Wisconsin Football LB Maema Njongmeta Won’t Return Next Season

It was an up-and-down year for Wisconsin football senior inside linebacker Maema Njongmeta in his fifth season with the Badgers. 

That’s why it should come as no surprise that Njongmeta won’t be utilizing his extra year of eligibility and will move on from the program. 

A source shared with BadgerNotes.com that the Illinois native will instead enter his name into the NFL Draft, with an announcement from Njongmeta expected to come later this week. 

Wisconsin Football LB Maema Njongmeta Moving on From Badgers

Sep 2, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Maema Njongmeta (55) during the game against the Buffalo Bulls at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

When Luke Fickell and his staff took over the Wisconsin football team and implemented their new defensive identity, few players saw their stock take a more significant hit than Maema Njongmeta.

The 6-foot, 240-pound inside backer came off a redshirt junior season where he led the Wisconsin Badgers with a team-high 95 tackles, adding 25 pressures, 12.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, and an interception en route to Third-team All-Big Ten honors.

It looked like Njongmeta was in store for a monster senior season at UW, and he even had the highest Pro Football Focus grade among returning linebackers across the country (89.9).

Unfortunately, his abilities aligned more with Jim Leonhard’s defensive system, and his role under the new coaching style became less defined.

The Wisconsin football defensive captain finished the season with 59 tackles, 23 pressures, 8.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and a pass deflection in 496 total snaps. Njongmeta’s snap total was less than that of Jake Chaney and Jordan Turner.

He’ll now begin training for a shot at making an NFL roster—best of luck to Maema Njongmeta in his next chapter.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. For more Wisconsin Badgers Athletics and Big Ten content, follow us on Twitter & Facebook. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher @DillonGraff at Dillon.T.Graff@gmail.com. 

Also, be sure to check out our shop, subscribe to our newsletter, and the BadgerNotes After Dark podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. Because of your support, we have become one of the fastest-growing independent media outlets focused on giving a voice to the fans!