Hammond Russell IV left Dublin Coffman High School as a first-team all-state defensive lineman. Five years and one coaching change later at West Virginia, the Dublin native is now 6-foot-4, 320 pounds and competing for a starting spot on Wisconsin's defensive line heading into the 2026 season.

The path from Dublin to Madison took a detour through Morgantown. Russell started his Coffman career as a 185-pound freshman quarterback before moving to the defensive line as a sophomore. By senior year he was a 275-pound all-state prospect drawing Big Ten scholarship offers from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota and Purdue, the Cap Times reported. Ohio State, located roughly 15 miles from his high school, never offered.

Russell chose West Virginia, where he redshirted in 2022 and became a rotational contributor over three seasons. Across 36 career games with the Mountaineers, he recorded 40 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and 17 total pressures, according to BadgerNotes. In 2025, his final WVU season, he started five of nine games.

He stayed loyal through the December 2024 firing of head coach Neal Brown and the arrival of Rich Rodriguez, even encouraging teammates to give the new staff a chance. Rodriguez praised Russell in 2025 as a locker-room leader who held the team together during the transition, telling the Wheeling News-Register that Russell was "one of the glue guys."

Russell earned his degree before entering the transfer portal in December 2025. He committed to Wisconsin in January 2026, drawn by a coaching staff he already knew. Head coach Luke Fickell and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel had recruited Russell out of Coffman when both were at Cincinnati.

Russell told the Cap Times at Wisconsin Media Day that his visits to Madison felt "the most business-like" of his options. "They had a plan. They showed me what they were going to do to make me a better player," he said. "There are also some things I didn't know I could do that they've unlocked."

The opportunity is real. Wisconsin is replacing four defensive linemen from 2025, including 11-game starter Jay'viar Suggs. After the Badgers' first spring practice in mid-March, Fickell compared Russell to Suggs, praising his veteran presence and on-field production.

The coaching staff has been direct about expectations. Defensive coordinator Tressel and defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow told Russell during spring practice that they need consistent production from him every snap, not just occasional flashes. Russell said the message stuck with him.

Russell, wearing No. 91, was on the field for Wisconsin's fifth fall camp practice at Camp Randall Stadium on Aug. 6. The Badgers open their season Sept. 6 against No. 5 Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. on NBC.