Zack Baun, Wisconsin Football News: Draft Scout Player News

09/15/19 - OLB Zack Baun, rSr/2020, Wisconsin

Wisconsin's defense hasn't dropped off a bit after losing last year's top pass rusher, Andrew Van Ginkel, to the NFL. Zack Baun, who had 2½ sacks in 25 career games before this season, is a big reason why. Responding to a challenge from coach Paul Chryst to improve his pass rush and take on a leadership role, Baun has been impressive thus far, taking the early Big Ten lead with two sacks in two games. "I'm just trying to make as many as I can, whenever they come," Baun said. "The pass rush is something that I've worked hard at, and to see it come to life like this, you love to see it."

The start of the season couldn't have gone much better for Baun and the 13th-ranked Badgers, who outscored South Florida and Central Michigan by a combined 110-0, becoming the first FBS team to score at least 100 points while allowing zero in its first two games since South Carolina in 1980. Wisconsin next faces No. 11 Michigan (2-0), which beat the Badgers 38-13 last season. "We're coming for revenge," Baun said. "Obviously, there is a standard that has been set here at Wisconsin. We all see it on the walls in the tunnel. We understand we didn't meet that standard last year. We're coming for it this year." After winning at least 10 games in each of Chryst's first three seasons, the Badgers used last year's 8-5 campaign as a learning tool — Baun especially. Baun, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker, saw his first action in 2016 as a redshirt sophomore, playing sparingly in 12 games. He missed all of 2017 with a broken left foot, and then started all 13 games last season. Baun said he spent a large portion of 2018 working back to full strength, both physically and mentally. - AP College Football

rSr/2020