The Wisconsin Badgers have enjoyed a quality season to date, sitting at 6-3 with three games left in the season.
There have been some ups and downs, with Wisconsin recording some major wins, while also still working their way through things offensively. But the Badgers have compiled an elite defense, headlined by their star linebacker tandem of Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano.
Both players are true sophomores, so they do have at least one more year of college football remaining. However, there is one Badger
whose stock has continued to skyrocket this season with his stellar play: edge rusher Sebastian Cheeks.
Cheeks has been one of the biggest revelations of the college football season. He ranks first among Power 4 edge rushers with 43 pressures, despite playing in one fewer game than some of his competition. His seven sacks lead the Badgers, and his elite 24 percent pass-rush win rate is second among qualified pass rushers.
Heading into the season, Cheeks was a potential Day 3 pick. Then, after his superb start to the season, his stock grew to being a Day 2 pick by several evaluators. Now, he’s earning some first-round consideration, as the Badgers star has continued to evolve and be an elite pass rusher.
Over the weekend, Yahoo Sports’s Nate Tice ranked Cheeks as his No. 32 player in the 2027 class. Then, in his latest mock draft, 247Sports’s Mike Renner had Cheeks going 26th to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round. That would pair him with former Badgers Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton on the defensive line.
The big question with Cheeks has been his ability to defend the run at 6’5, 245 pounds. However, Cheeks does play with a relentless motor and has shown good speed-to-power for the Badgers this season, showcasing his play strength that could hold up well against the run in the pros.
Cheeks ranks 12th among Power 4 edge rushers in defensive stops, so he’s shown the ability to defend against the run as well. He’s also grown into a leader for the Badgers this season.
It’s a great development for a Badgers program that hasn’t had a first-round pick since T.J. Watt and Ryan Ramcyzk in the 2017 NFL Draft.
