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Wisconsin Football: Secondary gets boost with Houston transfer Collin Wilder

By Trevor Jossart

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Badgers cheers during the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Head coach Paul Chryst of the Wisconsin Badgers cheers during the 2017 Capital One Orange Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Wisconsin football added a key piece to its young secondary by virtue of Houston transfer safety Collin Wilder.

One of the areas to keep an eye entering the 2018 Wisconsin Badgers football season was their secondary. With three starters in Nick Nelson, Natrell Jamerson and Derrick Tindal departing, the team will be facing three new starters in 2018, with two of them being at the cornerback position. The only returning piece is safety D’Cota Dixon, who has been injury-ridden in recent years.

The Badgers received some help on Monday as they learned the transfer and commitment of Houston Cougars safety Collin Wilder. While it is not a major veteran get, Wilder will certainly make the open starting spots in coming years more competitive and will help the defensive unit depth.

Wilder played in just two games his sophomore season with the Cougars after playing in eight as a freshman. This was designed to be on purpose, as he sat out most of the year following a knee injury so that he could have three years of eligibility should he eventually transfer.

Wilder was a three-star athlete out of high school and has served as the Cougars’ safety, punt returner, and kick returner. He will sit out the 2018 season before having three years of eligibility with the Badgers.

Wisconsin is currently full on scholarship players at the moment, so Wilder will be joining the Badgers program as a preferred walk-on, with certainly a chance to earn one in the coming years. Wilder will join a defensive secondary unit that is coached by former NFL defensive back Jim Leonhard, who once too was a walk-on with Wisconsin. Leonard served as the Badgers safety, kick returner, and punt returner, putting the sense to Wilder’s move to Madison all that much clearer.

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Wilder will get the chance to compete for a wide open safety position with the departing D’Cota Dixon following the 2018 season. The depth chart currently for 2018 is unclear outside of Dixon, but Wilder will have more-than-fair shot at being the main guy in 2019.

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