BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer

MADISON, Wis. – Nick Herbig made Darryl Peterson an offer that he couldn't refuse. His shoulder pads. With Herbig declaring for the NFL draft, Peterson was delighted to accept the hand-me-down from the Wisconsin MVP, the Big Ten sack leader and the second-team All-American.

"I've been wearing his shoulder pads the last couple of weeks of bowl prep," said Peterson, who along with his Badger teammates are preparing for Oklahoma State and the Dec. 27 Guaranteed Rate Bowl. "They fit real good actually. They feel a little sleeker, a little lighter. I plan on keeping these."

Why not? Herbig, the junior outside linebacker from Kauai, Hawaii, got a lot of mileage (and production) out of those pads. In 31 career games, 30 starts, he was responsible for 137 tackles, 36 TFLs and 21 quarterback sacks, including 11 this season (3.5 more sacks than anyone else in the conference).

Peterson, a redshirt freshman, has taken more than just gear from his apprenticeship. "Nick did a great job of leading us and I plan on carrying that torch into next season and being a leader for this team," he said. "I want to put in the same work and keep adding things to my game like he did.

"Even though he was a captain and a leader, he never stopped learning."

It's among the things that redshirt sophomore Kaden Johnson is taking away from Herbig, too. "All the moves – the cross chops, the spins – I got from him; he showed me the way," he said. "I feel like it's time for someone to really step up and take ownership of the group and I feel like I can do that."

With the always reliable C.J. Goetz, a fifth-year senior and Wisconsin's third-leading tackler, solidly entrenched as one of the starting outside linebackers, Peterson and Johnson are waging a friendly competition for snaps on the other side, the field side of the defense.

On battling for playing time with Peterson, who has two starts under his belt, Johnson said, "Ever since Nick left, it has been me and him at the field. I love the competition. It's what we need in the group right now. It's just going to make us better. We're going to improve every day."

In some defensive alignments, Peterson and Johnson are pass rushing bookends. "That's fun too knowing all our hard work is paying off and we can be out there together," Peterson said. "When we're both on the field side, we can bounce questions off each other if needed and stuff like that.

"We are close to each other, so we can hold each other accountable, which makes for a lot better competition. We're not hating on each other or anything like that. It's healthy competition which I feel is the best competition. We have love for each other ... We're holding each other up."

Herbig's departure has created more practice reps for T.J. Bollers, a redshirt freshman. Up until now, he has been utilized primarily on the scout team, which Peterson stressed should not be viewed as an indictment of his potential at outside linebacker. "This stuff is not easy," he pointed out.

Peterson added, "He's getting better every day. The approach he takes, I respect so much. He's not one to whine about it or moan about it. He comes to work every day with a smile on his face and it's something you've got to love. I'm excited to get a chance to play with him hopefully in this bowl game."

Bowl prep can be a proving ground for players like Bollers, who has also made a positive impression on Johnson. "Coming from the scouts to now, he has made a big leap," Johnson said. "You can see that he's maturing, he's making plays, he's doing what he needs to do. He has grown a lot."

A year ago, Peterson got 17 snaps against Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl – "That was a big step and I've grown in every game since" – in what turned out to be a springboard for the 2022 season. But he still had to wait his turn behind Herbig and Goetz, he still had to be patient with his development.

Waiting for that first career sack was the biggest challenge for Peterson, who finally broke the ice when he dumped Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson for a 7-yard loss in the fourth quarter of Wisconsin's exhilarating come-from-behind 15-14 win over the Cornhuskers on Nov. 19 in Lincoln.

"It felt great … I blacked out for a second … it was like, 'Whoa, what just happened?'" Peterson recalled of the moment. "I was waiting for so long to get it, I can't describe the feeling. I had to wait 10 weeks. By the fourth or fifth week, I just wanted one so bad."

Proving that it wasn't a fluke, Peterson got another sack the following week against Minnesota, a game that he started due to Herbig sitting out the first half because of a targeting foul at Nebraska. Peterson sacked Gopher QB Athan Kaliakmanis for a loss of 10 yards early in the fourth quarter.

Back-to-back games, back-to-back sacks. "I just want to keep it going," he said confidently.

In addition to the Minnesota start, Peterson also started against Purdue for the injured Herbig. "Being a starter," Peterson said, "you get a feel for the game a lot earlier rather than coming in the middle of the first, or sometime the second quarter. I was able to get into my groove from the jump."

Peterson framed the Oklahoma State bowl practices in a similar fashion of "getting back into the groove of things." That's from a physical and mental standpoint, he noted. On Monday, the Badgers spent time on simulated tackling exercises (through tackling rings or donuts and other technique drills).

"This is a time for me to really improve on my fundamentals – making sure my feet are right, and my hands are right and then making sure that I'm locked in with all of my teammates," Johnson said. "It's a time for everyone to take advantage of the reps and show the coaches what you can do."

As a prep, Johnson showed his skills weren't limited to just football. At Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.), he played on state championship basketball teams with Jalen Suggs (the No. 5 overall pick of Orlando in 2021) and Chet Holmgren (the No. 2 selection of Oklahoma City in 2022).

Suggs was a dual-sport star, a Mr. Basketball and Mr. Football in Minnesota. As a one-and-done Gonzaga freshman, he achieved national celebrity for his buzzer beater and overtime game-winner against UCLA in the semifinals of the Big Dance. The Zags wound up losing to Baylor in the finals.

"Ever since we were kids, it has always been me and him," Johnson said of Suggs, who attended the UW opener against Illinois State. "I loved the game of basketball. Honestly, that was probably my first love growing up. But the (scholarship) offers weren't really there. Football was more of my route."

On the AAU circuit, Johnson got to be friends with the Davis twins, Johnny and Jordan. The former was the 10^th overall pick of Washington, the latter is now starting for the UW. "I see Jordan all the time," he said. "I haven't gotten a chance to hoop with him, but I feel it's something I've got to do."

The last time Johnson picked up a basketball was during an off-season football team get-together at the Kohl Center. Wide receiver Skyler Bell won the dunk contest, according to Peterson. "Skyler can jump out of the gym," he said. "He was wind-milling, between his legs, all that stuff."

The Badgers would settle for some over-the-shoulder catches from Bell against Oklahoma State. What is known: Bell has some hangtime. And soft hands. He was the UW's second-leading receiver with 29 receptions (15.1) and five scores. What is unknown: the opponent. Because of opt-outs.

"Whoever is out there – O-line, running back, quarterback – we have to smack them in the mouth and get this win," Peterson emphasized. "The coaches are still the same for them, so the scheme is going to be the same. Whoever they throw out there, we'll be ready for them."

The significance of this game – in the midst of the UW coaching turnover – has not been lost on Peterson. "It's really, really important because it's coach (Luke) Fickell's first game with us and we want to bring him in the right way with a win and have carry that over into next season," Peterson said.

"I feel like he (Fickell) has done a great job of getting us ready by coming in and leading us right away." (Fickell has been on the field for every practice, more from an observational standpoint than anything else). "I love him being out here with us, getting to know us. He cares a lot about us already."

Johnson touched on the transition. "This is a hard time for a lot of people with the coaching change and everything," he admitted. "But we're all staying together ... Coach Fick knows it's about the team right now. And he's making sure it's all about us." A solid idea. A sound approach. A slam-dunk.