Wisconsin Fall Camp Preview: Outside Linebacker/Edge Rusher
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin and head coach Luke Fickell will open up fall camp at the end of the month in what his a critical year three at the helm. What do the Badgers have in the cupboard at outside linebacker and edge rusher? Badger Blitz breaks things down ahead of fall camp…
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
Outside Linebacker
1. Darryl Peterson – Sr.
2. Sebastian Cheeks – Jr.
3. Tyreese Fearbry – Jr.
4. Nicolas Clayton – Fr.
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EDGE
1. Corey Walker – Sr.
2. Mason Reiger – Sr.
3. Micheal Garner – Jr.
4. Ernest Willor Jr. – Fr
In terms of depth, this is where Wisconsin really stands out. Making their defense bigger and more physical, the Badgers added four transfers between these two positions and a pair of true freshmen who have a chance to make noise early in their careers.
“I think one thing we’ve done is increase the versatility of skillsets between the outside backers and edge,” assistant coach Matt Mitchell said.
Peterson is the veteran of the group. Now a three-year starter, Peterson has 40 games of experience under his belt. Last season, Peterson posted 28.0 tackles and 1.0 sack. As a sophomore, Peterson had career-highs in tackles (47), sacks (4.5), tackles for loss (10.0), and pass breakups (2).
On the other side, UW should be much more fluid with the lineup. Walker, a transfer from Western Michigan, took the majority of the first-team reps. Walker is coming off a junior season in which he had 38.0 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Garner worked back and forth between the first and second-team units. A high-upside, late bloomer, Garner comes over from Grambling State, where he had 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 2024. The big question is Reiger, who missed all of the 2024 season due to injury and sat out of spring ball as well. If healthy, the Louisville transfer may stake a claim to the starting job as he went for 5.5 sacks back in 2023.
NUMBER TO KNOW – 2
Wisconsin was one of the worst defenses in the country at generating pressure last season. The Badgers got just 6.5 combined sacks from their outside linebackers in 2024. Of those 6.5 sacks, 2.0 came from the starters, Peterson and Leon Lowery, now at Illinois. Cheeks led the group with 2.0 sacks.
As previously discussed, UW has shifted this room around, going with a traditional outside linebacker on one side with a bigger, more physical edge rusher on the other. However, the defense will be multiple, so don’t expect the Badgers to necessarily stick with that scenario for all 60 minutes each Saturday. Mitchell and defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow work together. These edge rushers can either stand up or play with their hand in the dirt and many have the versatility to slide inside. If UW wants to be faster and more athletic, they have Feabry/Garner/Clayton lineups. If the Badgers need to bow up and stop the run, Walker/Peterson is likely the base. Not sure what the offense is going to throw at you? Cheeks/Reiger can be your jack-of-all-trades lineup.
There’s a lot of mixing and matching that’s likely to take place this season, which the Badgers hope will lead to more havoc plays.
YOUNGSTER TO WATCH
Even though this room is stacked, I don’t think outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell is keeping Clayton on the sidelines this fall. Among the many early enrollees, arguably no true freshman had a better spring than Clayton, who had three sacks in the Spring Showcase. A 6-foot-5, 225-pound outside linebacker with a terrific get-off, a relentless pass rushing mentality, and some intriguing length, Clayton has all the tools to be a really good one in Madison.
“We further expect him to continue to grow,” said Mitchell. “I’ve seen some really good things out of Nick. Can’t make promises or guarantees, but he’s definitely on a path to help us in the fall. I think that role is probably going to be as a pass rusher.”
POTENTIAL SURPRISE PLAYER
Going into fall camp, I would venture that Peterson, Walker, Garner, Reiger (if healthy), and Cheeks are going to be staples in the rotation. A player outside that group I would watch is Fearbry.
One of the more intriguing off-season additions for Wisconsin, Fearbry didn’t put up big numbers at Kentucky as a sophomore, tallying 14.0 tackles. However, Fearbry was playing out of position and still appeared in 27 games over the last three seasons. Showing some big flashes as a stand-up edge rusher, Fearbry had some dominant stretches in spring ball. While he’s listed at 6-foot-4, Fearbry’s length makes him appear closer to 6-foot-6, and he’s one of the fastest players in Mitchell’s room.
ONE BIG QUESTION
With all the bodies and potential combinations, can Wisconsin make this work seamlessly?
One of the underlying storylines to watch this season, is not only can the Badgers start to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks consistently, but how they will go about it. Guessing there’s going to be a lot on Mitchell’s and Whitlow’s plates this season to really getting the right lineups on the field at the right time. There are also a lot of bodies to work with his various skillsets.
It’s a problem, but a good problem to have. Keep track of substitutions more on the front seven this season, more than most, and how those decisions potentially impact the following play.
2025 FORECAST
Been fooled before, but if you’re a Wisconsin fan, you have to absolutely love the makeup of this room. The Badgers have three seniors who can presumably carry the load in 2025 and a bunch of players pushing them if things don’t go according to plan. Between Clayton, Williams, and Willor, the future should be quite bright as well going into 2026. Even if those three aren’t quite ready next season, Fearbry and Garner, both starter-level contributors, should be ready to roll.
