UW defensive line is hurting as Garrett Rand suffers Achilles injury and Isaiahh Loudermilk has knee surgery

RIVER FALLS – Wisconsin’s defense, which returns just four starters from a unit that finished third nationally in points allowed last season, is already down two key players. 

Junior end Garrett Rand suffered recently an Achilles injury during summer workouts and could miss the entire 2018 season.

Redshirt sophomore end Isaiahh Loudermilk underwent knee surgery earlier this spring to address previous injuries.

Head coach Paul Chryst addressed the status of both players before attending a UW golf outing Tuesday at the River Falls Golf Club.

"Isaiahh is going through (rehab) and we'll see where he is at with it," Chryst said. "Isaiahh has been doing more, which is good. ...

"Garrett will be further away. I haven't gotten the official update."

The loss of Rand and the potential loss of Loudermilk mean defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield will be tested even more than originally anticipated.

UW must replace three senior ends from last season – Alec James, Conor Sheehy and Chikwe Obasih. That trio combined for 88 tackles, including 13 ½ for a loss, last season.

Rand, who has played in 28 games and has yet to redshirt, was set to move to end after playing nose tackle in his first two seasons. Rand recorded 13 tackles in 14 games last season.

“I set my goals high,” Rand said during spring practice. “I want to have more sacks, more tackles. That is always the goal.

“But we’ll see what happens because this will be the first time I have played end. I am excited, though.”

Loudermilk missed three games last season because of minor injuries to both knees but showed the ability to get into the backfield and earned enough trust to get extensive work in the Orange Bowl.

He finished with 11 tackles in 11 games. 

“The most difficult part was not being able to be out there as much as I could have,” Loudermilk said during the spring. “I felt like before I started battling the injuries I was taking a big step.”

UW closed the spring with Rand and Loudermilk at the end spots and Olive Sagapolu at nose tackle.

Freshman Bryson Williams was the No. 2 nose tackle and redshirt freshman Aaron Vopal was the third end.

Breckterfield noted in the spring that incoming freshman Isaiah Mullens, a 6-5, 290-pounder from Columbus, Ohio, could be next in line at end.

“Physically he is a specimen,” Breckterfield said. “He benches over 400 pounds and squats the world. He will come in physically ready. 

“I’m going to throw a lot of reps at him in the fall to see if he can figure it out. It will be fun. 

“Like I said, physically he will be ready to go. It will be: ‘Can he catch up?’ ”

Considering the injuries that have hit UW's defensive line, Mullens and others will need to catch up as quickly as they can.