Ranking the 10 most important Wisconsin Football players in 2024: Part 1

Much of the Wisconsin Badgers football focus lately has been on the potentially special 2025 class that Luke Fickell and company will be putting some finishing touches on over the coming weeks, but with the season less than two months away, I want to dive into who I think the team’s 10 most important guys are.

Not making this list doesn’t mean that I don’t think a player will be impactful—far from it. If the 2024 Badgers are going to hit anywhere near their ceiling, they’re going to need a lot more than 10 guys to hit theirs, especially given a daunting schedule with Oregon, USC, Penn State, and Alabama on it. But, it’s still fun to look at the very most important guys.

So, here are numbers 6 through 10. (1 through 5 comes later this week.)

10. LB Jaheim Thomas

Although the Badgers’ 2023 defense had a number of issues, chief amongst them was tackling.

It was almost comical at times, so landing a battle-tested, high upside bopper like Thomas was one of the biggest wins for Fickell in the portal this cycle.

Wisconsin spent a lot of transfer capital on the linebacker position, and the crown jewel might be Thomas, a one-time Cincinnati guy, who left for Arkansas after Fickell took the Wisconsin job.

Standing 6’4” with a ripped 240 pounds on his frame, Thomas led the 2023 Razorbacks in tackles with 90 against some elite SEC offenses.

The Badgers needed an athletic, hard-hitting LB to lead their defense in 2024 and I think they’ve found him.

9. C Jake Renfro

It went a bit under the radar, but one of the reasons the 2023 Wisconsin offense struggled at times was a lack of a talented, consistent center.

That’s not meant as a rip on Tanor Bortolini, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Indianapolis Colts and looks to have a long NFL career ahead of him.

But, it probably won’t be at center (at least immediately), where he filled in valiantly for Renfro but seemed miscast, often struggling with his snaps, which threw off the timing of a precision-based Air Raid offense.

Before injury issues derailed his 2022 and 2023 seasons, Renfro was a first-team All-AAC performer for Fickell’s Bearcats. Should he find that form again this year for the Badgers, it will greatly help the team’s offense and new quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.

Here’s to hoping Renfro can stay healthy.

8. OLB John Pius

The Badgers leaned heavily on the portal to beef up its struggling 2023 pass rush, and may have landed a great one in John Pius, a twitchy, talented All-American four-star transfer from FCS William & Mary, where he produced nine sacks in 2023.

It remains to be seen if his FCS production translates to the Big Ten, but if spring workouts are any indication, he appears to be the real deal, often looking disruptive and quick off the snap. He’s reportedly packed on 10 pounds to his 2023 frame, which will help him greatly playing against bigger and faster players.

The Badgers racking up more sacks will take some of the pressure off of the rest of the defense, which will be especially important against all-everything quarterbacks like Dillon Gabriel of Oregon and Jalen Milroe of Alabama.

7. WR Bryson Green

While there’s another wideout who appears higher on this list (Spoiler: he’s next), having production on the boundary will be vital to the success of the 2024 Badgers with Tyler Van Dyke at QB—a guy who has a better quarterback rating the further down the field he throws.

I’m willing to give Green a pass on a relatively subpar 2023 campaign, as I don’t think he was ever fully healthy and rarely looked like his Oklahoma State film.

Green seems poised for a breakout if he stays on the field and he will definitely help free up others in the offense if he can do so.

6. WR Will Pauling

Arguably the 2023 Badgers’ MVP, the talented slot wide receiver Will Pauling is the Badgers’ top returning pass catcher and his arrow appears to be pointed straight up.

With quickness, crisp route running, and good hands, he’s a natural to again lead the Badgers in catches, yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Adding Trech Kekahuna to the slot mix will only help Pauling, giving the squad a potentially dynamic and chain moving slot presence that will extend many drives.

Coming next: Slots 1-5.