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Wisconsin Football: Top 3 performers vs. Western Kentucky

By Sam Land

MADISON, WI - AUGUST 31: Garrett Groshek #37, Alex Hornibrook #12, and A.J. Taylor #4 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Camp Randall Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - AUGUST 31: Garrett Groshek #37, Alex Hornibrook #12, and A.J. Taylor #4 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Camp Randall Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

#3 – Scott Nelson, Safety

Redshirt freshman safety Scott Nelson was one of the top overall performers in fall camp, earning first-team reps from the beginning and never looking back. His play last night against Western Kentucky is an encouraging sign that his strong practice performance was no fluke.

Nelson was all over the field against the Hilltopper offense, tying linebacker T.J. Edwards with a game-high 7 tackles to go along with 2 pass breakups. However, his impact on the game went far beyond those stats.

Nelson is the type of smart, ball-hawking center-fielder that every team wants to have on the back end of the defense, and he was constantly on the ball in both the run and pass games last night. Even on plays in which he wasn’t credited with a tackle, that #9 jersey was always seen in the near vicinity.

That cerebral playing style enables him to see plays take shape before anyone else and position himself accordingly, to the point where he may be the early favorite to lead this team in interceptions this season.

Nelson showed this in fall camp, where he was a constant thorn in the side of quarterback Alex Hornibrook, intercepting him multiple times. He should have had another last night against Western Kentucky quarterback Drew Eckels, but dropped it.

Overall, this was a fantastic first career start for Nelson. He may have missed a few tackles to go along with that dropped interception, but for the most part he looked right at home in the under the bright lights of Camp Randall and was probably the defensive MVP of the game.

Many fans were understandably concerned about this young Wisconsin secondary going into the season, but Nelson’s outstanding play should go a long way in putting them at ease. He and D’Cota Dixon look like they could be one of the Big Ten’s top safety duos this season.