Badgers Head Coach Luke Fickell At Practice - Photo by Wisconsin Badgers
MADISON, WI (WSAU) – The Wisconsin Badgers will be without one of their top 2024 defensive recruits for the beginning of the season after he suffered an undisclosed injury during practice on Thursday.
According to outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell, former four-star recruit Thomas Heiberger had been playing well during off-season workouts and was open to him playing this season as a true freshman, saying, “For sure, he would’ve been, yes. It’s not a season-ending injury. We’ll get him back. “I just have to keep him engaged in things, but for sure, he was on a path towards the right to play as a true freshman.”
“He had a great spring ball, a great summer, and was off to a really fast start here in fall camp. But it’s not a deal where he’s off the table here in ‘24. I just want to see how the progression goes. We got to make sure we take care of him and everything, but he’s at a point where I think he’s earned the right to get back out there and put himself in a position to play,” coach Mitchell continued.
Coach Mitchell stated that Anelu Lafaele, another true freshman and four-star recruit, could get some playing time as the team’s fifth outside linebacker due to the injury, but he also believes veteran players like Darryl Peterson, John Pius, and Leon Lowery are all capable of playing this season and provide more depth and the ability to produce more than the 9.5 sacks the position had in 2023.
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