Wisconsin has a pass rusher playing like one of the best in the country, but the payoff hasn’t quite caught up yet.
Through three weeks, Sebastian Cheeks has piled up 14 quarterback pressures, according to PFF. That puts the Badgers defender in a tie for second nationally with Princewill Umanmielen of LSU, Daeden Hopkins of Mizzou and Xavier Lewis of UNC.
The only player ahead of him is A.J. Holmes Jr., a defensive tackle at Texas Tech.
That’s elite company, and it tells you Cheeks is living in opposing backfields. The strange part is that the production still feels unfinished.
Cheeks has only two sacks so far, which is fine this early in the season, but not where it should be for someone generating that much disruption. Among the players tied with him in pressures, Umanmielen and Lewis already have six sacks apiece, Hopkins has three, and Holmes has 2.5.
For now, Cheeks is last in that group when it comes to finishing the job.
Still, the underlying trend points in the right direction. When a defender keeps getting that close, the sacks usually follow, and the turnovers tend to come with them. Cheeks has already shown that part too, forcing two fumbles this season - one against Notre Dame and one against Eastern Michigan.
There is also some context here. Through three games, he hasn’t faced a quarterback who wants to sit in the pocket and take the hit.
Too often, the passer has simply escaped the pressure by rolling away from it. That can make the numbers look a little incomplete, even when the pressure itself is real and constant.
Now the schedule shifts into Big Ten play, and Wisconsin gets a chance to turn those pressures into something bigger. Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht is described as one of the premier pocket passers in the conference, which makes this a prime spot for Cheeks to stay disruptive and force mistakes. Becht can use his legs when he has to scramble, but that is not usually where he wants to live.
For Wisconsin, the formula is simple: keep Cheeks in attack mode, keep collapsing the pocket, and finally cash in on all that chaos.
In Other News...
Wisconsins Penn State Chances Suddenly Come Down To One Big Concern
The first Big Ten availability report for Wisconsins matchup with Penn State offered an immediate look at how much depth both teams may have to lean on when they meet. The Badgers listed four players as out, five as questionable and four as probable, while Penn States report also came with notable absences and a cluster of uncertain names as the week moves on.
For Wisconsin, the bigger issue is not just who is already ruled out, but how many key decisions are still hanging over the game. Penn States side adds to the intrigue with star receiver Koby Howard among the players unavailable, and six more Nittany Lions listed as questionable. In a game where both staffs are already sorting through injuries, the final availability report could end up shaping the matchup as much as anything on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin's Secondary Suddenly Has A Depth Problem Fans Didn't Want
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Donovan Dunmore now appears to be the next man up, with the true freshman expected to fill the opening on the boundary. For Wisconsin, the move is about more than simply plugging a lineup hole because the Badgers had been counting on Bates to provide reliable snaps in a secondary that could not afford to get thin. How quickly Dunmore can handle that jump is now one of the more important subplots on the defensive side. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Heads To Penn State With A Secondary Problem It Can't Ignore
As Wisconsin turns to Week 4 at Penn State, the conversation is already drifting toward availability as much as matchup. The Badgers are trying to navigate a secondary that took another blow with Florida State transfer cornerback Bates suffering a torn ACL and being expected to miss the season, a development that only sharpens the pressure on a defense that has to hold up on the road in a difficult environment.
The injury picture is still far from settled around Madison, with Mason Posa, Eugene Hilton Jr., Malachi Coleman, Abu Sama and Bryan Jackson all carrying different statuses heading into the trip. Penn State, meanwhile, has its own questions to sort through with starting center Brock Riker and tight end Andrew Rappleyea listed as questionable, while the Nittany Lions also will be without wide receiver Koby Howard for an extended stretch after his injury announcement. [Read more 🡒]