Sebastian Cheeks Primed for Edge Rusher Role

On April 23rd, Sebastian Cheeks is stepping up big time for the Wisconsin Badgers as their

top pass rusher in 2026.

With Mason Ryger and Darryl Peterson gone to the pros, the senior from Madison is prime

to lead the edge after a strong junior year.

He racked up 24 tackles, 3 sacks, and 27 pressures as the number 3 outside backer.

He's back for his fifth year and third it was constant, having switched from inside

linebacker to the edge in Mike Tressel's defense.

Now the veteran in the room, coaches are pushing him hard to explode like his predecessors

did in their final seasons.

The staff isn't holding back on the expectations.

Tressel questioned publicly how much growth Cheeks can show, comparing it to Peterson's

jump.

Head coach Luke Fickle wants him leading off the field too, setting examples for the defense

and growing his influence daily.

Cheeks owns it, saying the guys before him set the standard.

This offseason, he's honed his top n rush, focusing on reading offensive sets without losing

his quick get off against all body types.

He flashed in spring practice, looking ready for that big leap, but nose consistency is

key to matching last year's stars.

It's all about team effort though, no solo carries.

Cheeks leaned on the group before and plans the same this fall, building on that unity

to crank up the pressure across the board.