Badgers Want 'More Physical' Options in the Nickel Role
The Badgers defense is considering a different look from the slot.
On the first day of Wisconsin Badgers spring football practice, Luke Fickell and his staff ran out safety Austin Brown in the nickel spot, no different than they did against LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Some initially viewed it as a temporary solution prompted by depth issues. Due to the junior's impressive versatility, the Badgers coaches may have a chance to explore some outside-the-box options in the slot.
When asked about some of the candidates to fill the void left behind by Jason Maitre, Fickell seemed more interested in looking at bigger options that can provide the Wisconsin football defense with a different look.
"That's what you love about Austin. You look out there, and you got a guy at 6-foot-1, 6-foot-2 .. 210-215 pounds that's different than a lot of nickel backs that we had in the past played with," Fickell told reporters.