MADISON, Wis. -- When Will Sutton opted to bypass the NFL Draft and return to school for his senior season at Arizona State, the move was met with glee by Sun Devils fans.
For the opponents that still had to face him, the reaction was understandably less enthused.
Sutton, a 6-foot-1, 288-pound defensive tackle, is the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after recording 23.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks last season. He is considered by most to be a sure-fire first-round draft choice next spring. But first, he still must finish wreaking havoc on college offenses across the country.
No. 21 Wisconsin (2-0) is next on the docket, and the Badgers offensive line will have their hands full when they travel to face Arizona State (1-0) at 9:30 p.m. CT Saturday.
Badgers coach Gary Andersen said he watched several games of Arizona State's from last season. And Sutton is the engine that makes the defense go.
"First of all, he is very, very sudden as a defensive lineman," Andersen said. "If I'm going to go recruit a guy, I'm going to look at a guy that's going to be a great defensive tackle. I want to see a great bender, I want to see good natural use of hands and I want to see him be sudden. Well, he fits all three of those very well."
"The other thing is he's a smart football player. What makes him so elite is his ability to be able to rush the passer. He's 300 and whatever he is. But his ability to be athletic enough to rush the passer and truly get to the edges of the offensive linemen and cause them problems and get them opened up, he does a very good job with that. He's a big, big-time defensive tackle."
Sutton, for one, is ready for the challenge of dealing with a Wisconsin offensive line that is perennially considered to be one of the best in the country. And he isn't afraid to talk as big as his own frame.
"You've got to hit them right in their mouth," Sutton said. "They're big guys, but they don't play low. They play high, so we've just got to get off the ball and hit them in their mouths."
Against Sacramento State, Sutton recorded only two tackles and recovered a fumble. But those numbers do not do justice to his impact. The Hornets gave up on running between the tackles and failed even in their attempts to double-team Sutton.
Sacramento State finished with 51 yards rushing on 31 carries.
"I think it is pretty hard to run at Will or away from him," Arizona State coach Todd Graham said. "It doesn't matter to me either way. We are going to do things to put him in a position to make plays. He and our other three guys on the defensive line have gotten better. He has gotten better every single day."
Following his breakout season, Sutton put his name into consideration for the NFL with the league's draft advisory board. Members of the board responded by grading Sutton as a fifth-round pick. Though Sutton is strong and explosive, many pro scouts view his height (6-1) as a negative.
So, Sutton chose to return to school despite a stellar junior campaign. Wisconsin fans may recall running back Montee Ball did the same thing when he received a third-round grade despite becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist as a junior. Ball would go on to win the Doak Walker Award and be a second-round draft choice of the Denver Broncos.
Sutton's decision to return should result in an equally favorable draft slot. NFLDraftScout.com lists Sutton as the No. 1 defensive tackle in the 2014 NFL draft. CBSSports.com senior NFL draft analyst Rob Rang lists Sutton as the No. 24 overall prospect in the 2014 draft and has Sutton as the No. 4 overall defensive tackle.
"He's a high-energy player," Wisconsin offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said. "He has physicality at the point of attack. He's a playmaker. We've got to account for him every snap."
Graham has been adamant that Sutton is in position to have an even better season than he did last year, and that is scary news for opposing offenses. Former Arizona State standout Terrell Suggs holds the single-season NCAA sack record with 24, and Sutton hasn't shied from talk he can attain the mark.
If he is to make a run at the record, it will have to start Saturday against Wisconsin. Given the Badgers' propensity to run the ball, Sutton may have to settle for tackles for loss.
"They just run the ball -- power and lead zone," Sutton said. "That's their main play and play action. They've been doing it for years, so we've just got to go out and stop those plays."
Wisconsin, of course, will be equally bent on stopping Sutton -- a task in which few teams have found success.
FOXSportsArizona.com's Tyler Lockman contributed to this story
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