Who played for the Badgers on defense on Thursday?
The Wisconsin Badgers beat the Miami (OH) RedHawks 17-0 to start the season, getting through a quarterback injury and battling through adversity in the season opener.
It was the fourth straight year that the Badgers have won their season opener, and they did so in a shutout effort for the first time since Week 1 of 2022.
Here are the defensive snap counts from the Week 1 win over Miami (OH), per PFF.
Defensive Line
Jay’Viar Suggs – Snap Count: [18]
Brandon Lane – Snap Count: [17]
Parker Petersen – Snap Count: [12]
Ben Barten – Snap Count: [12]
Charles Perkins – Snap Count: [9]
Dillan Johnson – Snap Count: [7]
Corey Walker – Snap Count: [5]
Outside Linebackers
Sebastian Cheeks – Snap Count: [31]
Mason Reiger – Snap Count: [30]
Darryl Peterson – Snap Count: [22]
Tyreese Fearbry – Snap Count: [12]
Nicolas Clayton – Snap Count: [1]
Aaron Witt – Snap Count: [1]
Linebackers
Tackett Curtis – Snap Count: [39]
Christian Alliegro – Snap Count: [37]
Thomas Heiberger – Snap Count: [7]
Cooper Catalano – Snap Count: [5]
Cornerbacks
Ricardo Hallman – Snap Count: [44]
Geimere Latimer – Snap Count: [36]
D’Yoni Hill – Snap Count: [29]
Omillio Agard – Snap Count: [15]
Owen Arnett – Snap Count: [7]
Safeties
Austin Brown – Snap Count: [39]
Preston Zachman – Snap Count: [36]
Matt Jung – Snap Count: [11]
Matthew Traynor – Snap Count: [2]
Personal Thoughts
This is what Luke Fickell talked about when mentioning defensive line depth. The Badgers, quite frankly, weren’t on defense much on Thursday, so there aren’t as many snaps as you’d expect in a regular game.
But, Wisconsin rotated seven defensive linemen, keeping guys fresh and productive up front, with guys like Brandon Lane standing out. Lane seems to have improved, now being atop the depth chart at the position with Jay’Viar Suggs.
At outside linebacker, Mason Reiger and Sebastian Cheeks were both highly impressive, arguably having the best defensive performances of anyone outside Preston Zachman on Thursday. They each played a significant amount, but Darryl Peterson also saw the field for a high number of snaps.
Peterson’s ability to rush from the interior gives him more opportunity, while the Badgers have a solid two-deep with Tyreese Fearbry in the mix as well. Also, Wisconsin ran out true freshman Nicolas Clayton out on a third-down rush, where his speed and bend off the edge were seen.
At linebacker, it was expected that Tackett Curtis and Christian Alliegro commanded a large portion of the snaps. But, true freshman Cooper Catalano was out there, showing where he already stands on the depth chart.
At cornerback, the Badgers don’t have much depth, which is why Ricardo Hallman led the defense in snaps. Geimere Latimer was also the main nickel back, with Owen Arnett spelling him near the end of the game. The main rotation was between D’Yoni Hill and Omillio Agard, with the former having the advantage currently.
At safety, it was also expected that Austin Brown and Preston Zachman commanded most of the snaps.
Category: General Sports
