Wisconsin OLBs Coach Matt Mitchell Names His Two Best Pass-Rushers

Wisconsin football is coming off its worst season in the Luke Fickell era. However, it's also coming off its best season rushing the passer in the Fickell era as well.

Last fall, the Badgers notched 32 sacks, the best mark in three years under Fickell thus far. His defense recorded 29 in his first season (2023), but that number dropped to a putrid 17 in 2024.

A big part of that increase was the addition of Louisville transfer Mason Reiger and the development of long-time outside linebacker Darryl Peterson. The two combined to account for 11.5 sacks, asserting themselves as the Badgers' top pass-rushers all season.

Ahead of the 2026 campaign, both players have left the program. That leaves a critical void on the edge, and it's not just due to the sack production. Reiger himself accounted for a whopping 45 pressures, consistently impacting the play even when he couldn't get home.

Still, Wisconsin's outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell is bullish on his room for 2026. And he has a couple names in mind for who might step up this fall.

Who Will Emerge on the Edge for Wisconsin?

Wisconsin linebacker Sebastian Cheeks. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“(Nick Clayton's) get off and his pass-rush, Sebastian (Cheeks) might be mad at me, but I think Clayton might be one of my best pass-rushers. Those guys are probably one and two, just pure talent."

The fifth-year senior Cheeks, who's already spent two years in Madison, was widely considered the top player and elder statesman of this room all offseason. He was less productive off the edge with three sacks last fall, but he still notched 27 pressures, including six hits and 20 hurries. Aside from Reiger, Cheeks looked like Wisconsin's most natural pass-rusher last fall.

The top spot on the edge is Cheeks' to lose, and based on Mitchell's comments, he doesn't appear to be relinquishing it any time soon. And though the coach insists that the edge will be a committee to some degree (“We do like to rotate. We strive to rotate"), it's going to be hard to take one of your best pass-rushers off the field.

What Kind of Leap can Nick Clayton Take?

Wisconsin linebacker Nick Clayton. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clayton is the bigger wild card here. Mitchell has stated multiple times he burned his redshirt last season because he saw immense potential in the Florida native. Watching him in practice, his natural pass-rushing ability was evident. But physically, he wasn't ready the trenches of the Big Ten quite yet.

"What’s changed, (Clayton) came in at 198 pounds," Mitchell said. "Now he’s up to 245, he’s getting way more violent setting edges and being way more disruptive in the run game."

Clayton played just 15 snaps on defense last fall, logging two tackles and one pressure. There's a litany of more experienced players in the room as well, but Mitchell appears infatuated with his skillset. Clayton's opportunity appears imminent.

Wisconsin's defense has its work cut out for it in replacing a high-motor, highly productive edge in Reiger as well as a program stalwart in Peterson. But with Cheeks primed for his senior season and Clayton ready to be unleashed, the Badgers' next wave of pass-rushers is quite promising.

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