Player Previews: Hammond Russell IV Should help the Badgers Stay Strong up Front

The West Virginia transfer adds size, length and experience to Wisconsin's defensive line.

Wisconsin defensive lineman Hammond Russell IV. | Christian Borman

Over the course of the summer leading up to Big Ten Media Days and fall camp, Badgers On SI will extensively preview Wisconsin football's roster with a write-up for each player expected to be remotely involved in 2026.

We continue the series with a transfer who's expected to be a staple of the Badgers' defensive line, Hammond Russell IV.

2025 Stats

13 tackles, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble

Overview

On paper, Russell's production may not look like much to get excited about. But he's got a few key things going for him: experience (this fall will be his sixth year of college football) and size (he stood at 6-foot-4, 314 pounds in the spring). That particular combination worked pretty well for defensive line coach EJ Whitlow last fall.

That's just what Wisconsin's defensive staff hopes Russell can become — another large, experienced run-stuffing defensive tackle similar to last seasons's Ben Barten and Jay'Viar Suggs.

By all accounts, he's off to an excellent start in Madison.

"I think just like Suggs brought us last year, and obviously we had Ben Barten who was a sixth-year guy last year, you need some veteran experience," head coach Luke Fickell said after the first practice of the spring.

"I think Hammond, as he's come in, I wasn't quite sure. You never know when you get some of these guys. But there's a definite veteran experience in the way he handles things, the way he understands leadership and the dynamics of the locker room. I've been impressed not just with the way he's played but with the way he's kinda handled everything."

The defensive lineman is now positioned to receive plenty of snaps in what should primarily be a four-man rotation up front, the same successful formula Whitlow used last fall.

Best-Case Scenario

Wisconsin defensive lineman Russell Hammond IV. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Russell is going to play plenty this fall given his experience and leadership. He's dealt with some injuries in the past, but in a perfect world for the former Mountaineer, he plays a full season and finally turns the flashes he's displayed in Morgantown into a full season of production.

Russell has five sacks over the past two seasons on a well below starter-level snap count. At 6-foot-4, he's one of the Badgers' longer defensive lineman and it'll be interesting to see how he pairs the leverage that size gives him with a frame that should add some mass this summer.

“He’s a veteran presence to the room with us losing four guys to graduation last year. But he’s big, athletic and has extremely long arms. So he can play with great length and separation and lock out, which is important in the trenches. So obviously, we were super fired up to have him, and what he’s done this spring as well," Whitlow said this spring.

If Russell continues to come into his own, he could be one of the top two defensive lineman on this defense come fall.

Worst-Case Scenario

Given that this entire defensive line is essentially unproven at the Big Ten level, there could be some legitimate shakeup in the pecking order depending on how things go when the bullets start flying. Nonetheless, it's still hard to see Russell sliding that far down the depth chart given his age and experience.

Still, if Russell could feasibly be the No. 4 or maybe even No. 5 defensive lineman in terms of snap count in a worst-case scenario. That would likely mean very little production, and a weakened Badgers' defensive line.

Prediction

Russell's injury history and corresponding lack of production certainly give me pause, but if he stays healthy in 2026, I see no reason why he can't be a stout, productive defensive lineman for Wisconsin's front seven.

I don't see Russell taking a massive leap into an all-conference kind of player, but a reliable, dependable season that helps the Badgers maintain what was largely a stout run defense last season doesn't feel like too much to ask. Statistically, 15-20 tackles and a handful of sacks seems appropriate.