Nose Tackle
Olive Sagapolu is a 6-foot-2, 340-pound beast of a man who played well as a freshman last season. He played his best game against USC in the Holiday Bowl, where he recorded his lone tackle for loss last season. A year of experience should help Sagapolu feel more comfortable under the nose and be a physical force between the two defensive ends. Sagapolu also put on some weight after a summer of workouts, which should also help him solidify his place in the teeth of the Badgers’ defense.
Garrett Rand can supposedly bench press 560 pounds and should be a formidable backup for Sagapolu. Rand, the Badgers’ highest-rated recruit from the 2016 class, weighs only 274 pounds, which could cause him problems when facing beefy Big Ten lines.
DE
Chikwe Obasih enters his third year as a starter for the Badgers and will be in a competition with fellow end Conor Sheehy for UW’s best linemen. An outspoken and charismatic player, the 6-foot-3 Obasih led all Badger linemen with 41 total tackles, including five for a loss. He will need to step up to help replace the loss of senior Arthur Goldberg, who is out for the season with a head injury. Obasih had just one sack last year, so he could stand to improve on his pass rushing ability. One thing to watch out for: Obasih had his best game of the season last year in his opener against Alabama. He had five tackles, including one for a loss. A good game against a top team is certainly great, but Obasih needs to keep that production consistent throughout the year for him to emerge as an impact player for the Badgers.
Conor Sheehy impressed last year as a freshman and, like Obasih, needs to take it to another level to fully replace Goldberg. Sheehy had two sacks and three tackles for loss in his first year as a Badger. According to the Wisconsin State Journal’s Jason Galloway, he packed on 15 pounds of muscle in the off-season and his improved physique should help him to compile another strong campaign and will be key for the Badgers after the loss of Goldberg. If he cannot step up his game to the next level though, Goldberg’s absence will be far more pronounced.
Alec James figures to be a consistent role player for Wisconsin after starting three games over his first two years in Madison. Last season, James played 14 games in all and is expected to be on the field for plenty of snaps again this year.
Billy Hirschfeld is a mammoth, at 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, and should be an effective defensive end in his second year as a backup for the Badgers. He played in three games last year as a redshirt freshman, but should be on the field more this year to help relieve Obasih and Sheehy.
