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Bret Bielema compares Illinois edge rusher to Wisconsin Badgers legend J.J. Watt

Former Badgers head coach Bret Bielema was bold enough to compare one of his current Illinois players to one of the best linemen he ever coached at Wisconsin.
Lorin Cox|
Jan 1, 2011; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers lineman J.J. Watt (99) during the 2011 Rose Bowl against the TCU Horned Frogs.
Jan 1, 2011; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers lineman J.J. Watt (99) during the 2011 Rose Bowl against the TCU Horned Frogs. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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It's almost sacrilegious to compare any current college football player to Wisconsin Badgers legend J.J. Watt. It's a high bar to clear.

Former Badgers coach Bret Bielema knows first-hand from coaching Watt, and he still went so far as to compare one of his current Illinois player to the future Hall of Famer.

During an interview on the See Ball Get Ball podcast with David Pollack, Bielema said Illini edge rusher Gabe Jacas has shades of the eldest Watt brother.

"Gabe reminds me a lot of times of J.J. Watt," Bielema said. "J.J. was a standout defensive end and Gabe plays on his feet, but he when he was in a three-point stance last year, he was the most productive player in college football in the reps that he had there. Really excited about what he is. I know the next level of things is gonna be special."

Jacas had eight sacks, three forced fumbles and 13 tackles for loss last year in his junior season.

For comparison, Watt had seven sacks and 21 tackles for loss in his junior year before declaring for the NFL Draft. He did not record any forced fumbles, but he had an interception and nine pass breakups.

Bielema wasn't saying the two were equal, just that his "grown man strength" had some similarities to Watt.

Still, it's a very high compliment from the coach who's more qualified than anyone to make the comparison.

The Badgers will get to see how close Jacas is to Watt when the Illini come to Camp Randall Stadium on November 22 for their second-to-last game of the regular season.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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