Wisconsin Football 2016 Outlook: Safety

How the Wisconsin football safety group looks heading into 2016

The Wisconsin Football defense is going to be nasty next year. That isn’t an opinion. It is a cold, hard fact. They are deep, talented, and are returning key starters from every single position group. Except safety. After losing the heart and soul of the defense, Michael Caputo, and athletic centerfielder Tanner McEvoy, the safety position is going to be the biggest wildcard for the Badgers.

This defense has the potential to be one of the best in the land- maybe even playoff worthy- if they can find suitable replacements for one of the strongest Badger safety tandems in recent memory.

Not only was Caputo the captain and vocal leader of the defense, but he was also a fantastic tackler. He made most of his plays in the box against the run or short passes. He finished the year with 65 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions.

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Right now, the most likely candidate to fill the Caputo role is sophomore Arrington Farrar. After being a highly regarded 4-star recruit, the 6 foot 2, 215 pound Farrar spent most of his freshman campaign contributing on special teams. He has the size, athleticism, and physicality to be a tackling machine near the line of scrimmage, just like he was when he played linebacker in high school. However, his coverage skills are a bit of an unknown at this point in his career.

The other option for filling the void Caputo left is junior D’Cota Dixon. Dixon is athletic, a solid tackler, and possesses the experience that Farrar lacks. He took valuable reps last year as the backup behind Caputo, and showed some flashes against Alabama when Caputo went down. Even if he doesn’t win the starting job, he will almost certainly be a big part of the safety rotation.

D’Cota Dixon pressures Purdue quarterback David Blough. Jim Oxley photo /

Last year, Tanner McEvoy played more as a free safety, in a ball-hawking role, primarily defending against the deep ball. He had six interceptions and six passes defended. The early favorite to take his place is redshirt senior Leo Musso, who had two interceptions this season. Musso actually was a starter at the beginning of the season, but looked completely out of his element against Alabama.

But we are willing to give him a pass for that, because let’s face it. Alabama is really good. Many players looked bad against the national champions. Musso is very solid in coverage, seemingly always around the ball. He has a high football IQ and good enough speed to make him a good replacement for McEvoy. However, his tackling is subpar.

If Musso’s tackling doesn’t improve, it could leave the door open for junior Lubern Figaro. Figaro started as a true freshman in 2013-14 alongside Caputo. He showed a lot of potential, but he was constantly gashed for big plays. Then as a sophomore, he completely disappeared, not even cracking the 2-deep. He was moved to cornerback for a little while, but there is a good chance he will be moved back due to the lack of depth and experience at safety.

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Lubern Figaro tackles Nebraska’s Kenny Bell in 2014. Jim Oxley photo /

Other safeties looking to crack the rotation include redshirt junior Joe Ferguson and redshirt sophomore Evan Bondoc, both who have the size and talent to make some noise in camp. If Figaro is not move back to safety, one of these two will have a good chance to crack the regular rotation.

Wisconsin is also bringing in three safety recruits for the 2015-16 class. Eric Burrell, a composite 4-star recruit, is the most highly ranked of the trio. He is very fast, and has great ball skills. Patrick Johnson II, a 3-star recruit with an impressive offer list, is tailor-made to be a free safety, possessing great coverage skills and ball hawking ability.

Seth Currens, a 3-star commit, is big and physical at 6-foot 3, 200 pounds. All three will be really good in the future, but if they don’t redshirt, they will spend most of their time on special teams. Burrell have the best shot at competing for a rotation spot, but even he is a long shot.

There is no question that Wisconsin lost a lot at safety. Caputo and McEvoy were instrumental in preventing against big plays both against the run and pass, and were a big reason Wisconsin’s defense had so much success. But despite the inexperience now plaguing the position, Wisconsin has a lot of young talent.

If some of the mentioned guys can step up, Wisconsin’s defense could be just as good, if not better than the one it is following.

Stay tuned to Badger of Honor for more on the Wisconsin football offseason.