Wisconsin Badgers defensive line has added some major size for 2025

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell said the average weight of his defensive line is up close to 35 pounds from last season, thanks in part to some key transfer portal additions.

Wisconsin defensive line coach E.J. Whitelow works with Ben Barten (68) and Curt Neal (92) before the team's intrasquad scrimmage on the field north of Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday April 27, 2024. | Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Rebuilding the Wisconsin Badgers defensive line was a top priority for Luke Fickell in the transfer portal this offseason.

You can literally see the difference from last year's roster to this year.

At Big Ten Media Days, Fickell laid out just how much bigger and longer the Badgers have gotten up front with what he sees as a much deeper group in 2025.

"We’ve gone from an average of maybe 285 pounds inside to an average of about 320," Fickell said. "We’ve probably added three inches on average on the edges."

Luke Fickell says the #Badgers are six deep on the defensive line. That's a big change from the rest of his tenure. #BigTenMediaDays #Badgers

— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) July 23, 2025

On last year's defensive line, starters Elijah Hills, Curt Neal and Ben Barten were listed at 282, 290 and 308 pounds, respectively.

On the 2025 roster, Barten is up to 323 pounds, and transfers Parker Petersen and Charles Perkins are both over 315.

The lack of size was one of the biggest factors behind the Badgers' run defense struggling down the stretch last season.

“When you can’t be physical up front, you can preach all you want, but there are some intangibles and some size factors that you’ve got to have," Fickell said.

The players still have to use that size to their advantage in order to see the improvements the team wants, but now it falls on the coaching staff to get more out of the upgrades they think they made up front.

Having more players to rotate in and keep the big boys fresh should make a big difference, too.

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