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Wisconsin Football: 3 Questions for the Offense in Spring Practice

Published

2 months ago

March 25, 2023

Wisconsin football New offensive coordinator Phil Longo

Wisconsin football begins its series of 15 spring practices this weekend. With transfers, departures, and offensive coordinator Phil Longo implementing a new scheme, there is no lack of things to watch for at spring practice. Fortunately for those interested in getting answers, every practice is open to the media. After much anticipation, fans will finally get a first look at Wisconsin football under head coach Luke Fickell.

What Role Will Wisconsin Football’s Tight Ends Play?

Following Jake Ferguson’s departure, 2022 Wisconsin’s tight ends were mostly an afterthought in the passing game. Ferguson led the Badgers with 46 catches and 3 touchdowns in 2021 (his 450 yards receiving were second to wide receiver Danny Davis). Clay Cundiff appeared to be the choice replacement for Ferguson, but he suffered a season-ending injury in just the fourth game of the season. Before the injury, Cundiff recorded nine catches, 142 receiving yards, and two touchdowns in four games.

Wisconsin football tight end Clay Cundiff

Wisconsin Badgers tight end Hayden Rucci (87) and Clay Cundiff (85) yell in excited at quarterback Graham Mertz (5) after throwing a touchdown pass in the second quarter of the game on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, at Camp Randall in Madison, Wis. Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Gpg Badgers Vs Redbirds 10032022 0004

Longo’s offense plays with base personnel that includes just one tight end – a difference from some of the larger power-run packages Wisconsin football fans may be used to. The new scheme will include big changes to what the Badgers’ tight ends are asked to do in the offense too. Longo often has tight ends lined up out wide to create mismatches against defenders. Although Cundiff will be unavailable for spring practice as he continues to recover, others, including Jack Eschenbach, Cam Large, and Jack Pugh, will have to fight for their spot on the depth chart in a changing role.

How Will Wisconsin Football Quarterback Tanner Mordecai Perform?

Tanner Mordecai’s arrival in Madison immediately changed 2023 expectations for the Badgers. Spring practice will be the first opportunity for Mordecai to prove the hype is warranted. Although he will only be getting practice reps against a defense also learning a new system, Mordecai should be expected to excel early. He ran an Air Rad system at SMU and came to Wisconsin partly due to Longo’s system.

Oct 5, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback Tanner Mordecai (8) throws a pass as UCF Knights linebacker Walter Yates III (27) defends during the second half at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Mordecai was a star at SMU, but whether his talent translates to the Power 5 level is the elephant in the room. In his two years as a starter, Mordecai threw for 7,152 yards, 72 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. Those would be unprecedented numbers for a Badgers quarterback. The competition level in the American Athletic Conference, however, is not the same as the Big Ten. In regular season play, the Big Ten had the best average defense of any FBS conference, according to Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings. The AAC ranked seventh in that metric – only better than the Mid-American Conference and Conference-USA.

Who Is On the Offensive Line’s Starting Five?

A change in offensive philosophy could mean a shakeup on the offensive line. In recent years, Wisconsin’s offensive line has not performed at the elite level once assumed in Madison. With an increase in pass attempts, the makeup of the offensive line may be different than what was previously expected. The Badgers have historically had impeccable run-blocking linemen, but offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. – who came to Wisconsin from North Carolina with Longo – will need to assemble a more versatile unit.

Cincinnati transfer Jake Renfro will serve as the anchor at center for that unit, but the remaining roles are unclear. UW returns its starting tackles Riley Mahlman and Jack Nelson, but a new coaching staff may be looking for something different. Fickell brought his starting right tackle, Joe Huber, from Cincinnati with him; it is hard to envision Huber not having a significant role.

Wisconsin football offensive lineman Riley Mahlman

Nov 5, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Riley Mahlman (71) blocks Maryland Terrapins defensive lineman Tommy Akingbesote (99) during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK

On the interior of the offensive line, Tanor Bortolini started games at all three positions. He also started a game at tight end last season. That kind of jumbo tight end package is likely not as useful in Longo’s system, but Bortolini’s versatility might be. Michael Furtney and Trey Wedig also return, who made nine and eight starts respectfully for Wisconsin last season.

There is an abundance of talent waiting to break out in the Badgers’ offensive line room as well. Redshirt sophomore JP Benzschawel and redshirt freshman Joe Brunner were four-star recruits. Redshirt sophomore Nolan Rucci was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. All three saw game action last season.

