UW notes: Zack Baun's growth has caught the eye of defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard

Jeff Potrykus | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON – Outside linebacker Zack Baun is quietly developing into the playmaker the Wisconsin staff envisioned in August.

The redshirt junior from Brown Deer High School enters UW’s game Saturday at Purdue No. 3 on the team in tackles (48), third in tackles for loss (6 ½) and first in quarterback hurries (seven).

“I think throughout the course of the season he has continued to improve,” UW defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said after practice Wednesday. “He is a guy who has battled. He hasn’t been 100 percent every week but you see what he has done the last three weeks.”

Baun recorded a season-high nine tackles last week in UW’s 22-10 loss to Penn State. He had 1 ½ sacks, three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.

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One week earlier in a victory over Rutgers, Baun recorded three tackles, two quarterback hurries and one pass broken up.

One week before that at Northwestern, Baun recorded four tackles, one interception and two hurries.

“Very active,” Leonhard said. “Making a ton of plays and impacting the game. Not only doing his job, but making big plays for us.

“When he is on, our defense feeds off of it. It has been fun to watch. I’ve been impressed and hopefully he can continue to push. The last few weeks of this year we need him to continue to grow.”

The growth hasn’t been easy.

Baun, who recorded 15 tackles as a reserve in 2016, had to start from scratch this season after missing the ’17 season because of a broken foot.

He started slowly and has battled through several nagging injuries. On Wednesday, Baun was wearing a brace on his left knee.

“Nothing to get you on an injury report,’ Leonhard said when asked about Baun’s battles. “Nothing to miss practice. The bumps and bruises of the season.

“Sometimes that affects you more than others. I think he has done a great job just continuing to push.

“A lot of times it doesn’t keep you out of a practice but you’re trying to survive it a little bit. I think he has done a good job at trying to improve and understand that sometimes you have to win when maybe you’re not at your best.

“I think he has applied that throughout the course of the year and he has been very dynamic for us the last couple of weeks.”