The Wisconsin football team’s defense has reached the point in fall camp where Mike Tressel is looking for more than players being in the right place.
He wants them finishing plays.
That has been particularly important for a Wisconsin defense that finished last nationally with just six takeaways a year ago. The Badgers have spent months emphasizing opportunities to attack the football, and Tressel believes that focus is beginning to produce results as camp progresses.
At the same time, several younger players are beginning to push for larger roles, the pass rush has given Tressel reasons for optimism, and the defensive coordinator believes improved communication is providing another indication that his group is becoming more confident.
Here were the biggest takeaways from Tressel’s fall camp media availability.
Wisconsin’s turnover emphasis is starting to produce results
Creating more takeaways has been one of Wisconsin’s biggest defensive priorities.
During spring practice, Tressel called the emphasis “opportunity awareness.” The Badgers wanted defenders recognizing situations when ball carriers weren’t protecting themselves and understanding when opportunities existed to attack the football.
Recognition is no longer enough.
“When we got to fall camp we said, okay, there’s no more participation medals,” Tressel said. “We’re doing a great job recognizing those situations and having the opportunity awareness. Now we have to get it out.”
Tressel believes that message has started showing up on the field.
Wisconsin tracks takeaways throughout practice and turns them into a competition. According to Tressel, the Badgers are creating more turnovers during this fall camp than they did a year ago.
“You can just see the intent and intensity rise,” Tressel said. “And then once one person does it, it snowballs. That’s momentum, and that’s real.”
That emphasis extends to the secondary.
Tressel wants the defensive backs to finish plays when they’re in position rather than settle for tight coverage. Playing the football requires confidence, and that’s something he believes is improving.
“Your willingness to play the ball, look back to the ball, has a lot to do with your confidence,” Tressel said.
The same thing is happening at linebacker.
Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano give Wisconsin established options at the top, but Tressel has been encouraged by the development behind them. Thomas Heiberger is finally healthy enough physically and mentally to play multiple positions without slowing himself down, while JUCO transfer Taylor Schaefer has consistently found the football.
Tressel admitted he recently found himself wishing Schaefer’s development were moving faster before another coach offered some perspective.
“There’s not a person on our defense who’s causing more turnovers,” Tressel recalled the coach telling him. “What are you looking for out of a linebacker? And I’m like, it’s a hell of a point.”
Tressel is encouraged by Wisconsin’s pass rush, but wants to see the finish
Evaluating a pass rush during camp comes with an obvious limitation. Wisconsin’s defenders can’t hit their quarterbacks.
That makes Tressel hesitant to declare the Badgers have solved anything before seeing whether disruption becomes sacks when games begin.
“It is ultimately about finish, right?” Tressel said. “It’s about finish.”
Still, he likes what he’s seeing.
Wisconsin’s pass rushers have developed a much clearer understanding of how they win. Tressel wants power rushers relying on their strength rather than trying to become finesse players, while speed rushers need to trust the athleticism that makes them dangerous.
“I think we’re impacting the quarterback greatly,” Tressel said. “And game times we’re going to know about the finish.”
Sebastian Cheeks and Nick Clayton have been two players who stand out in that regard.
Cheeks flashed during his transition to edge last season, finishing with 25 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and 27 pressures. But Tressel felt some of his confidence disappeared when he went from succeeding against familiar teammates in practice to facing unfamiliar opponents.
That hesitation appears to be disappearing.
“Right now, I think his confidence can’t be shaken,” Tressel said. “He believes in himself. He believes that it doesn’t matter who it is, and if you can have that mindset and that skill set, that’s a fantastic combo.”
Clayton has taken a physical step forward.
“He won’t take a backseat to anybody,” Tressel said. “So now that he’s bigger and stronger in addition to that mindset and skill set, that’s a huge jump that you’ll see.”
Tyreese Fearbry has also become more consistent while handling responsibilities at both edge spots, giving Wisconsin another option within the rotation.
Tressel sees confidence becoming a defining trait of the defense
Tressel has a simple way of judging whether his defense truly understands what it’s doing.
He listens.
“I think volume is an indication of confidence,” Tressel said.
When Wisconsin’s defenders understand the call and trust one another, communication becomes louder and more natural. If Tressel installs something and suddenly doesn’t hear the same communication, that’s an indication the defense might be carrying too much mentally.
“A loud defense is an indication of a confident defense, which is when you play fast,” Tressel said.
That confidence is beginning to show up in individual players.
Cairo Skanes, who moved from corner to safety, had stretches during the spring and early fall camp when Tressel considered him “occasionally great.” What Wisconsin needed was considerably more consistency.
“Consistency’s coming through now,” Tressel said. “Consistency’s coming through now, and the greats are gonna happen.”
Tressel sees something similar happening with Missouri transfer Marvin Burks Jr., who registered 49 total tackles, an interception return for a touchdown, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and one pass breakup last season in the SEC. Burks has now reached the point where Wisconsin’s system feels like his own rather than something he’s still learning after arriving from another program.
Freshman cornerback Donovan Dunmore has also caught Tressel’s attention because of how seriously he’s approached his first college camp.
“He fires me up because he’s really businesslike,” Tressel said. “We know he can run, but he’s really businesslike in his approach.”
Wisconsin still won’t know exactly what it has until the defense is allowed to finish sacks, tackle quarterbacks and create turnovers when the results count.
But Tressel is seeing many of the indicators he wants.
The defense is communicating. Players are attacking the football with greater intent. Younger options are emerging behind the established contributors, and the pass rush is creating disruption.
For Tressel, the next step is making sure those encouraging signs from fall camp become finished plays once the games begin.
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