Why Micheal Garner is a developmental edge rusher Wisconsin football is betting on
Micheal Garner isn’t just a project on the edge for Wisconsin football; he’s a potential difference-maker up front with two years to develop and grow.
If you’re looking for star power in the transfer portal, Micheal Garner probably wasn’t the name that turned heads in the offseason. But if you’re looking for long-term upside and a body type that’s nearly impossible to find? Then Wisconsin football fans should be paying attention.
While spring practice wasn’t about naming starters or setting depth charts, it was about evaluating who might actually help this Badgers defense take a step forward under Mike Tressel, and Garner gave the coaching staff a lot to think about headed into summer workouts and fall camp.
“He’s really doing a good job,” outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell told reporters this spring. “You’ve got to remember, coming out of high school out of Bloom, he was probably only like 220, went down to Grambling [State], and so this has been a new world here the last three months just in terms of the resources and how different things are.”
Now? He’s 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, and moving like few humans with his stature are capable of—which is what the Badgers saw on his Grambling State film.
Garner came to Wisconsin from Grambling State as a junior who has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining—and brought with him a rare blend of size, raw athleticism, and growth potential.
He racked up 11 tackles, 11 pressures, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and a forced fumble last season on just 243 snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, Garner posted a 71.3 pass-rushing grade, a 68.5 defensive grade, a 63.7 mark as a run defender and ranked in the 73rd percentile nationally in true pass-rush situations.
Those numbers didn’t come against Power Five competition—but the traits have a chance to translate if the coaching takes.
“The highs are really good—like, the highs can really help us,” Mitchell said.
“My job is to work on the consistency of play down in, down out.”
And that’s the part that makes Garner such a compelling player to watch moving forward. This isn’t a finished product. He’s a former high-level basketball prospect who only recently committed to football full-time. A true ball of clay to mold.
The technical work is still catching up with the physical tools. But there’s a real belief inside the football program that with the right developmental plan—and the right environment—Garner could grow into something truly unique.