Luke Fickell's efforts to beef up Wisconsin Badgers defense paying off early in 2025 season

Luke Fickell made it a priority to make the Wisconsin Badgers defensive line and front seven bigger and stronger this offseason. It's working well through the first three games.

Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts (77), Alabama offensive lineman Parker Brailsford (72) and Alabama offensive lineman Geno VanDeMark (56) block against Wisconsin defensive lineman Parker Peterson (99) and Wisconsin defensive lineman Jay'viar Suggs (31) at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | Gary Cosby-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Luke Fickell made it a priority to make the Wisconsin Badgers defensive line and front seven bigger and stronger this offseason.

That emphasis is already paying off through the first three weeks of the season, even if the defense has some other concerns after a 38-14 loss to Alabama.

The coaching staff prioritized heavier, stronger defensive linemen in the transfer portal, and they put their returning lineman on weight gain programs to add strength and mass this offseason.

As a result, the average weight of the Wisconsin defensive line rose significantly, and they're seeing the results in run defense.

Four of the five defensive linemen who have played the most snaps this season for UW are listed over 310 pounds. Jay'viar Suggs is the smallest of that group at 299.

Through the first three games, the Badgers have allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game. None of the three defenses ahead of them have faced a ranked opponent.

No. 4 in the nation after three games at stopping the run. HUGE improvement from last season. pic.twitter.com/bpqU1K9DCX

— Badger of Honor (@BadgerOfHonorFS) September 15, 2025

"It was an emphasis, as you know from Spring, finding some bigger bodies, finding some more length, and making sure that we put an emphasis and a focus on stopping the run," Fickell said Monday. "We've done a good job so far, but we also need to have a balance for what we are doing defensively."

He pointed to the struggles in pass coverage Wisconsin had against the Crimson Tide in Week 3, making their stout run defense a bit of a moot point in the broader context of the game.

Still, it shows the staff's ability to correct a major issue from the season before, and that run defense will become even more important in Big Ten play starting this week.

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