The Wisconsin Badgers have boosted their defensive line with more size this offseason, but they’re not sacrificing speed, thanks to a 290-pound edge rusher who’s impressing teammates with his agility. A key part of their strategy is Corey Walker, a transfer who will play edge rusher in Luke Fickell’s defense.
Despite his size, Walker is showing remarkable speed for his weight.
“Corey Walker is the fastest guy I’ve ever seen run at 290 pounds,” said defensive tackle Ben Barten on Monday. “His movement gives me a lot of confidence in our edge rushers.”
Barten also highlighted the size added by another transfer, Michael Garner from Grambling State, as well as returning edge rushers Darryl Peterson and Aaron Witt.
Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel isn’t concerned about the extra bulk slowing down the defensive line.
“There is a bit of trade-off with that,” Tressel said. “But we’re confident that our big guys can move, and we’re excited by their agility.”
At Big Ten Media Days, Fickell mentioned that the average weight of the defensive line has increased from around 285 pounds to about 320. This should help improve their run defense and allow linebackers to use their speed more effectively to make up for any potential loss of mobility.
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