Wisconsin starting linebacker, defensive leader dealing with a hand injury

Tough news for the 2023 Wisconsin Badgers broke last night. Several Badger media members reported starting inside linebacker Maema Njongmeta injured his hand and had surgery on it this week.

Njongmeta led Wisconsin in tackles last season with 95, in addition to 12.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks and one interception. He projects to be the Badgers’ leader again at the position in Mike Tressel’s first year as defensive coordinator.

Wisconsin is talented at the position this season with Njongmeta, Jordan Turner and Jake Chaney. Much of early practice talk points towards some three-inside-linebacker packages with Chaney roving and attacking the quarterback. None of that works without Njongmeta in the middle, however.

The specific timeline of the injury is not yet known. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jeff Potrykus gave several updates last night on the situation:

The Zone’s Zach Heilprin also added an image of the starting linebacker in a sling at practice:

This is tough news for a Wisconsin team with a lot of momentum entering the season. Luckily for Njongmeta and the team, Wisconsin does not have an important game until it visits Purdue in Week 4.

Hopefully the starting linebacker will be healthy, or at least healthy enough, when Big Ten play comes around.

Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire