SPORTS
Defensive line brings depth to defense
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Also by Drew Hansen:
- Wisconsin stuns No. 12 Maryland (December 1, 2004)
- Bo's Badgers roll in 2004 opener (November 22, 2004)
- Wisconsin prepares for Maryland's athleticism (November 30, 2004)
Related Stories:
- Badger Defense Strong up Front (March 26, 2004)
- UW defense is standing in line (April 8, 2003)
- Bielema brings new way of thinking (April 13, 2004)
- D-line must realign (October 21, 2001)
- Bielema's young unit hoping to return to form with new line (March 15, 2005)
by Drew Hansen
Tuesday, April 9, 2002
The depth is back on the Badger defensive line this spring.
Proving to be a very competitive spring, and boasting a lot of young talent, the Badgers return eight players who have seen playing time in the last two seasons.
Darius Jones, who is slotted to start at right end this season, was redshirted last year due to a hand injury. The pride of the 2000 recruiting class, Jones is a native of Beloit, Wis., where, at Memorial High School, he earned Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Year honors. Earning such awards puts a lot of pressure on Jones to play early and play well at Wisconsin.
“Yes, anytime you are heavily recruited there will be pressure from others,” said Jones. “But I put a lot of pressure on myself to go out there and perform like I know I can.”
Another highly touted recruit set to start this season is sophomore left tackle Anttaj Hawthorne. Considered the most prized recruit of the class of 2001, Hawthorne received first team all-American honors from USA Today, playing at Hamden High School in Hamden, Conn. Hawthorne came on strong at the end of last season, starting three of the last four games and registering a total of 16 tackles last season, including four tackles for losses.
Sitting next to Hawthorne in the trenches will be the surprise of the defensive line this spring, Jason Jefferson. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound tackle has added over ten pounds to his frame from last season. Jefferson only played in two games in 2001 and will alternate with the smaller Nick Cochart, who made appearances in all 12 games as a sophomore last season.
The most competitive starting slot this spring is that of left end. Currently, lone senior lineman Jake Sprague looks to have the upper hand over junior Erasmus James for the starting job. Sprague, who played in the Rose Bowl as a freshman, is having a stellar spring, continually pressuring the quarterbacks in scrimmage drills. The closely contending James is a smaller, faster defensive end who recorded six sacks last season. That tally was good enough for second on the team behind the eight sacks of all-American Wendell Bryant.
Rounding out the reserves, sophomore Jonathan Welsh is slated to back up Jones at right end. Welsh, who picked up the game as a senior in high school, appeared in nine games as a freshman last season. At the tackles, junior Jesse Mayfield will provide back up to Hawthorne. Mayfield saw action in relief of the injured Ben Herbert last season.
With the exceptions of Jones and Sprague, who sat out last season due to injury, the youth of the defensive line saw a significant number of snaps last season. Spots became open due to the injuries of Sprague, Jones, as well as graduated seniors Ben Herbert and Chuck Smith who both experienced some health problems and were limited to a certain number of plays in several games last season.
The relative youth of the bulk of this defensive line unit, coupled with their game experience, gives reason for the Badgers to be excited. Defensive line coach John Palermo’s strongest defenses were his deepest ones. Over the years Palermo has tried to keep a steady rotation of seven to nine defensive linemen, keeping everyone fresh and opposing offensive lines tired and confused.
“Depth is the key,” Jones confidently stated. “When you have seven to nine guys out there, who are relatively young and have seen snaps? there is so much depth and talent. I think this could be the best defensive line this team has ever had.”
