Pick Six Previews: Wisconsin Badgers defense 'trending up' entering 2024

The Wisconsin Badgers are ‘trending up’ on the defensive side of the football entering the 2024 season according to Pick Six Previews.

The popular preview magazine migrated its Big Ten defense preview to 247Sports.com, where it explained which direction each of the conference’s defensive units are trending entering the year.

Wisconsin is firmly in the ‘trending up’ category after 2023 saw a year of transition on that side of the football.

The Badgers still performed well overall, finishing No. 21 in the nation in points allowed per game (20.2) and No. 39 in total defense (344.0 yards allowed per game). But those marks both slipped from the Badgers’ sky-high standard under ace defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

Head coach Luke Fickell and new DC Mike Tressel were working to install a new system and turn over the roster, which predictably led to some playing out-of-position and a general lack of continuity.

Now the group returns almost all of its key starters, plus added several impact transfers both at defensive line and linebacker. That strong returning core and Fickell’s history on defense has the group in Pick Six Previews’ ‘trending up’ category:

Here’s the specific reasoning behind Wisconsin’s status:

“Nine of their previous ten defenses placed in the Top 25 of my opponent-adjusted metric, but the 2023 unit fell to 31st of 70 Power 5. Shockingly only one defender landed on the All-Big Ten team which is usually well-stocked with Badgers. Hunter Wohler returns as the clear MVP, they have a Top 25 mark in returning production, and are No. 22 in the two-year transfer ranks. In Luke Fickell’s second season I expect a return to their usual spot in the defensive Top 25.”

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