Wisconsin Football Defensive Player Switches Positions in Bowl Prep

Coming out of high school, TJ Bollers was considered a significant win for the Wisconsin Badgers football team on the recruiting trail. 

Bollers, an Iowa native, was a consensus four-star, top 200 recruit in the 2021 class, choosing the Wisconsin Badgers over offers from big-time schools like Alabama, Florida, Michigan, and Penn State, among plenty of other Power 5 programs. 

The previous staff thought he would be a game wrecker coming off the edge once he took steps to transform his body and transition away from the defensive line. Now, at the end of his redshirt sophomore season under a new regime, that vision still hasn’t come to fruition for Bollers. 

In four seasons, Bollers has appeared in 16 games, primarily on special teams for the Wisconsin football program. He’s played just 28 defensive snaps and recorded two solo tackles. 

However, it appears that a slew of offseason departures via the transfer portal has led to the coaching staff trying something new with Bollers, which has always made a ton of sense from the outside looking in. 

Wisconsin Football is playing TJ Bollers on the defensive line during bowl prep.

Jesse Temple of The Athletic reported that in a conversation with Badgers defensive end James Thompson, he shared that TJ Bollers began transitioning to defensive end late in the season and has been practicing there during bowl prep.

James Thompson Jr. said TJ Bollers has been playing on the defensive line in bowl prep. Bollers transitioned late in the season. He had been a 270-pound outside linebacker.

— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) December 21, 2023

With Rodas Johnson and Darivan Varner entering the transfer portal, plus Isaiah Mullens and Gio Paez moving on after the season, mixing in Bollers at the defensive end spot makes a ton of sense.

First, it always felt like the right spot for his size (270 pounds) and skill set. Plus, the new Wisconsin football coaching staff prefers a more explosive defensive lineman who can generate some pass-rush, and Bollers could offer that with some time to get his feet under him.

Bollers offers a unique blend of size and strength with which Mike Tressel can get creative. Given the Wisconsin Badgers football team’s lack of DL depth, it’ll be interesting to see if he works his way into the mix and plays any snaps against LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

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