The Wisconsin Badgers were faced with a dilemma during bowl prep, as super-senior Jason Maitre elected to bypass playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl, instead choosing to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft.
As a result, Wisconsin was left without a true starter at the nickel, which was a position where the Badgers faced depth issues in 2023, with safety Owen Arnett being listed as the backup on the two-deep.
In a bit of a change, the Badgers moved Austin Brown into the role against the LSU Tigers, where he played the whole game in his first-ever start at nickel.