Wisconsin football 2020 returnee profile: Isaiahh Loudermilk

During the summer doldrums of sports news, many college football fans are starved for news and information regarding their favorite teams.

With that in mind, we at B5Q have decided to take a more detailed look at each walk-on contributor and scholarship player on the Wisconsin Badgers football roster for 2020 in a new feature, our 2020 returnee profiles.

Each weekday we will breakdown one player on the football roster to look back at their recruiting process, their career as a Badger to this juncture and lastly preview their potential contribution to the team in 2020 and beyond.

Today we turn our attention to Isaiahh Loudermilk.

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Name: Isaiahh Loudermilk

Position: defensive end

2020 eligibility: redshirt senior

Recruiting info out of HS: 247 Composite 3-star, No. 40 athlete, Howard, Kansas.

2016 recruitment: Hailing from the plains region of Kansas, Loudermilk was a hidden gem playing eight-man football in the 2016 class. At 6-foot-7 and 275+ pounds, the massive athlete was relatively under the radar as a middle of the road three-star recruit. After earning a Wisconsin offer in May of his junior year, Loudermilk ended up taking an official visit to Madison in October of his senior season. That visit helped lay the groundwork for his eventual commitment in January, choosing the Badgers over other offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Texas Tech and Vanderbilt.

Career statistics: 49 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles.

2019 statistics: 24 tackles, five tackles for a loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles.

Player overview: Isaiahh Loudermilk was finally able to stay fully healthy in 2019 after battling injuries his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons that limited him to only 13 games combined.

A mountain of a man, Loudermilk has shown the ability to get to the quarterback and clog running lanes as a prototypical 3-4 defensive end in Wisconsin’s base defense. His blend of size and athleticism allow him to be used in both the base package, as well as in nickel pass rush situations. His rare attributes allow him to not only rush the quarterback, but also bat down passes and alter throwing lanes for quarterbacks because of his length. For his career, Loudermilk has knocked down or tipped eight passes.

Best case scenario for 2020: Another year of development and health allows Loudermilk to break out. Following the similar developmental trend of Alec James, Loudermilk is able to double the amount of havoc he can create in the backfield statistically. After three sacks as a junior, he gets to the quarterback six times and is able to record 10 or more tackles for a loss. His big senior season surges him up NFL Draft boards as he eventually gets picked on day two or three of the draft.

Likely role on team in 2020: Barring injury Loudermilk will be penciled in as a starter on one of the deepest defensive lines the Badgers have had in some time. The senior will be called upon to be one of the leaders of the defense, and I expect his overall production to jump up and help raise the level of play for the entire front seven. A player with huge potential given his size and athleticism, he should be a critical member of the defense in 2020.