Sebastian Cheeks 'only scratching the surface' at OLB for Wisconsin football
Sebastian Cheeks has begun to emerge as a valuable option at outside linebacker for the Wisconsin Badgers defense.
What started as a position change midway through fall camp is now beginning to pay dividends for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Sebastian Cheeks, a transfer pickup from North Carolina, found himself in a crowded inside linebacker room when he joined Wisconsin during the offseason. But, injuries at outside linebacker opened the door for the Cheeks to compete for snaps in a room full of opportunity.
While it may have taken some time to settle into his new position, Cheeks has started carving out a role in Mike Tressel's defense since making his brief debut at USC in Week 5. Since then, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Illinois native has made the most of the snaps he's been given, registering eight tackles, five pressures, and two sacks over the last three games.
“We made a transition with him two weeks into camp. It didn't take long for us to realize and believe that this [outside backer] is his best position," Luke Fickell told reporters. "I didn't say that maybe he always felt like that, or feels like that, but [we’ve] definitely seen him, over the last four or five weeks, grow and understand the position more and become more of an asset for us. And I think he's going to continue to do that."
In a season-high 19 snaps against Northwestern, Cheeks made his presence known, tallying three tackles, three pressures, and a half-sack split with defensive lineman Curt Neal, resulting in a fourth-quarter safety—the Badgers first on defense since 2019. According to Pro Football Focus, Cheeks earned a 77.8 defensive grade for that performance.
"He's a guy that definitely showed up, and in some of these games, he's produced, whether it's sacks or havoc plays or tackles for loss. He is a guy that's going to be a difference because he is different than the rest of those guys on the edge, and he's only scratching the surface."
Wisconsin has several veteran outside linebackers ahead of Cheeks on the depth chart, such as Darryl Peterson, Leon Lowery, John Pius, and Aaron Witt. Still, their strengths differ from his, which has allowed Cheeks to continue earning situational opportunities on the edge.
"Sebastian is very twitchy, he's very fast," said coach Tressel. "His change of direction can be phenomenal, and it's a complete change up for a guy blocking on the edge than it might be if Leon Lowery's right there or Darryl Peterson.
“His get-off is phenomenal. It is very hard for offensive tackles to get their hands on him, and he's always been an effort guy that doesn't stop, so I'm proud of him.”
Though the sample size is limited to 51 snaps, Cheeks holds the highest overall defensive grade among Wisconsin pass rushers at 75.6. His ability to serve as a change-of-pace option compared to the bigger, edge-setting LBs has become a valuable asset for the Badgers’ defense.
With Cheeks starting to showcase his playmaking ability and speed on the edge, it’s clear he’s only just beginning to tap into his potential as an outside linebacker under position coach Matt Mitchell. While his role has been limited so far, the redshirt sophomore’s rapid growth could make him an even more significant factor down the stretch for Wisconsin.
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