window dressing. That is, creating the appearance of multiple threats to deceive the defense and still sticking to core plays (with occasional curveballs).

Luke Fickell is entering his third season as Wisconsin’s coach. (Mike De Sisti / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but in some ways, this feels like the type of offense Wisconsin should have had under Fickell all along. The Badgers can play out of the shotgun or under center and certainly can air the ball out. But Fickell said a key will be leaning even more heavily on the offensive line to complement some of the eye candy Grimes has implemented.

“I just think it doesn’t allow people to tee off on us,” Fickell said. “Not just in the pass game but in particular in the run game.”

3. Wisconsin moved Geimere Latimer II, a transfer from Jacksonville State, into the first-team nickel cornerback spot for the first time this spring. Latimer had been playing on the outside, primarily with the second-team defense, but showed versatility last season for the Gamecocks. According to Pro Football Focus, he lined up for 96 snaps in the slot, including 48 in the Cure Bowl against Ohio.

Owen Arnett, who had been working with the top group, earned the bulk of his snaps in the slot with the second-team defense. Safety Austin Brown played more snaps in the slot last season (266) than anybody else, but coaches like Brown at safety paired with Preston Zachman. Wisconsin likely will continue to experiment in the slot. Fickell said cornerback Ricardo Hallman, a three-year starter on the outside, could earn reps in the slot later this spring in some third-down or dime packages. But Fickell likes what Latimer, a 5-foot-10, 191-pound junior, can provide.

“He came from his bowl game straight here,” Fickell said. “And in my eyes, that’s something that like, ‘This guy’s not messing around.’ He’s got some of the intensity, the humble and hungry that I thought we were really looking for. So I think we’re fortunate to have him and be able to get him, and I think we’re going to see a lot more of him.”

4. Wisconsin currently has eight scholarship wide receivers available for practice. Trech Kekahuna is out for the rest of the spring with a left foot/leg injury and watched practice Tuesday while wearing a boot. Mark Hamper, a transfer from Idaho, has not been at the past two open practices, and Fickell said: “We don’t know exactly when he’ll be back, but hopefully we’ll get him back here soon.”

Those absences have helped to give other players opportunities that they have taken advantage of early this spring. Several receivers made impressive downfield plays on the ball on Tuesday. Tyrell Henry caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. over the middle when he leapt over linebacker Thomas Heiberger and in front of Zachman.

Quincy Burroughs caught a pair of 35-yard touchdown passes from backup quarterback Danny O’Neil. One was a catch in traffic as officials called a defensive pass interference on cornerback Omillio Agard. The other came on an O’Neil rollout down the right sideline after a coverage breakdown.

Chris Brooks Jr. earned some snaps with the first-team offense and used his 6-2, 222-pound frame to make a couple of nice catches. Freshman Eugene Hilton Jr. continues to stand out with the reserves because of his playmaking ability. Jayden Ballard, a transfer from Ohio State, has been a favorite target of the quarterbacks. While it’s still early, it would not be a surprise to see him earn a potential starting role on the outside opposite Vinny Anthony.

5. Four of the five spots along the first-team offensive line have rarely, if ever, changed this spring: left tackle Kevin Heywood, left guard Joe Brunner, center Jake Renfro and right tackle Riley Mahlman. The battle for the right guard spot continues.

After offensive line coach AJ Blazek used three players during the first three practices — JP Benzschawel, Kerry Kodanko and Emerson Mandell — Kodanko was back in the spot again Tuesday. Mandell worked as the second-team right tackle alongside right guard Leyton Nelson, center Ryan Cory, left guard Colin Cubberly and left tackle Nolan Davenport.

6. Freshman early enrollee safeties Luke Emmerich and Grant Dean both intercepted passes on Tuesday. Dean intercepted an overthrown ball from walk-on quarterback Milos Spasojevic.

Emmerich made an outstanding play on a pass from freshman quarterback Carter Smith intended for receiver Kyan Berry-Johnson. Emmerich cut off the angle and plucked the pass out of the air just as he leveled Berry-Johnson. Earlier in practice, Emmerich met running back Gideon Ituka along the left sideline, lowered his body and knocked Ituka out of bounds.

“They’re not just going to get three reps,” Fickell said. “You’ve seen those guys in there with the twos, which is a challenge. It’s one thing to go in there with the threes and there’s four calls. It’s another thing to say, ‘Hey we’re putting you in there, you’re going to run with the twos, and we’ve got the whole bank of what we’re calling.’

“There’s guys around you that have played a lot of football, and they have an expectation for you. They made some plays today, which was great to see. I think for me more so they came out here with the right attitude. It didn’t seem like they were nervous or afraid moving up in some of those situations, and I think that goes a lot further than anything else.”

(Top photo of Ben Barten (68): David Banks / Imagn Images)

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