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Wisconsin Football: 3 Questions for the Defense in Spring Practice

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Breaking Down the Wisconsin Badgers Newest 2024 Defensive Line Commit

Published

1 hour ago

June 6, 2023

Dillon Graff

Wisconsin Football defensive line commit Hank Weber

Wisconsin Football Lands Commitment From 2024 DL Hank Weber

Madison, Wis. — In need of a serious revamping of the defensive line, the Wisconsin football coaching staff knew these next couple of weekends would be huge for the future of the defense.

The first domino of that DL revamp fell on Monday when the Badgers received a verbal commitment from 2024 three-star defensive lineman Hank Weber out of Brentwood, Tennesee, following an official visit to Madison this past weekend.

Pumped to Jump Around for the next 4 years!! 🦡 #committed #OnWisconsin @BadgerFootball @CoachFick @G_Scruggs @CoachMikeTress @_maximus347 @PatLambert13 @theBAFootball pic.twitter.com/XAtFwLUKSA

— hank weber (@hankweber8) June 5, 2023

According to 247Sports, Weber is the No. 99 DL in the country and the No. 37 player in Tennessee. The three-star recruit chose Wisconsin over offers from North Carolina, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Purdue, Virginia Tech, and several others.

“Wisconsin had everything that I was looking for in a college and program,” Weber said. “The defense that coach Mike Tressel runs was appealing because of how aggressive it is. And I’ve been told that coach Fickell sometimes likes to lead the defensive line meetings. That was a huge deal for me.”

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive prospect is Greg Scruggs’ first commit in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Scouting Report

Hank Weber is, by my evaluation, a solid but unspectacular prospect. That’s not to say I’m writing him off, though.

Although his pad level and ability to get off the ball were underwhelming, his pursuit and technique after the snap stood out. There is an undeniable blend of length and power as a pass-rusher that you love to see, and he strikes me as the type of assignment-sound player that could develop into a reliable starter with some time to fill out his frame.

One thing I love about Weber is that he also plays offensive line, so he’s got a tenacity and motor about him that is a must-have in a defensive line prospect.

Overall, I think Weber was a solid get, and for a re-tooling defensive line, he’s a solid start to what should be a large class of recruits at the position. I’ll like this commit even better if he’s paired with someone that has more pass-rushing upside.

The Impact of Hank Weber Joining the Wisconsin Football Program

Vernon Woodward is commitment No. 10 for the Wisconsin football program in the 2024 recruiting cycle, joining Mabrey Mettauer, Grant Stec, Robert Booker, Derek Jensen, Thomas Heiberger, Landon Gauthier, Kyan Berry-Johnson, Kahmir Prescott, and Vernon Woodward.

With his addition, UW now has the No. 21 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports.

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Wisconsin Football Adds Australian Punter, New 2024 Commit, More

Published

4 hours ago

June 6, 2023

Dillon Graff

Sep 3, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Camp Randall Stadium prior to the game between the Illinois State Redbirds and Wisconsin Badgers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy couple of days for the Wisconsin football program, ladies and gents, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important Badgers news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Address Their Special Teams Need

Exiting spring practice, Wisconsin football head coach Luke Fickell voiced his concern about the Badgers’ punting situation.

“I’m a little bit concerned we’ve got to figure some things out probably in the punting situation,” Fickell said after the final spring practice. “I know it’s a tougher time, but we don’t get outside nearly as much to see those guys have an opportunity to punt the ball and for us to return it as well.”

Thankfully, that issue was addressed with Wisconsin landing a commitment from Atticus Bertrams, a native of Melbourne, Australia, who will be on scholarship in 2023.

I am proud to announce that I have committed to a full scholarship to study and play football at The University of Wisconsin

Thank you to @ProkickAus @JohnnyPKA @tglees @ConquestAthlete as well as @CoachFick and the staff at @BadgerFootball for this opportunity pic.twitter.com/g8wQQg4KzF

— Atticus Bertrams (@BertramsAtticus) May 27, 2023

Bertrams had previously committed to USC in 2021 but didn’t enroll. Instead, he spent his time training at Prokick, an academy in Australia that has produced six Ray Guy Award-winning punters.

