FootBall

Wisconsin Football: Braelon Allen Could Thrive in the Air Raid Offense

Published

5 months ago

January 11, 2023

As if Luke Fickell becoming the head coach of the Wisconsin football program wasn’t shocking enough, he wasted little time retaining core players like Braelon Allen and making a transformative hire of his own.

Coach Fickell convinced Mike Leach disciple Phil Longo, who led four consecutive top-15 offenses (nationally) as the offensive coordinator at North Carolina, to leave Chapel Hill and take the same position at the University of Wisconsin.

With him, coach Longo brings a modified air-raid offense – which probably gave some of the older generations a heart attack at the mere utterance of the sentence. That said, he’s done a terrific job adapting the offense to his personnel and accentuating the strengths of his team’s best players – because why wouldn’t you?

Need proof? The Tar Heels’ best offensive season under Longo (more than 41 PPG) came in 2020 when he featured RBs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams, who ran for 1,245 yards and 1,140 yards, respectively.

So, Wisconsin football traditionalists can relax; because the Badgers won’t be throwing the ball 50+ times a game. How do I know this? Because the program has one of the nation’s top running back tandems in Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi.

What does this mean for Braelon Allen?

One of the top priorities for Luke Fickell upon taking over the Wisconsin football program was re-recruiting second-team All-Big Ten running back Braelon Allen to stay with the Badgers.

The 6-foot-2, 238-pound RB finished the 2022 season with 230 carries for 1,242 yards (5.4 YPC) and 11 touchdowns. He also caught a career-high 13 passes for 104 yards.

Braelon Allen is 18 pic.twitter.com/d11fYQbKHZ

— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) September 4, 2022

According to Pro Football Focus, the Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin native registered 671 yards after contact, 2.92 yards after contact per attempt, and was the highest-graded starting offensive player for the Badgers (79.6).

Although Allen is a tremendous talent, UW’s inept offensive approach forced him to see a stacked box more than any Power 5 team in the country.

When asked by UW reporters what excited him most about Phil Longo’s offense, Allen’s answer was unsurprising.

“Probably running into six-man boxes and not just knowing every week it’s going to be eight or nine guys in the box on every single play. Playing in an offense that is more spread out, it just automatically is going to loosen up defenses.”

Stock Up: Wisconsin Football Backfield

Wisconsin Badgers running back Braelon Allen (0) and Wisconsin Badgers running back Chez Mellusi (1) have a laugh as part of Wisconsin Badgers football media day at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022.
Badgers Media Day 0853

With the offseason additions of Tanner Mordecai, Nick Evers, and Braedyn Locke, UW now has a QB room consisting of legitimate dual-threat options capable of running Phil Longo’s air raid offense.

With a mobile QB under center, the mere threat of running will keep defenses honest and open up running lanes.

Longo’s offense aims to get the opposing defense as spread out as possible. That way, UW can get the ball to its playmakers and allow its best athletes to make plays in space. The prospect of spacing alone is probably music to Allen’s ears after facing a loaded box the past two seasons.

Second, Wisconsin football returns all five of last season’s starting offensive linemen, retained other high-pedigree linemen in the pipeline, and added impact players in the transfer portal.

According to Pro Football Focus, UW finished with the No. 14 ranked pass-blocking grade and the No. 29 run-blocking unit in 2022.

Wisconsin’s OL room should improve significantly after an entire offseason of growth in the weight room under new strength and conditioning coach Brady Collins because of his impressive track record of player development.

All of these individual parts combined should help Braelon Allen take fewer hits and save some wear and tear on his body — which could play a role in keeping him healthy and putting together a dominant junior season for the Wisconsin football team.

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FootBall

Former Wisconsin Football RB Named to CFB Hall of Fame Ballot

Published

4 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Jake Maier

Sep 15, 2012; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball (28) during the game against the Utah State Aggies at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin defeated Utah State 16-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. –The 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot has been released, and a Wisconsin football legend is among the names on the list.

Montee Ball, who was with Wisconsin from 2010-2012, was among 78 players and nine coaches selected for the ballot.

Ball is among the most decorated players in Wisconsin history. The Badger legend received two first-team All-American nominations, along with winning the Doak Walker Award. He also received Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2011.

Ball placed himself in the NCAA record books when he tied with Barry Sanders for the most single-season TDs in NCAA history with 39 during the 2011 season and secured the NCAA record for most single-season points with 236. The Badger legend is also the only player in history to rush for 100 yards in three straight Rose Bowl games.

