Why Christian Alliegro could be the next star linebacker for the Wisconsin Badgers
Christian Alliegro chose football over lacrosse, trusted the process, and is now on track to become the next standout linebacker for the Wisconsin Badgers.
It takes more than size and speed to become the next great Wisconsin Badgers linebacker. You need instincts. You need grit. A high football IQ. And, as Christian Alliegro puts it, "you have to have a little craziness to you... especially in the head."
He arrived in Madison as a relatively unheralded recruit from Connecticut, known more for his All-America accolades in lacrosse than his ranking on football recruiting boards. Alliegro was rated as the No. 1,264 overall prospect and the No. 104 linebacker in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite, earning an 85 rating from the industry's talent evaluators.
But ever since he got to Madison, Alliegro’s stock has been on the rise. And under Luke Fickell, that climb started to accelerate. After a breakout sophomore season and a spring taking first-team inside linebacker reps, he’s now in a position to take command of the middle of Wisconsin’s defense entering 2025.
"I think that natural instinct I've always kind of had inside me," Alliegro said. "So, playing linebacker, I feel it's very natural for me. I'm trying to embrace that more vocal role in the room, leading by example, and by getting the guys together, and just being able to play fast and confident."
His numbers tell part of the story.
Alliegro played in all 12 games for Wisconsin last season, starting three, and finished second on the team with 66 tackles (44 solo), 29 stops, seven pressures, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a pass breakup. He also contributed on special teams, logging 72 total snaps across three units—kickoff, punt return, and field goal block. It wasn’t always perfect, but it’s more evidence of the coaching staff finding ways to keep him on the field.
When Badgers starting inside linebacker Jaheim Thomas was limited with an injury against Iowa last season, Alliegro didn’t blink. He stepped in and delivered, recording 16 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a sack across 59 snaps. It was the highest single-game tackle total for any Wisconsin defender all season—and it marked a turning point for Alliegro.
After averaging just 14.3 snaps per game over the first eight weeks, his playing time took off like a rocket, jumping to 66 snaps per game over the final four contests.
Following that 16-tackle performance, he also added 11 tackles at Nebraska, 10 more against Oregon, and eight tackles in the regular-season finale at Minnesota. By the end of November, Alliegro had racked up 45 tackles, second-most among all Big Ten linebackers that month. Not too shabby.
That stretch didn’t go unnoticed by defensive coordinator Mike Tressel.
"What he's really done is demonstrated to us over the course of time is he can maintain passion and intensity," Tressel told reporters. "Obviously, he's talented. He can run, has some size, some length, etc. But he's really shown the ability to play 60 minutes with that type of intensity. Loving the game of football, you can see it. You can feel it. He lets it loose."
However, the usage suggests there’s plenty more to Alliegro’s game than just being a run-stopper. His 2024 snap count totaled 379: 203 came against the run, 25 as a pass rusher, and 151 in coverage.
That snap distribution speaks volumes about the growing confidence the staff has in his ability to handle all three phases.
Alliegro graded out well when sent after the quarterback (75.1 pass-rush grade) and held his own against the run (68.8), but his overall defensive grade sat at 60.1, dragged down by a poor coverage grade of just 41.2.
His pass-rushing metrics back up the eye test. Alliegro’s Pass Rushing Productivity (PRP)—which accounts for sacks, hits, and hurries relative to the number of players rush attempts, ranked eighth among Big Ten linebackers who rushed on at least 10% of snaps, checking in at 16.7%. He also carved out a solid profile as a tackler, with a rock solid 9% missed tackle rate.
According to PFF's stable metrics, Alliegro finished in the 79th percentile nationally in run-stop percentage and was in the 94th percentile as a pass rusher. But in coverage? He ranked 801st out of 810 qualifying defenders, surrendering 20 total catches on 24 targets for 188 yards.
For added context, Alliegro's tackling grade ranked 17th in the Big Ten, and he slotted in 13th as a pass rusher. But coverage remains the clear outlier. He graded out 55th out of 58 qualifying Big Ten linebackers. That won’t cut it.
