A major position of need for the Wisconsin Badgers’ class of 2018 was nose tackle. After all, there was no depth in place for the position at 2020.
Wednesday provided the first answer for the next wave when the Badgers received the commitment of three-star Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast) defensive tackle Bryson Williams.
If you look at Williams’s Hudl profile, his highlight reel is really fun. The agility and power that he showed at The Opening is there in spades. He can burst through the gap and disrupt the quarterback dropping back to pass. He also can move laterally and make plays toward the corner when there’s a run toward the sideline. He also shows an ability to diagnose plays when the penetration is a little too easy so he can sniff out a trap, both the literal football play and in screen pass form.
You do notice that sometimes he can play with a high pad level. He has the power to hold up with minimal pushback on the high school level, but it’s definitely going to be something that warrants watching for his senior season and beyond. It’s not a killer in the slightest, but it shows a skill set that might fit better at defensive end.
For Wisconsin, the path from offer to commitment lasted 15 days. While Nebraska passed on him for some kind of scheme or depth fit, Williams landed offers from Air Force, Duke, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, UCF, Virginia Tech, and four Ivy League schools, among others. With 19 total commitments—most recently cornerback Travian Blaylock—the Badgers could be done with the class of 2018 until the attrition from fall camp is revealed.