NFF National Scholar-Athletes
DE - 4.00 GPA – Electrical Engineering
Head Coach: Paul Chryst | Athletics Director: Chris McIntosh
Faculty Athletics Representative: Dr. Peter Miller
A team captain who graduated with a perfect 4.00 GPA, Matt Henningsen has turned into one of Wisconsin's top scholar-athletes after beginning his career as a walk-on. The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, native becomes the Badgers' seventh NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
A 2020 First Team Academic All-American and two-time Academic All-District selection, Henningsen graduated summa cum laude in December 2020 with a degree in electrical engineering and a certificate in mathematics. He is expected to finish his master's in electrical and computer engineering, with a focus on machine learning and signal processing, this December. The two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar is a three-time academic all-conference honoree and a two-time UW Athletic Board Scholar.
This season, the team captain boasts 31 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, while leading Wisconsin to an 8-4 record. Henningsen leads a Badger squad that leads the nation in rushing defense (65.2 yards per game) and ranks second in total defense (240.8 yards per game). Henningsen was also a semifinalist for the 2021 Burlsworth Trophy, which honors the best FBS player who began his career as a walk-on. The Badgers now await their bowl destination.
In 2018, the standout defensive end became the first Wisconsin walk-on since at least 1990 to start a season opener as a freshman, and he would go on to earn a scholarship that year. An Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection in 2019, Henningsen was part of a defense that ranked fourth nationally in total defense (287.1 yards per game). The 2019 Badgers won 10 games and finished with a No. 11 ranking while claiming the Big Ten West Division title and earning a berth in the Rose Bowl Game. Henningsen previously helped Wisconsin to a win in the 2018 Pinstripe Bowl, and he was on the squad that won the 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl, but he missed most of the 2020 season with an injury.
During the summer of 2021, Henningsen worked on a project modeling the brain using electrocorticographic brain data. He previously worked on a research project at the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research focusing on developing a convolutional neural network to detect cerebral hemorrhaging on MRI images. Henningsen has also served as a lab assistant for nuclear diffusion bonding research on campus. His multiple volunteer efforts include work with the Badgers Give Back program and the Feeding America food bank.
