Wisconsin Football Coach Plans to Bring ‘Relentless Violent Effort’

Wisconsin Badgers head football coach Luke Fickell had to utilize an on-staff connection to uncover his newest assistant, E.J. Whitlow. Upon watching a six-minute video UW shared on YouTube, I’m here to inform the masses that he has completely won me over.

In an interview with Mark Tauscher, Whitlow delivered a perfect answer when asked what he’ll bring to the Badgers defensive line and what he’s looking for to help take the defense to another level.

“Toughness, physicality, grit, and just that relentless violent effort,” Whitlow said. “That’s one thing we’re going to hang our hat on. We’re going to be tough and nasty up front and hunt the ball.”

E.J. Whitlow Needs Wisconsin Football DL Room to Bring the Juice

The gritty approach Whitlow brings, and his proven track record in developing players at his previous coaching stops is what Wisconsin football needs to breathe new life into a defensive line that struggled, managing only 59 pressures and 4 sacks throughout the 2023 season.

“If you’re juiceless, you’re useless,” Whitlow said. “So, you got to have it. You got to have it every single day to get after it.”

James Thompson Jr. is the Badgers’ top returning defensive lineman. According to Pro Football Focus, he graded out as an above-average player (66.9) after registering 29 tackles, 18 pressures, 5.5 TFLs, three sacks, and two pass deflections in 437 snaps. But he’ll need some help up front to stay fresh and get after the quarterback.

He’s joined by transfer portal addition Elijah Hills from Albany and returning depth pieces such as Curt Neal, Ben Barten, Cade McDonald, Jamel Howard, T.J. Bollers, and Mike Jarvis.

With promising recruits like Ernest Willor Jr., Dillan Johnson, and Hank Weber joining the fold, Wisconsin football aims to resurrect its defensive front under Whitlow’s guidance. Still, there’s no denying he’s facing an uphill climb to improving this room. 

It may be a tall task to expect the Wisconsin Badgers to produce a strong front in 2024 — but success has seemingly followed Whitlow everywhere he’s gone to this point. If he can somehow deliver an average Big Ten defensive line, Mike Tressel’s defense could take a big step forward this fall, given the additions at linebacker. 

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