One of the most important defensive stats in the NFL is sacks. Getting to the quarterback is absolutely vital for a defense to succeed, and thanks to JJ Watt and TJ Watt, Wisconsin has produced the NFL sack leader for five of the last twelve years.
JJ Watt and TJ Watt are two of the best pass rushers in NFL history and when a social media account posted "NFL Defensive Sack Leaders By School Since 1970" and Wisconsin appeared all over the final decade, it's all thanks to the Watt brothers.
NFL Defensive Sack Leaders by School Since 1970 ✨
Who will lead the NFL in sacks next season? pic.twitter.com/zyNaF8nPks
— CFB Tracker (@MatchupTracker) April 22, 2025
Wisconsin has produced the NFL sack leader five times since 2012
In 2012, JJ Watt was the NFL sack leader for the Houston Texans. He did it again in 2015, and when TJ Watt came into the league out of Wisconsin, he proceeded to sit at the top of that stat in 2020, 2021, and 2023. This is incredibly impressive not only for the Watt brothers but for Wisconsin.
While it would be easy to credit the family as the primary reason, TJ Watt was actually recruited to Wisconsin as a tight end but was converted to outside linebacker, and the rest is history. Thus, Wisconsin has slowly cemented itself as a great producer of linebackers and pass rushers.
Zack Baun was the Super Bowl MVP last season for the Philadelphia Eagles, and he also came from Wisconsin. There's Nick Herbig, Andrew Van Ginkel, Alec James, and even Vince Biegel. Thus, while the Watt brothers may be the kings of the pass rush, and that chart showcases it well, Wisconsin does deserve some credit in the process.
Wisconsin has become known in the NFL as a producer of runningbacks and linebackers. That's a good reputation to have around the league.