Wisconsin Football News and Notes From the Week 1 Media Availability

Wisconsin Badgers head football coach Luke Fickell took the podium to share his thoughts on where the team stands heading into the season opener against Western Michigan on Friday.

Here are five key takeaways from Coach Fickell’s media availability ahead of the Badgers matchup against the Broncos at Camp Randall:

James Thompson Jr. likely out for the 2024 season due to injury

On Monday, Coach Fickell confirmed a report that the Wisconsin Badgers will be without defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. for the foreseeable future, likely losing him for the entire 2024 season after getting surgery.

"No, it doesn't look like James is probably going to make it. I don't know that we'll have him for the year," Fickell said . "There's a lot of things that are still, wait and see, right? I don't know if it's a four to five-month thing. He had surgery, I think, last week. We really haven't really talked about it, but it's a big loss. It's tough, a guy in his senior year that has been through so many things and has meant so much to us."

"Now he'll be in a little bit of a different role for us this year. I don't know that we'll have a chance to get him back."

In Thompson's absence, Curt Neal and Ben Barten are expected to be the projected starters for Wisconsin on the defensive line. Transfers Elijah Hills and Brandon Lane should also factor in, as well as Cade McDonald.

It will depend on health, but true freshman Dillan Johnson could get an opportunity to push for snaps as the year wears on. Either way, this position group couldn't afford to lose a starting-caliber player but will now have no choice but to pick up the pieces and mend them back together.

Chez Mellusi is healthy and confident heading into the opener

And then there's Chez Mellusi. Injuries have been his story, missing 17 of 39 possible games while in Madison. Still, Fickell shed some light on how far Mellusi has come in his recovery, which could be vital to the Badgers finding an identity on offense this season.

"Yeah, that's the thing... injuries are injuries, and how people deal with them are really key and critical, and Chez has had his... He's had his ups, and he's had his downs... We love Chez, and we want him to have an incredible season," Fickell said. "The thing about it is building that confidence from coming back from a lot of those injuries... He's in a much different place from what I've known, even from last year...

"He's had a great attitude, he's worked his tail off... But that confidence level of truly carrying the football, truly making plays, truly taking care of it... I think it's really helped build his confidence, not just in his leg but in all things... So I'm excited to see him play... I really do think that his confidence level is in a really good place."

The Badgers will have the luxury of putting Mellusi in a timeshare with transfer Tawee Walker, which should, in theory, allow him to stay fresh. Not to mention, Jackson Acker plus a pair of true freshmen, Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree, are also expected to factor in.

Mellusi won't have to be the bell cow for Wisconsin, which is a plus, but the fact he's healthy and running confidently heading into the Western Michigan game is a positive sign for one of the offense's focal points.

Max Lofy is one of the most improved players on the roster

This one’s fascinating. Fickell highlighted Max Lofy as one of the most improved players on the roster. Lofy has gone from flying under the radar to a pleasant surprise in spring practice to earning Fickell’s respect with his work ethic and ultimately winning the starting nickel role in camp.

"It's hard to say exactly where he was before... but I would say Max Lofy has made the biggest leap... We didn't really know where he was last year. But from the start of spring to now... I don’t think there's another guy in our program that I have as much respect for," Fickell said.

"He wasn't handed anything... there was a time he was probably on the bubble to be here... But how he's gone about his business, how he's worked, how he's been in a spot where nobody knew who he was because he was hurt... But he has done an unbelievable job of winning everybody over and taking advantage of every opportunity... I really expect big things for him, and I’m excited to watch him play this season."

Lofy, one of the holdovers from the Paul Chryst era, is set to see plenty of action for the Badgers in the slot, starting alongside Ricardo Hallman and Nyzier Fourqurean. The cornerback room, as a whole, is significantly deeper than it was at this point last season, with guys like Jonas Duclona, RJ Delancy, and Xavier Lucas also expected to contribute on Saturdays.

Let's also not forget that Lofy has shown some versatility in camp, which has allowed Wisconsin coaches to move him and Austin Brown around a little bit interchangeably, adding another layer to this secondary.

Sebastian Cheeks has found a home at outside linebacker

Now, this is one of the more intriguing position shifts. Fickell discussed how moving Sebastian Cheeks to Matt Mitchell's outside linebacker in camp seems like a natural fit even though injuries to Thomas Heiberger and Aaron Witt prompted the switch.

His athleticism on the edge has impressed, and it looks like Cheeks, who was once buried on the depth chart at inside linebacker, could potentially make an impact in his new role as the SAM this season.

"Well, sometimes things that happen, injuries that happen, help you find other things as well... When Thomas Heiberger went down, we became thinner at the outside linebacker position... We decided to try Sebastian over there... He'd been getting a lot of reps at the inside linebacker spot, but putting him on the edge in third down situations seemed pretty natural for him... In just two or three days, we really feel like we found probably his most natural position.

"I'm not saying he can't play inside linebacker, but from what we've seen, particularly at the SAM backer for us, is a real home for him... His athleticism, his ability to play in space as a potential drop guy, and his ability to rush the passer make him a unique, different type of pass-rushing guy that could provide a lot for us throughout this entire season."

While Leon Lowery and John Pius were listed as co-starters on the initial two-deep , it's become clear this coaching staff wants to rotate and put guys in specific packages that accentuate their strengths. With Cheeks adapting to the outside so quickly and some uncertainty behind the top three guys, snaps should be available at OLB.

Preston Zachman's consistency earned him a starting job at safety

Consistency is the name of the game here. Coach Fickell praised senior Preston Zachman for earning the starting job at safety, noting his ability to solve problems and adapt within a system that’s far from simple.

Zachman’s steady play has given the Badgers coaching staff confidence heading into Week 1 that he's the best man for the job.

"So I think it starts with consistency... Preston missed all of spring football... Coach Grinch didn't even know who he was because he was out... Then, with injuries like Kamo'is [Latu] during fall camp, there were more opportunities for guys... We moved them around... For example, with what Max Loy has done playing the nickel spot, that allowed us to move Austin Brown around... You'll see different combinations...

"But all in all, what Preston has done with his consistency in the back end, and our system, which isn’t super simple... we changed it up quite a bit... His ability to be a problem solver has given us a lot of confidence in him, and he'll be the guy starting."

Zachman quietly put together a solid season in 2023, finishing as the Badgers' second-highest graded safety (66.8) behind Hunter Wohler. While his game might not have any elite traits, Zachman is above average, seemingly across the board, and very dependable. This will be a deep room overall, and I think it's a big deal that he won this job in camp.

Related: Wisconsin Football Opens up 2024 Season in the Top 25 of JP Poll

Stay in the loop with all things Wisconsin Badgers football and men’s basketball by visiting AllBadgers.com for more updates.

Ready to join the community? Follow Athlon Sports on YouTube , Facebook , and X to join in on the conversation.

You can also follow Site Publisher Dillon Graff at @DillonGraff on X.