No position group underwent more turnover than the Wisconsin secondary this offseason as Darius Hillary, Tanner McEvoy and Michael Caputo all went off to chase their NFL dreams. Replacing three starters is never an easy task, but the Badgers had the fortune of being able to work their younger defensive backs into the rotation last season as injuries and late-game situations dictated it.
Sojourn Shelton is the only returning starter, taking over the leadership role from the cornerback position. This will be the senior’s fourth year as a starter, and he has had a lot of time to learn and grow on and off the field.
“Last year, we’d look to [Darius] Hillary and [Michael] Caputo to take over when it’s time to lock in. They’d be the ones to step up and say we need to tighten up,” junior cornerback Derrick Tindal said. “Now that’s Sojourn’s job, and he’s doing a great job of replacing them.”
Tindal earned the opportunity to start opposite Shelton after spending last season third on the depth chart. He showed the ability to play both outside and in the slot, allowing his defense to show opposing offenses different looks as he and Hillary rotated spots in nickel packages.
That versatility opens up more opportunities for new defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, allowing him to get other cornerbacks involved while simply moving Tindal to wherever he is needed. It’s players like Tindal that make it easier to develop younger players for the future, the way Hillary allowed players like Tindal to gain experience last year.
On the back end, redshirt senior Leo Musso takes over at free safety in McEvoy’s place. The 5-foot-10 defensive back started a pair of games last season including the season opener against Alabama, and he intercepted two passes against Miami of Ohio in the following game.
What Musso lacks in size, he makes up for with range and ball skills, making him a strong fit in Wilcox’s defense that is schematically similar to former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s. That defense features a safety frequently alone in deep coverage in the middle of the field.
Junior D’Cota Dixon has the task of replacing Caputo in this defense, the jack-of-all-trades, at strong safety. A converted linebacker, he has a great physical skillset to play all over this defense much like his predecessor, lining up in the box, in the slot or deep on the back end.
Also 5-foot-10, Dixon doesn’t add much size to the Wisconsin secondary like Musso, but they both are lucky to be coached by one of the NFL’s great former undersized safeties, Jim Leonhard, who is the Badgers’ secondary coach.
If anyone can get the most out of this smaller defensive back group, it’s Leonhard, who made a career out of it, spending 10 years at the pro level after his four years at Wisconsin. He’s back at his alma mater, coaching up a group of players that may remind him of his own college days.
