4 Most Slept-On Wisconsin Football Players Entering the 2023 Season

A look at four Badgers players that aren't getting enough attention entering 2023.

As I sit here and write this, it's nearing the end of August, which is when Wisconsin football fans, bloggers, and media pundits endlessly speculate on how good the Badgers will be this fall.

I'm on record saying I think the University of Wisconsin wins the Big Ten West in their first year with Luke Fickell at the helm. Anything more than that seems a little unrealistic for my taste -- but to each their own.

Much of the offseason is spent discussing recruiting, the transfer portal, star players, and potential breakouts. However, I thought it was worthwhile to identify some of the Badgers players that aren't getting enough attention -- the glue guys of the football team, if you will.

Here are the four most slept-on Wisconsin football players entering 2023.

Alexander Smith, Cornerback 

I get why you might raise an eyebrow about me listing the Badgers' top cornerback as a slept-on player, but I challenge you to find a key player getting talked about less than Alexander Smith. 

Smith is entering his sixth season with the program. Because of his ability to shadow wideouts on the boundary, players like Ricardo Hallman are getting the chance to become playmakers for Wisconsin's defense. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Smith was the highest-graded cornerback on the Wisconsin football team last season (72.8) and only gave up 14 catches in 185 coverage snaps. 

Even if he isn't a stat stuffer, Smith is the clear-cut CB1 for UW, and if he can remain healthy, the California native could be one of the most important players on the entire defense. He’s sticky in man coverage.

Chimere Dike, Wide Receiver

Chimere Dike seems like another one that's entering the season flying under the radar because so much of the attention has gone to the transfers.