Hunter Wohler bringing new level of physicality to Badgers’ defense
Wisconsin safety Hunter Wohler prepares to line up before a play during the third quarter against Illinois Saturday October 9, 2021 at Memorial Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
INDIANAPOLIS — After finishing second in the Big Ten in tackles last season, the senior safety is approaching fall camp with confidence in Wisconsin’s defense.
Hunter Wohler is a tackling machine, who eats ball carriers for breakfast. His 120 stops last year were the most by a Badger since 2012. Not to mention he finished 10th nationally in solo tackles per game. Wohler’s natural instincts often puts him in position to be around the ball making plays, and when he strikes he rarely misses. Which is why he takes pride in physicality.
“It’s just angles and knowing when to take your shot, and when you have to make sure that you make the play,” Wohler said. “At the end of the day you have to have a high-powered IQ to know that sometimes you can go for the big hits, and other times you have to get them down, and live to play another play.”
No doubt Wohler is a general in the secondary, and the All-Big Ten performer is focusing on improving a Badger defense that finished 38th in the FBS in total yards allowed.
Wisconsin fielded several elite defenses under Jim Leonhard, but the unit didn’t perform up to the standard with Mike Tressel at the helms last season. Coach Luke Fickell added former USC Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch to help Tressel orchestrate the defense, and Wohler likes the direction it’s going ahead of fall camp.
“Coach Fick and the rest of his staff have done a great job of bringing in guys that fit the culture,” he said. “We have a great culture in place, and Coach Fick has helped build that, and push that, so bringing in guys that understand what we want to get done means a lot.”
Wohler expects the defense to take a big step forward this fall, which should help the Badgers win more games. It’s no mystery that the team is still trying to establish an identity under Fickell. Over the past 25 years Wisconsin has been synonymous with pounding the football, having a mammoth offensive line and a stifling defense. That’s the recipe the program won three Big Ten Titles with over the last decade.
Wohler is ready to bring the Badgers’ defense back to one of the Big Ten’s elite, and everyone has put in hard work over the past five months to get to this point.
“The training in the offseason is a big part of it, you have to do some stuff that’s uncomfortable,” the Wisconsin native said. “Obviously it’s not fun to do, but you have to put yourself in those situations, so when you’re in the season you can do that, and that’s the message Coach Fick has pushed onto us.”
Wisconsin will face some high-powered offenses this season, including Alabama, Oregon, USC and Penn State, so Wohler understands he’s going to have to set the tone, and bring the intensity from the secondary. Regardless of the matter, Wohler strongly believes the Badgers will be ready for the challenge, and take everything game by game.
“I think we can make a lot of plays and we have the personnel to do it, so if we play together, we play fast, trust ourselves, we’re going to be a good group.”
