Wisconsin has, at least statistically, one of the best defenses in the country in 2026.

The Badgers check in at No. 14 nationally in total defense and No. 16 in scoring defense. Their run defense ranks just outside the top-20; their passing defense just outside the top-25.

There's a few key factors you can point to driving defensive coordinator Mike Tressel's best unit yet in Madison. There's two young, stud inside linebackers in Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa, who are the nucleus of the unit. There's a revamped secondary, which pulled multiple starters from the transfer portal and boasts much-improved athleticism. There's an enormous, experienced rotation of defensive linemen that consistently controls the line of scrimmage.

But you can't talk about this Badgers defense without mentioning 5th-year senior outside linebacker Sebastian Cheeks.

Heading into the 2026 season, the Badgers had a lot of potential in their outside linebacker room, but very little proven, consistent production. Wisconsin lost its top two players at the position from the 2025 season, Mason Reiger and Darryl Peterson. It did, however, return Cheeks, who was the the Badgers' No. 3 pass-rusher last fall.

Wisconsin's coaching staff made it very clear that it had high expectations for Cheeks in his final year of college ball, publicly challenging him to make a big leap in 2026.

"How much growth is Sebastian going to have going into his last year," Tressel asked rhetorically this spring. "(Peterson) had huge growth going into his last year. Can we have something similar out of Sebastian?"

Because of the Badgers' lack of other true pass-rushers, Cheeks' continued development was one of the biggest keys to this defense's success. With the season three-quarters of the way done, it's safe to say that he's not only achieved the growth he was publicly challenged to, he's surpassed every expectation.

Cheeks' stellar 2026 season thus far

Cheeks is fourth on the Badgers in tackles with 34. His seven sacks lead the team by a wide margin. He also has three pass-breakups and two forced fumbles. His 43 total pressures are tied for third-best in the country and second-best in the Power Four. He's generating pressure on 19.3 percent of his pass-rush reps.

Quite simply, Cheeks has developed into one of the best pass-rushers in the nation. Accordingly, his name is flying up NFL Draft boards.

Nate Tice — a current Yahoo Sports NFL and NFL Draft analyst and former Wisconsin quarterback — had high praise for Cheeks after he continued his excellent play against Rutgers, deeming the outside backer worthy of a first-round draft choice.

Cheeks obviously needs to cranking up the heat on opposing quarterbacks if he wants to sniff the first round of the NFL Draft. But again, he's skyrocketing up draft boards, as evidenced by Tice penciling him at 32. This is just one evaluation, of course, but if Cheeks grades out that highly, depending on need, he could certainly sneak his way into the first round of the NFL Draft.