This Slept-On Transfer Could Make Waves in Wisconsin's DL Room During Spring Practice

Wisconsin football's spring practices are scheduled to kick off on March 19. With dozens of incoming transfers, a handful of new position coaches and a new starting quarterback once again, there'll be no shortage of intrigue when the Badgers hit the practice field.

At Badgers On SI, we'll preview spring ball position-by-position. Today, we keep it going with the defensive linemen.

Best Badger DL During Spring Practice

Wisconsin defensive lineman Charles Perkins. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There's a few valid answers here, and multiple talented players in this room that defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow should be excited about. Still, lets go with a senior returnee: Charles "Perc 30" Perkins.

Hilarious and somewhat provocative nickname aside, Perkins has a ton of potential that Wisconsin didn't tap into last season due to the more experienced players above him. He played just 73 snaps, the fourth-most in the defensive line room.

There's a lot to like about the former FCS standout at UT-Martin's game. He's light on his feet and twitchy up front, placing him into the "dancing bear" archetype of defensive linemen. He's still a very large man at 320-plus pounds, but he's more agile and sudden than you might think given his weight.

Wisconsin brought in some talented transfers to populate the defensive line, but in his second offseason with the program, returning for his final season and potentially a starting role, Perkins should turn plenty of heads this spring.

Biggest Question

Can Dillan Johnson crack the rotation?

Johnson has already exhausted two seasons of eligibility despite totaling just 210 snaps across his first two years in Madison. Last season, he was once again used in a reserve capacity, notching 71 snaps.

Johnson has felt like a favorite of the coaching staff, especially Luke Fickell given his dominant high school wrestling background, since he stepped on campus. But we have yet to see him flash in-game in his limited opportunities, and this feels like a make-or-break year for the lineman.

Last season, the Badgers had three defensive lineman play 300-plus snaps and one play 200-plus, with the rest offering reserve snaps here and there. Wisconsin's run defense was much better last fall, largely due to the experienced linemen it was able to rotate up front.

You'd imagine Whitlow and the Badgers want a similar rotation this season given the success of the 2025 defensive line, which feasibly leaves ample playing time for four players. That means in order to see a sizable jump in snaps, Johnson would likely have to surpass three transfers (Junior Poyser, Hammond Russell and Jacob Anderson) as well as the returning Perkins. That's certainly a tall task, but not entirely out of the question.

Player to Watch

Jacob Anderson.

If you're sensing a trend with these previews that I'm intrigued by FCS transfers, you're spot on. Anderson is another player from a lower level of the sport that had plenty of power conference coaches intrigued. And with Illinois State making a run to the FCS title game, Anderson's recruitment could've been a bigger deal nationally had the Badgers not swooped in and secured his commitment so quickly.

We know Wisconsin likes its defensive linemen beefy. And at a listed 295 pounds, Anderson is somewhat on the smaller side. But he was highly productive at the FCS level, tallying 52 tackles, 7.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks last season amidst the Redbirds' run to the title game.

Anderson screams boom or bust, and it'll be interesting to see which of those directions he appears to be trending in come spring ball.

Most to Gain

Wisconsin defensive lineman Dillan Johnson. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Once again, we'll go with Dillan Johnson here.

Defensive line, espeically in the rugged trenches of the Big Ten, is a grown man's position. Freshman and sophomores are oftentimes not ready for extended roles. That's why, in this room in particular, it's harder to see a younger player, or one with an underdeveloped body, make a big leap and surpass seniors and juniors on the depth chart.

As mentioned, this is a make-or-break season for Johnson, so while he has plenty to gain, he could also fall out of favor in Madison if he doesn't make an impact this fall. But if he takes big strides forward this spring, he could position himself to be a top contributor in a defensive line room that needs players to step up.

There's more experienced players ahead of him, but again, the starting and rotational roles along the defensive line are wide open. Johnson could make noise this offseason and rise up the pecking order, or fizzle out into obscurity.

One Bold Prediction

Junior Poyser becomes one of the top stories of the spring.

I still stand by my notion that Perkins will be the Badgers' best defensive lineman this spring, but Poyser looks like a home run in the transfer portal out of Buffalo.

The 6-foot-1, 310-pound defensive lineman, who primarily played in the B-gap for Buffalo last season, was a splash play machine. He totaled 31 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 24 total pressures and one forced fumble. I'd be shocked if the Canadian, who hails from Brampton, Ontario, isn't a starting defensive lineman this fall.

Given his proven propensity for making big plays, I'd expect Poyser to write plenty of headlines throughout spring camp.

Projected Depth Chart

DL	DL
1. Junior Poyser	1. Charles Perkins
2. Jake Anderson	2. Hammond Russell
3. Dillan Johnson	3. DeNigel Cooper