UW’s Sanborn, Chenal expect to make game-changing plays in 2021
MADISON – Ask Bob Bostad a pointed question and Wisconsin’s inside linebackers coach will counter with a frank response.
What does Bostad expect from Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal, his No. 1 pairing, this season?
“I expect upper-level play,” Bostad said. “Impactful. Difference-makers. That is what I am seeing and that is what I expect.”
UW defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has talented and experienced players on the line, at linebacker and in the secondary.
An argument can be made that Sanborn and Chenal were the unit’s most productive players in 2020 and could be again this season, beginning Saturday when UW hosts Penn State.
“They’re playing really fast,” Bostad said. “They’re seeing things quickly.”
Sanborn led UW in tackles in 2019 and last season, and could have turned pro. He averaged 7.4 tackles per game as a junior last season, up from 5.7 per game in 2019.
Chenal was a key reserve as a freshman in 2019 and started all seven games last season. He led UW in sacks (three) and hurries (seven), tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (six) and finished second in total tackles (46).
Sanborn and Chenal shared the team lead for solo tackles (31).
Both players say they need to make more game-changing plays — sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles — this season.
“Just be difference-makers out there,” Sanborn said. “Make the tackles that come to you, and I think that we did that last year. But I think our expectation is to take a step forward and make big-time plays and be game-changers.”
Chenal acknowledges he has a penchant for attacking the line of scrimmage at the first opportunity, sometimes a bit prematurely, and that Sanborn is the more patient player.
“I think we complement each other,” Chenal said. “He is making plays when he sees them, but he is patient. He knows when to hit it. I just like to hit it. I like to get downhill."
Leonhard cited the duo’s experience when asked about their value to the overall defense.
“When you have two guys that have the experience they have, very little that they haven’t seen,” he said. “It provides a lot of comfort for the people around them. Usually very clean communication.
“To me, the biggest thing is that they can see it on game day and communicate it back to you. That is rare. We put a lot on that group to make plays.”