Wisconsin Football: Five Reasons the Badgers Have the Best Defense in the Country

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Joe Schobert signals to the defense before a Purdue snap. Jim Oxley photo

Joe Schobert

Wisconsin has seen the emergence of former walk-on Joe Schobert, who might wind up as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. The senior has excelled at rushing the quarterback on the edge along with fellow outside linebacker Vince Biegel.

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Schobert’s 14.5 tackles for loss is sixth in the nation, and his 9.5 sack total ranks fourth. The total yardage on both his tackles for loss and sacks ranks second in college football. Not only does Schobert frequently stop opponents in the backfield, he is also a turnover machine. He is tied for the fourth-most forced fumbles with four, and his two fumble recoveries are tied for ninth in FBS.

Schobert almost single-handedly kept the Badgers in the game against Iowa on Oct. 3 at Camp Randall. Wisconsin lost the game 10-6 with worst offensive performance of the year, but Schobert made a huge impact on the defensive side of the ball. He finished the game with eight total tackles, including 3.5 tackle for loss, three sacks, five quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and recovered one of them.

In addition to forcing himself into the discussion for the conference player of the year, Schobert’s play has him in position for some national college football awards. He was announced as a 2015 Lott IMPACT Trophy quarter-finalist, which is given to college football’s defensive best in character and performance.

Schobert’s performance this season has put him on the NFL radar. He was projected as a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft in Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller’s latest mock draft. Schobert has made some money with his play this year.

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