Time for the Badgers to get Bryson Green more involved

It is time (Kevin Greene voice).

If nothing else, the past month has solidified how badly the Wisconsin Badgers football team needs a shot in the arm on offense. Since Week 4, Phil Longo's unit has topped out at 25 points against Illinois while finishing with 14 or less in three of the last four games. 

The offensive line cannot get a consistent push in the run game, injuries continue to pile up, and Braedyn Locke is working through the expected growing pains of a redshirt freshman quarterback in the Big Ten. 

This version of the Badgers offense looks unrecognizable from the ones we've been accustomed to watching for the last three decades. Not only is it run from a spread formation, but the unit no longer has multiple NFL-caliber road-grading offensive linemen paving the way or an All-American running back like Jonathan Taylor to mask the team's deficiencies. 

And while Braelon Allen remains a stud in the Badgers backfield, injuries have taken their toll and limited his availability in recent weeks. Little comes easy for the Wisconsin football team on offense these days, and the personnel has played a significant role as to why. 

At this juncture in the season, there's no cure-all for the Wisconsin Badgers problems. The coaching staff isn't one schematic adjustment away from this team suddenly firing on all cylinders. Any improvement we observe will occur gradually -- and Wisconsin fans must accept that there will be growing pains. 

Still, the Badgers must adjust their approach if they want to find any offensive success between now and the end of the season. Shaking up the offensive line could be worth exploring -- while leaning on the running game more could also have a meaningful effect in multiple areas.  

But if the Wisconsin football team wants to lean further into its new offensive identity and air it out -- they have another player they could count on who's been coming on as of late: Bryson Green. 

Wisconsin Must Find Ways to Get Bryson Green More Involved.  

An offseason transfer portal addition from Oklahoma State, Bryson Green spent all of spring practice and a portion of fall camp behind several other Wisconsin Badgers wideouts. He would later supplant Keontez Lewis on the depth chart and has held the starting role on the boundary ever since. 

After a rather slow start to his time at Wisconsin, the Texas native has begun to firmly establish himself as the No. 2 wideout in this offense. 

Through nine games, Green ranks second on the team in targets (51) and receiving yards (363), tied for third in catches (24), and tied for second in touchdowns (one). However, those figures largely reflect his role with the Badgers from early in the season -- not the version we've seen over the last four games. During that stretch, we've seen the 6-foot junior wideout register 13 catches for 242 yards and a score. 

By more-telling metrics, he has outperformed his teammates in the receiver room. Among Wisconsin football wideouts with at least 100 routes run, he has the second-highest EPA per pass (0.765), according to College Football Data, trailing only Chimere Dike, who is currently out of the starting lineup because of an injury. 

Additionally, on a Badgers team that leads the conference in drops with 24 total, Green only has one drop all season. He also has the lowest drop percentage among Mike Brown's rotational regulars, with 4.0%. However, his usage in the Wisconsin offense is at only 5%. 

For reference, Skyler Bell, who tied for the team lead in drops with six -- has a usage of 5% -- despite having an EPA per pass of (0.293), which is the lowest among the Badgers wide receivers. To add another player for comparison's sake, CJ Williams has a 3% usage and an EPA of 0.49 -- which helps illustrate Bell's lack of productivity relative to other options. 

Final Thoughts 

While other Wisconsin Badgers wideouts have more speed or shiftiness, Bryson Green wins in different ways. He's big, strong, and plays physical, plus his 6-foot, 215-pound frame also helps him create after the catch. 

On this 2023 Badgers team, Green's skill set stands out from the rest of Wisconsin's receiving corps. Chimere Dike and CJ Williams are both possession-style players, and Will Pauling is a smooth slot wideout, but Green has more to offer after the catch (5.5 YAC/REC) -- while also having a team-high five forced missed tackles by a WR after said catch.

That's something this struggling offense desperately needs to lean on.

Those YAC traits could come in handy during Saturday's tilt with Northwestern, who surprisingly has the No. 4 passing defense in the Big Ten, allowing just 173.6 yards per game.

When you consider the struggles Braedyn Locke has had under pressure thus far, completing just 9-of-31 pass attempts for 117 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception, you can bet your bottom dollar the Wildcats defense will try to dial up some exotic looks.

To help out their young quarterback, the Wisconsin football offense can attack the open areas of the field by peppering receivers slipping behind the blitzing defenders on slants and other short routes that allow players like Green to make a play after the catch -- or get the ball out quickly on the boundary and hope for the same result.

Either way, Bryson Green offers potential solutions for the Badgers.

Leaning into any wideout carries some risk. However, there are plenty of other players in Wisconsin's wide receiver room who have had ample opportunities and have either made mental errors or couldn't execute.

Even if Wisconsin's offense decides to lean on Green more -- it doesn't mean the Badgers will suddenly click and become a juggernaut. However, the team has almost nothing to lose by consciously expanding his role and quite a bit to gain by manufacturing touches for Green.

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