Wisconsin Badgers beat writer Jesse Temple will be analyzing the 30 most important players to the Badgers' success in the 2015 season. Check back each weekday to see the latest player on the list.
Note: This is not a list of the team's 30 best players or a series about past success, but rather which of them means the most to how Wisconsin will fare this year. Criteria such as depth at that player's position, general expectations and overall importance of that player having a good season are all highly considered. The list does not include incoming freshmen because their potential impact is unknown at this time.
No. 21 -- Conor Sheehy, nose guard
Why he's No. 21
Sheehy began the spring as a defensive end but left spring as the team's top nose guard. That's quite a feat for a player who is only a sophomore and recorded a total of two tackles last season.
Playing nose tackle is one of the most important positions in Wisconsin's 3-4 defense because it requires the player to be selfless, to occupy double teams so the defensive ends and linebackers can tackle the ball carrier. Statistics, in other words, are not generally indicative of the player's success.
Sheehy will have a lot on his plate given that Arthur Goldberg, who filled in at nose guard last year, has moved to defensive end. Backup nose guard Jeremy Patterson, meanwhile, is raw and has yet to play in a college game.
Expectations for 2015
Sheehy's body type is slightly different from nose guards defensive coordinator Dave Aranda has used in his first two seasons at Wisconsin. Sheehy is listed at 6-foot-5, which is two inches taller than last year's starter Warren Herring and three inches taller than Beau Allen, the 2013 starting nose guard.
But Sheehy also is listed at 279 pounds, which would make him the lightest nose guard in the bunch. Herring weighed 294 pounds, and Allen weighed over 300 pounds when he arrived from high school. Sheehy will have to meld speed with power to be an effective force.
During the team's spring game, Sheehy recorded three tackles with 1.5 tackles for a loss, 0.5 sacks and one pass breakup. He was one of three players to record at least a half sack and a pass breakup, along with Jack Chichy and Leon Jacobs.
What is a reasonable statistical baseline for Sheehy in 2015? Last season, Herring -- in limited duty because of injury -- recorded 17 tackles and two tackles for a loss. In 2013, Herring had 17 tackles with six tackles for a loss and four sacks, while Allen had 20 tackles, 2.0 for a loss and 1.5 sacks when the two split time. Sheehy's numbers likely won't reflect his impact, but he needs to make his presence felt by being an occasional menace who can knock linemen back and squeeze off any open running lanes.
What would they do without him?
Sheehy has greater value this season because there simply aren't many nose guards on the roster. If Sheehy went down, the most likely scenario is Arthur Goldberg would move back to nose guard from defensive end. The only other option would be Patterson, a 6-3, 326-pound redshirt freshman who still has much to prove if he wants to consistently see the field.
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