Fall practice is well underway for Wisconsin, and as the season continues to get closer and closer, the Badgers have named their captains for the 2018 campaign.
Alex Hornibrook and Michael Deiter were named from the offense, while D’Cota Dixon and T.J. Edwards were named from the defense on Thursday.
The nominations don’t come as much of a surprise to those who follow Wisconsin football. Deiter and Dixon were both captains a season ago, while Edwards and Hornibrook come in as experienced players in leadership positions at linebacker and quarterback.
Deiter comes into 2018 as part of an offensive line unit that returns a ton of experience and talent. A season ago, Deiter was named a second-team All-American as well as a consensus All-Big Ten nominee. He has played in 41 career games, starting at various positions. In addition to his skill set on the offensive line, Deiter has some receiving skills to use this fall...
Hornibrook joins Deiter as the other offensive captain. He returns for his junior season coming off an impressive end to 2017 in which he was named Orange Bowl MVP. Coming into 2018, Hornibrook was named to the Outland Award watch list as one of the predicted top quarterbacks in college football. Hornibrook getting the captain nod gives a clear indication that he is trusted by his teammates and coaches to lead what is expected to be one of Wisconsin’s most high-powered offenses in quite some time.
Dixon is the second returning captain from a season ago. Know for his perseverance on and off the field, he will anchor a secondary unit that is looking to replace three of the four starters from last year. His story off the field will lead you to believe he’s a perfect person to provide leadership to a group looking to prove itself this season.
After a 2017 season where it seemed Edwards made nearly every big play, it should come as no surprise that he was selected to lead the defense with Dixon. Edwards has played in 40 games, making 39 starts at inside linebacker. He logged 75 tackles last season, including 53 solo tackles and 11 tackles for loss. Edwards comes off an All-American nomination a season ago and was also named a preseason All-American by CBS Sports this week.