Wisconsin Badgers outside linebacker Darryl Peterson entering 2026 NFL draft
Darryl Peterson declares for the 2026 NFL Draft after five seasons at Wisconsin, capping his Badgers career with a productive senior season.
Darryl Peterson waited his turn, stayed the course, and now leaves the Wisconsin football program ready to pursue a professional career.
The 6-foot-1, 260-pound defensive lineman from Akron, Ohio, announced that he is entering the NFL Draft after completing a five-year career at Wisconsin that ended with his most productive and complete season.
In an era defined by short stays, constant roster turnover, and quick exits, Peterson became something increasingly rare in college football: a player who committed to a program, developed, and finished what he started.
“Thank you, God, for Madison, Wisconsin, and the opportunity to play for the best university in the country,” Peterson wrote. “I’m so grateful for the experience and the people I got to do it with. Thank you to all of the coaches that got me here and all of the great coaches I was able to finish my career with these last 3 seasons. I’m thankful for every teammate I had, the brotherhood we shared, and the countless memories over the years.
“As I close this chapter of my life, I’m super excited to enter the NFL Draft and represent the University of Wisconsin at the highest level!”
Peterson’s journey with the Badgers began under Paul Chryst, when he was recruited out of Archbishop Hoban High School as a highly regarded defensive lineman in the 2021 class. Notably, he recorded 38.5 combined sacks across his junior and senior seasons. Like many players, his early years at Wisconsin were defined more by incremental growth than immediate production as a pass-rusher. He learned, adjusted his body, and continually refined his role as the program itself evolved around him.
Across five seasons, Peterson appeared in 53 games and steadily built a reputation as a dependable, disruptive presence in the front seven. He finished his Wisconsin career with 139 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 90 pressures, seven pass deflections, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The numbers reflect production, but they also reflect longevity and trust. Coaches put him on the field because he did his job.
What makes Peterson’s career stand out even more is how it ended.
His senior season was the best football that the Ohio native played, and it wasn’t particularly close. Peterson posted 35 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and 26 pressures, while adding three pass deflections and a forced fumble, earning Honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition from the media.
He finished the year with an 81.1 overall defensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus, including an 82.7 mark as a pass rusher and a 77.4 grade against the run across 385 defensive snaps, providing a consistent impact and reliability up front when Wisconsin needed it most.
That arc matters. Plenty of players flash early and never pan out. Peterson stayed, improved his craft, and translated that work into results.
He also did it through change. Peterson played under Chryst, stayed through the interim period led by Jim Leonhard, and ultimately finished his career under Luke Fickell, a head coach who did not recruit him but quickly became someone that Peterson spoke highly of. Through schematic changes, body-type adjustments, and evolving expectations at the edge position, Peterson adapted his game to help benefit the team.
“What he has done, and continues to do, is what I mean when I say the seniors lead the way,” Fickell said of Peterson. “That’s what you’ve got to have. We asked him to play a different position, to grow, to get a little bit bigger, to really challenge him to be disciplined in a lot of the things he does as a football player. I’m as proud of ‘DP’ as anybody on this football team. His growth as a football player is what I’m incredibly proud of.”
Soft-spoken by nature, Peterson earned respect in the way he chose to lead by example. Teammates and coaches consistently pointed to his work ethic, consistency, and the way he leaned on his faith throughout his career. Peterson was the type of player who showed up, handled his business, and didn’t need attention to validate his role. In a locker room that experienced no shortage of turbulence, that steadiness mattered.
In many ways, Peterson’s career mirrors what Wisconsin has long valued. Development over time. Buy-in. Doing what’s asked, even when it means changing roles or sacrificing counting stats. He wasn’t a one-year rental or a quick fix. He was part of the fabric of the program for half a decade.
Now, he leaves on a high note.
Peterson will head into the NFL Draft process with momentum, a strong final season on tape to show scouts what he’s capable of, and a body of work that reflects growth and resilience. He’ll move into pro day workouts and evaluations with a chance to show talent evaluators what Wisconsin saw over time: a reliable, versatile defensive lineman who saved his best for last.
In a sport that promotes short-term commitment, Peterson’s path was different. He stayed, improved, and when it was time to move on, he did so, having maximized his opportunity and the ability he was given. That body of work gives him a legitimate chance to take the next step and earn a look at the pros while representing Wisconsin at the highest level.
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