MADISON, Wis. — Too many disastrous performances offset moments of near-brilliance for Wisconsin’s defense last season. For as much as the Badgers were lauded defensively in close losses to College Football Playoff teams Penn State and Oregon, they also were dominated against other foes in ways rarely seen at Wisconsin.

Case in point: Allowing at least 40 points in three games, which hadn’t occurred since the last time Wisconsin missed a bowl game in 2001. Or surrendering an average of 165 yards rushing per game, the worst mark for the program since 2005.

Wisconsin has a major challenge on its hands entering Year 3 under defensive coordinator Mike Tressel and will have a new-look unit that features 14 scholarship freshmen and at least a dozen transfers. Who will emerge? Here is an early view of the projected two-deep for 2025 on defense and special teams.

Defensive line

Wisconsin underwent a massive defensive line overhaul, which makes this one of the most difficult positions to project. Five transfer portal players have been added. Only three scholarship players remain from last season. Barten started every game last season, though with limited productivity, and should be challenged for a starting spot. Petersen was brought in to be an interior run stopper, which is an area in which the Badgers struggled. Walker tallied 5.5 sacks and will help Wisconsin at defensive end.

It remains to be seen how Tressel uses two or three linemen on the field, but the Badgers have options. Johnson showed promise as a freshman. Perkins was an FCS All-American in 2023. Suggs was a backup at LSU but notched 14.5 sacks the previous two seasons at Division II Grand Valley State.

After transfer exodus, who are the newcomers that will shape Wisconsin's D-line?

Outside linebacker

Wisconsin’s outside linebackers weren’t nearly impactful enough as a group, and the hope is Reiger and Fearbry can help to change that issue. Reiger missed last season at Louisville with an injury but was second on the team with five sacks the previous year. Nobody on Wisconsin’s team had more than three sacks last season. Peterson underwhelmed in a different role that included him putting his hand in the ground in some pass-rushing situations but tallied 4.5 sacks two seasons ago. Fearbry said coaches want to use him as a field-side outside linebacker.

Witt informed The Athletic he will return for a sixth season. His 4.5 tackles for loss were the best among outside linebackers last season. Heiberger would have been part of the rotation last season if not for a preseason injury and could break through in Year 2. Williams represented a major recruiting win when he flipped from Michigan and gives Wisconsin a long, athletic body at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds.

Inside linebacker

Alliegro had a breakout sophomore season when he finished second on the team in tackles (66) and tackles for loss (5.5) and tied for first in sacks (three). His 16-tackle game against Iowa represented the most by any Wisconsin player since Leo Chenal three years earlier. Curtis didn’t have the type of season he likely expected after recovering from offseason hernia surgery but showed glimpses of his potential.

Turner could contend for a starting spot as well after notching 61 tackles and three sacks at FCS Western Carolina. He said he ran a similar defense there and will play the strongside, or “Mike,” linebacker role at Wisconsin. The Badgers signed a pair of strong inside linebackers in the 2025 class. Catalano finished with 583 career tackles, shattering the state of Wisconsin’s all-time tackling record of 462. Posa notched 133 tackles and 21 tackles for loss in leading his high school team to a New Mexico state championship.

Cornerback

Hallman informed The Athletic last week he will return for a fifth season, which represents a significant addition for Wisconsin considering he has 33 career starts and has started every game the past two seasons. It’s the positions around Hallman that generate questions. Wisconsin is attempting to add through the transfer portal but has signed Hill and Latimer. Hill started nine games at Marshall in 2023 and five games at Miami last season. Latimer played more snaps last season than anyone in the room and recorded 46 tackles and three interceptions for Jacksonville State.

What does Wisconsin do with its slot corner spot? Brown is a safety but played 266 of his 459 snaps in the slot last season. Latimer played 96 snaps in the slot last season and Hill 29 snaps. Arnett also has experience playing the position, primarily in practice.

Safety

Zachman’s decision to return helps to fortify the back end with a proven veteran. He started all 12 games for Wisconsin last season and ranked third on the team with 58 tackles and fourth with four tackles for loss. Traynor, a transfer from Richmond, was his conference’s rookie of the year and could slide into a starting role with Zachman.

Jung’s rise from Division III Bethel to Wisconsin has been remarkable. He earned the Cliff Harris Award, presented to the small college defensive player of the year, after tallying 109 tackles and leading DIII with nine interceptions and four pick sixes. Arnett could occupy a spot in the two-deep, but there are opportunities for several underclassmen to make a move.

Kicker

Vakos had the worst season of his three-year college career, connecting on 12 of 19 field goal attempts and just 6 of 12 tries from between 30-49 yards. Lahm has a strong leg and could challenge for the role if Vakos struggles further next season.

Punter

Perhaps no player improved more last season than Bertrams, who became a substantial weapon at punter. He averaged 45.3 yards per punt and boomed 15 punts of at least 50 yards. Anderson was a transfer portal addition this offseason from Michigan.

Kickoff specialist

Lahm handled all 56 of Wisconsin’s kickoffs and increased his average by three yards from the previous season while recording 38 touchbacks, though he did boot three kickoffs out of bounds for penalties.

Long snapper

Wisconsin went to the transfer portal for its long snapper for a second consecutive offseason. Stein was the starting long snapper for Arkansas for two seasons but left the team before the start of last season due to a reduced role.

Punt returner

Wisconsin must figure out more ways for Kekahuna to make an impact, and one of those ways could be as a punt returner. Although he didn’t handle punts in games last season, it is a role he has done in practice. With top punt returner Hunter Wohler gone and Vinny Anthony II potentially handling kickoffs in addition to starting at wide receiver, this could be a spot for Kekahuna. Henry returned three punts for 17 yards last season but muffed a punt for a turnover against USC that led to a touchdown.

Kick returner

Anthony, a kick returner for the past two seasons, ranked second in the Big Ten and 10th in the FBS with a return average of 27.9 yards last season. Kekahuna and Yacamelli both returned kicks last season. Kekahuna averaged 20.3 yards on seven returns, while Yacamelli averaged 20.8 yards on five returns.