Victoria 6.0 feat @BertramsAtticus

1. Hang time: 5.1, Dist: 48 yards
2. Hang time: 5.1, Dist: 52 yards
3. Hang time: 4.9, Dist: 52 yards pic.twitter.com/QNX4ZHrbyc

— Oliver Straw (@Ollie_Straw) August 8, 2021

He immediately slots in as Wisconsin’s top punter ahead of Jack Van Dyke and Gavin Meyers, who left something to be desired during spring practice. Bertrams has some big shoes to fill following the departure of Andy Vujnovich.

Wisconsin Football Lands Commitment From 3-Star Florida CB

Following an official visit to Madison, the Wisconsin football coaching staff added their first cornerback prospect of the 2024 cycle in three-star cornerback Vernon Woodward, out of Winter Park, Florida.

Wisconsin we home 🦡🔴🔥!!! @CoachFick @Haynes_Badgers @PatLambert13 #committed #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/mW0p2l97pI

— Vernon Woodward iii ⭐️ (@_vern1) June 4, 2023

According to the industry-generated composite rankings, he is the No. 74 cornerback in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 128 player in Florida.

Woodward chose UW over scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Illinois, Cincinnati, Missouri, Purdue, UCF, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisville, Georgia Tech, and several others.

As a junior, the 6-foot-2 cornerback registered 57 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. But perhaps the most telling stat from Woodward’s junior season is that he was targeted only twice all year, which speaks volumes about his ability to blanket WRs at that level.

You can watch his HUDL film here.

Vernon Woodward is commitment No. 9 for the Wisconsin football program in the 2024 recruiting cycle, joining Mabrey Mettauer, Grant Stec, Robert Booker, Derek Jensen, Thomas Heiberger, Landon Gauthier, Kyan Berry-Johnson, and Kahmir Prescott.

Other Wisconsin Football News

According to a report from Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, the Wisconsin football team is adding a senior defensive analyst to the coaching staff.

UW is adding Rhode Island defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Jack Cooper as a senior defensive analyst next season after serving in his previous role since 2020. He also served as a quality control coach for Nebraska for two seasons.

Coach Cooper helped lead Rhode Island to a top-50 defensive unit in 2021 and a 7-4 record overall, their highest win total in two decades.

This addition is precisely the kind of coaching hire top-tier programs are making nowadays because they don’t count against the allowed amount of paid assistants. The beauty in adding an experienced coach like Jack Cooper is that you have an internal candidate you’re comfortable with should someone on your staff move on.

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Wisconsin Football Kicks off Official Visit Weekend With a Bang

Published

1 day ago

June 5, 2023

Dillon Graff

Oct 25, 2014; Madison, WI, USA; The Wisconsin logo at midfield of Camp Randall Stadium following the game between the Maryland Terrapins and Wisconsin Badgers. Wisconsin won 52-7. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. — The Wisconsin football program kicked off its massive June 2 recruiting weekend with a bang. Following an official visit, the Badgers coaching staff added their first cornerback prospect of the 2024 cycle in three-star cornerback Vernon Woodward, out of Winter Park, Florida.

Wisconsin we home 🦡🔴🔥!!! @CoachFick @Haynes_Badgers @PatLambert13 #committed #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/mW0p2l97pI

— Vernon Woodward iii ⭐️ (@_vern1) June 4, 2023

According to the industry-generated composite rankings, he is the No. 74 cornerback in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 128 player in Florida.

For Woodward, this was his first trip to Madison, and he chose UW over scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Illinois, Cincinnati, Missouri, Purdue, UCF, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisville, Georgia Tech, and several others.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback is Paul Haynes first commit at the position and got the recruiting assist on Woodward from fellow Florida natives Ricardo Hallman and Jonas Duclona, who hosted him on his visit.

The Skinny

In Vernon Woodward, the Wisconsin football program is getting a big corner with measurables this coaching staff covets above all else. His frame and skillset align well with the type of athlete that Luke Fickell and his staff have successfully developed.

As a junior, he registered 57 tackles, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. But perhaps the most telling stat from Woodward’s junior season is that he was targeted only twice all year, which speaks volumes about his ability to blanket WRs at that level.

Woodward’s length is impressive; he has quick feet, dissects plays well, and isn’t afraid to come downhill and tackle. That’s an area that excites me about his game. Getting off blocks and being an asset in the run game should allow him to be a playmaker on UW’s defense.