That’s the part of his game that has to take the next step if Alliegro’s going to make the jump from promising contributor to full-fledged star — the kind of inside linebacker who can tilt the field in all three phases. But make no mistake: the talent’s there. And his coaches know it.
"Well, it's being [more] vocal," Fickell said this spring when asked about where he's seen growth from Alliegro. "I think the most important aspect of a guy, interior linebacker, Mike or Will — those guys inside the middle have got to be able to run everything. His ability to take the next step and run the show out there is really important. The guy in the middle has to be vocal, impose some leadership, and take those rein 'cause that's not easy.
"The difficult thing for guys that haven't played a ton of ball is to show the confidence that you have and be able to lead. That's what we've challenged him with this spring. We’ve seen growth, and he's going to have to continue to grow even more," Fickell continued. "‘Because there's a really high expectation for all the things that he can do for us."
That expectation is there because the opportunity is there.
With Thomas and Jake Chaney both gone, Alliegro is now the most experienced returning player in the inside linebacker room. He’s expected to start alongside Tackett Curtis, giving Wisconsin a fast, physical duo in the middle. And after the way Alliegro finished the 2024 season, it’s not just the Badgers staff that took notice—his teammates and fans did too.
Alliegro proved he could handle a bigger role, and now the spot is his.
"Christian Alliegro is a humble and a hungry dude," said Badgers senior outside linebacker Darryl Peterson. "He really fits what we're all about. Works super hard behind the scenes. One of those guys that stays late, the first one in, the last one out kind of guy. And he loves to hit people."
Ricardo Hallman took it even further.
"Christian Alliegro reminds me a lot of the Joker in the way he plays football," Hallman explained. "Just a sick and twisted guy who plays super hard. He's going to give you a relentless effort. I love Christian Alliegro and just love everything he brings to the game and brings to our team.
"I've seen Alliegro come in as a freshman, didn't know much. Now, he's directing our defense and making calls for us, making checks, and being the vocal leader we need him to be. I've seen him take so many strides in his game... he's gotten faster, gotten stronger, and smarter as a player."
That type of development arc isn’t lost on Alliegro. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound junior has embraced the chance to carve out his own path, especially with so many around him expecting him to pursue lacrosse.
"I was the one who wanted to take a different route," Alliegro admitted. "I found that passion for football. There was this fire in me that was speaking to me to play football at the next level. On the field, you have to have a controlled rage, especially as a linebacker. Maybe not be all there."
It’s that mix of passion, pure athleticism, and edge that makes Alliegro intriguing. Alliegro plays with a motor that pops on film and has the makeup of someone who could anchor a Big Ten defense for years if it all clicks. The question now is whether he can tighten up his coverage skills, improve his playmaking ability, and take his leadership to the next level.
The staff sees it. His teammates feel it.
And if he keeps developing the way he has, Alliegro won’t just be the next man up. He’ll be the next name you remember.
For an under-the-radar dart throw out of Connecticut, he’s already proven to be one of the better development wins for Fickell and this staff. And while nothing’s guaranteed, especially on a defense that’s had its fair share of issues under Tressel, Alliegro brings enough upside to potentially give the Wisconsin Badgers an All-Big Ten caliber linebacker.
There’s a pretty strong case to be made that after what felt like a decade of high-end play at inside backer, Wisconsin hasn’t gotten much more than average to slightly above average production at the position since Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal formed “Death Row.” And look, I’m not saying we’re heading back to that level anytime soon, those are two legit NFL dudes. But I do think that the bar will be raised quite a bit.
After all, there aren’t many humans walking the planet with Alliegro’s blend of size, length, and straight-line speed. He’s got all the tools you can’t coach—and a willingness to be developed. Hard to ask for much more than that as a coach.
Wisconsin’s standard for linebacker play speaks for itself. They’ve churned out NFL caliber talent at the position for more than a decade. And now, with the door to stardom wide open, Alliegro might be the next to step through it. Time will tell.
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