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Wisconsin football: 10 players on defense who stood out in fall camp

A look at 10 players on the Wisconsin Badgers defense who stood out during the four open practices available to media members.

Matt Belz

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Fall camp is a key opportunity for players to showcase their abilities and prove to the coaching staff that they are worthy of playing time.

With the Wisconsin Badgers looking to replace several starters from last year's defense, there were a number of players who made the most of more opportunities this fall.

After highlighting 10 players from the offense yesterday, here is a look at 10 players from the Wisconsin defense who boosted their stock during fall camp and stood out in the four practices available to media members. 

Contents

  1. Rodas Johnson
  2. Jake Chaney
  3. Jay Shaw
  4. Darryl Peterson
  5. James Thompson Jr. 
  6. Gio Paez
  7. Kaden Johnson
  8. Bryan Sanborn
  9. Ricardo Hallman
  11. Hunter Wohler

Rodas Johnson

While the wide receivers on the offense got most of the attention in fall camp, the Wisconsin defensive line also flashed throughout the four practices open to reporters. 

The defensive lineman who stood out the most? Rodas Johnson.

The redshirt junior was a disruptive force on several occasions and looks poised to have a breakout season as a first-time starter. 

Johnson had multiple sacks and a handful of tackles for loss during the 11-on-11 portions of the practices available, and his energy along the line was infectious. 

Defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej had this to say about Johnson's camp:

"Rodas has always had a gifted toolbox, you know he's explosive, he can run extremely well. He's fast, he's quick, he's strong, he's all those things. I think what he is starting to do is figure out which tools to use and when to use them to his advantage."

You can read our entire breakdown of Johnson's emergence here. 

Jake Chaney

Another player who stood out in fall camp was inside linebacker Jake Chaney. The sophomore linebacker displayed his speed and ability to get downhill during practice. 

Chaney played primarily on special teams last season, but he has done a phenomenal job of using that experience to his advantage this fall. 

A physical and smart young player, Chaney is fighting for a starting spot at inside linebacker and is one of the top contenders after his performance in camp. 

Wisconsin outside linebackers coach Bobby April specifically mentioned Chaney as someone who he thought flashed early on, and the sophomore from Florida should see the field plenty in 2022. 

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Jay Shaw

Without Alexander Smith, who cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat believes is his top cornerback, UCLA transfer Jay Shaw has stepped up in practice. 

The sixth-year senior was a second-team All-Pac 12 performer a season ago, and he is expected to be one of the two starters when the season opens on September 3. 

Shaw was rarely beat in the practices available to media members and was the most physical cornerback on the roster with his tackling ability. He consistently showed a willingness to come up in run support, and Shaw should provide the Badgers some flexibility this season. 

Of all of the corners who were available in the fall, Shaw was the player that looked the best. 

Darryl Peterson

Wisconsin has arguably the most depth they have ever had at the outside linebacker position entering 2022, and a former four-star outside linebacker Darryl Peterson is a big reason why. The redshirt freshman provides the team with versatility after being cross-trained to play both the boundary and field side roles in the spring, and he made a number of great plays this fall. 

Peterson's quickness and strength off the edge make him maybe the second-best pass rusher after Nick Herbig on the roster, and he is pushing C.J. Goetz for a starting spot this fall. 

While Goetz will probably get the initial start against Illinois State, Peterson will likely rotate in frequently, and he could be a difference-maker based on what he has shown in practice. 

His position coach, Bobby April, had this to say about what Peterson brings to the defense:

"Versatility, and the twitch. He is really explosive when he moves and it is fun to watch him play."

James Thompson Jr. 

James Thompson Jr. is one of the biggest defensive linemen on Wisconsin's roster, but he showcased his quickness this fall as well.

The 6-foot-5 defensive end is a starting caliber player, based on his play in camp, and should see plenty of playing time behind Isaiah Mullens and Rodas Johnson. Thompson had multiple tackles for loss this past Sunday and is one of the more physically impressive players on the roster.

He was someone who stood out in the spring as well, and he continues to develop with increased opportunities.

Here is what defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej had to say about James:

"He is as strong as anybody you have on the team, so he has really built himself up to give himself a chance to be not just a contributor or just a guy, he's got a chance to be a dominant force on the field."

Gio Paez

With Keeanu Benton back this fall, there is little doubt that he is the No. 1 nose tackle this season. However, there were questions about who would step up to be the No. 2 option behind the star defensive lineman. 

In the four open practices, I was impressed by the play of Gio Paez, who took the majority of the second-team reps at the position. The nose tackle spot is so important in Wisconsin's 3-4 defense, and Paez not only looks like a capable contributor behind Benton but a likely successor in 2023. 

Paez did not participate in the spring, so his ability to stay healthy and help the team this fall is great to see. 

Kaden Johnson

Outside linebacker Kaden Johnson was another standout in fall camp. Working behind Nick Herbig as the No. 2 field side outside linebacker throughout the practices we saw, Johnson showed an improved ability to get after the quarterback. 

Johnson is a former four-star recruit, and he is starting to flash that playmaking ability. On August 13, he had his best practice, successfully getting to the quarterback for a sack and forcing a tackle for loss in team time. 

While Herbig will be on the field most of the time, Johnson should allow the Badgers to rotate players at that spot to keep Herbig fresh. 

Here is what outside linebackers coach Bobby April had to say about the redshirt sophomore:

"He's consistent. He's consistent, working his tail off. Improving on his pass rush, setting the edge. Did work on a couple of techniques, but he is getting better every day."

Bryan Sanborn

Since missing the first open practice, Bryan Sanborn has quickly risen into contention for playing time at inside linebacker based on a strong fall camp. 

Sanborn earned first-team reps on Sunday and has proved to be a physical player in fall camp. After redshirting a year ago, Sanborn is looking to follow a similar path to playing time as his brother, who earned a starting role in his second year in the program.

The battle at inside linebacker still appears to be pretty wide-open with just under two weeks until the first game, but Sanborn is a player that is pushing for a role on the defense. 

Ricardo Hallman

Taking advantage of some injuries in the secondary, Ricardo Hallman worked with the first-team defense at cornerback all through fall camp. 

Only a redshirt freshman, Hallman was consistently in a good position in coverage and had a few pass breakups during practice. The Florida native had double-digit interceptions during his high school career and displayed tremendous ball skills for a cornerback. 

Hallman proved to be one of the team's best cornerbacks this fall, and he should see the field plenty in 2022, regardless of when Alexander Smith comes back from his hamstring injury.

This is what his position coach, Hank Poteat, had to say about Hallman heading into fall practice:

"In the spring one thing that stood out was his work ethic and his preparation. He would come see me every day before and after practice. He was always trying to find tendencies from the offense, he would want to do thing after practice on the field. But just the details of the position he really focused on in the spring, which allowed him to play fast, but play with more control. I'm looking forward to see how he continues elevate his game this camp and competes."

Hunter Wohler

After playing in every game last season, Hunter Wohler seems ready for a big sophomore campaign. The former four-star recruit has worked exclusively with the first-team defense and is a probable starter at safety with John Torchio.

Wohler is an incredibly fluid defensive player, and he plays with a level of speed that is impressive in person. A hard hitter, Wohler did a tremendous job of coming down in run support and proved to be an excellent blitzer. Wohler had a couple of sacks during the four open practices, and he could be one of the top tacklers on the team in 2022. 

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Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

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