Andrew

Van Ginkel

Van Ginkel (6'3/241) earned third-team All-B1G honors as a senior, piling up 46 tackles, seven TFL, 4.5 sacks, and a blocked kick. An FCS refugee, Van Ginkel featured at South Dakota and “Iowa Western Community College” before landing in Madison. As such, he is elderly for a rookie, turning 24 in July. Built like a ‘tweener, Van Ginkel does have impressive athleticism. He will have to rely on it as he looks to make a name for himself on special teams before potentially getting snaps on defense.

“He’s a pretty good athlete and he’s going to test better than people think,” the executive told Zierlein. “I would bet you he ends up making a team as a special-teamer.” This was said before Van Ginkel took part in his Pro Day, which he rank a 4.56 second 40-yard dash and showed off a 38-inch vertical. “Van Ginkel has the motor to tally stats with effort and secondary rush,” Zierlein writes, but he needs a better rush plan and more proactive hands to set him up for success in attacking the quarterback.” Expect to see the former Wisconsin defender selected late on Day 3 this April.

Van Ginkel did not run the 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine, instead participating in other athletic testing exercises such as the vertical jump (38 inches), 20-yard shuttle (4.14 seconds) and broad jump (123.0 inches). NFL.com currently gives the former Badger linebacker a 50-50 chance of making an NFL roster on its grading system.

Van Ginkel came to the Badgers as a four-star commit out of Iowa Western Community College, and the 6-foot-2, 236-pound linebacker has has been a playmaker for the Wisconsin defense. He finished last season with 7.5 tackles for loss -- 4.5 of them sacks -- and he was also able to help in the run with 51 overall stops. Van Ginkel gets a ‘tweener rep -- too small for defensive end, too slow for linebacker -- but he’ll have a chance to prove those critics wrong at this event and likely the combine.

Van Ginkel, who left Wisconsin’s Sept. 15 loss to BYU due to a right leg injury suffered in the first half, was considered to be questionable for Saturday’s game. If he can play -- and be effective -- it would provide a needed boost to a Wisconsin defense that allowed 194 rushing yards in the loss to BYU.

Van Ginkel injured his right leg during the first half of last Saturday’s loss to BYU. Losing the Butkus Award preseason watch lister for this crucial game would sting.

Van Ginkel suffered the injury during the first half, returning to the sideline with a walking boot on his right foot. No word just yet regarding the severity of the injury, but in Van Ginkel the Badgers lose a player who was named to the Butkus Award preseason watch list. As a result of the injury sophomore Christian Bell replaced the senior LB in the lineup.

The Badgers don’t typically dip into the JUCO level for prospects, but this fit makes all kinds of sense. Van Ginkel, the No. 35 overall recruit on ESPN’s JC 50, spent last season at Iowa Western Community College. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder is an early-contribution candidate following the departures of outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Vince Biegel. Van Ginkel logged 50 tackles and 13 tackles for loss at Iowa Western.