Sagapolu went on to develop into one of the most important pieces of UW’s defensive line, and now the Badgers are hoping Rand can excel in his first year on campus and provide stability behind Sagapolu.

"He’s progressed a lot over the summer,” Sagapolu said of Rand. "He’s learned a lot of techniques, how to be physical at the point of attack, which he already had coming out of high school. Garrett Rand has really proved to (Breckterfield) that he can be a physical force in the middle. He still has a lot more room to improve, and so do I. We just kind of learn off of each other’s mistakes and try to help each other get better."

Being new to the position, Rand said the most challenging part of playing nose tackle has been learning proper technique — knowing where to step, improving his hand placement, reading what to do if the offensive line slides left or right.

He’s hoping more knowledge of how to play the position will prove to be the other aspect of his game that will help overcompensate for his smaller frame.

"My strength helps me out a lot at that position, but also weight-wise, sometimes I get washed down,” Rand said. "Over time, if you have good technique then you’ll be fine.

“I just started there a few weeks ago, so I don’t feel completely comfortable, but it’s starting to click this week. Things are starting to click and I’m feeling better."

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