Ball amassed 5,255 yards and 79 touchdowns throughout his three years at UW. His best statistical season came in 2011 when the Wisconsin legend rushed for 1,923 yards and 33 touchdowns. On top of that, Ball hauled in 24 receptions for 306 yards and six touchdowns in the same season.

Denver would select the former Badger in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, where he spent two years as a Bronco.

Other Wisconsin Football HOF Representatives

The Wisconsin football program currently has four players and one coach in the CFB Hall of Fame. Barry Alvarez was the first Badger to enter the HOF when he was selected in 2010. Ron Dayne (2013), Tim Krumrie (2016), Joe Thomas (2019), and Troy Vincent (2023) round out the rest of the list.

Ball stands out in the 2024 class due to the sheer volume of his accolades. When voting wraps up, I expect the Wisconsin legend to be among those inducted.

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FB Recruiting

Wisconsin Football Lands 2024 Three-Star Interior Offensive Lineman

Published

15 hours ago

June 6, 2023

Jake Maier

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football program has picked up its fourth commit in the last three days, with three-star offensive lineman Ryan Cory coming on board.

The news comes just an hour after four-star OT Kevin Heywood announced his commitment to Wisconsin.

Cory took to Twitter to announce his commitment.

Committed. @CoachFick @CoachBicknell @CoachPhilLongo @CaseyRabach_61 @RivalsFriedman @adamgorney @BrianDohn247 @outerlim @210ths @Coach_LeDonne #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/iEuQLDQm0J

— Ryan Cory (@RyanCory15) June 7, 2023

Wisconsin beat out offers from Pitt, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, Oregon, Rutgers, and many more. Cory was set to visit Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt in the coming weeks.

According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Cory is the No. 778 player in the nation, the No. 50 interior offensive lineman, and the No. 24 player in Pennsylvania.

What Ryan Cory brings to the Wisconsin football program

Cory is coming off a remarkable junior season. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman received First-Team All-Conference honors and earned a state championship win.

Looking at his film, there’s a lot to like about his upside. Cory is fearless in creating contact against defenders at the second level while putting out some key blocks for his tailback. His hand speed and placement also stand out.

In pass-blocking reps, the 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman is a brick wall. Cory can easily contain power moves from opposing linemen with his strength. He rarely gets off balance and consistently creates leverage against defenders.

Cory will be an excellent depth piece for the offensive line while he works on his craft. If the Pennsylvania native can refine his technique a bit more, he could be an impactful lineman for Wisconsin.

Cory joins Kevin Heywood and Derek Jensen as linemen to commit to UW. The Wisconsin football program now holds 12 commitments in the 2024 cycle.

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FB Recruiting

Wisconsin Football Lands 2024 Four-Star Offensive Lineman Commit

Published

16 hours ago

June 6, 2023

Jake Maier

Wisconsin football stadium: Camp Randall

Sep 10, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers mascot Bucky Badger prior to the game against the Washington State Cougars at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football program has picked up a commitment from one of the nation’s premier offensive linemen.

Four-star OT Kevin Heywood took to Twitter to announce his commitment to Wisconsin.

Committed. @CoachFick @CoachBicknell @CoachHitsch @CoachPhilLongo @BCstrength @PatLambert13 @_maximus347 @nolanrucci @CullenLCasey @CaseyRabach_61 @MikeWakins pic.twitter.com/QuASQN786M

— Kevin Heywood (@KevHeywood52) June 6, 2023

UW beat out offers from some juggernaut programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Michigan, USC, and many more.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Heywood is the No. 266 player in the nation, the No. 25 OT, and the No. 5 player in Pennsylvania.

The four-star prospect began his official visit to Wisconsin on June 2nd. He was slated to take officials to Kentucky, Auburn, and USC in the coming weeks. Instead, Heywood decided to commit to the Wisconsin football program on the same weekend.

The Badgers missed out on multiple in-state offensive linemen to Penn State early in the 2024 cycle. Because of that, securing multiple offensive linemen quickly became a priority for UW, and they were able to poach a top player out of Pennsylvania.

What Kevin Heywood brings to the Wisconsin football program

The first thing that jumps out for Heywood is his frame. Standing at 6-foot-7, 280-pound, Heywood stands out in his class, and he uses his size well. He consistently gets his hands at pad level and is able to drive defenders off of the line of scrimmage.

The Pennsylvania native thrives in pass pro. With his size, he’s a brick wall on the offensive front who can easily stop rushers in their tracks.

Heywood is a prototypical Wisconsin offensive lineman. His skill set could make him an immediate difference-maker on UW’s offensive front.

With the commitment, the Wisconsin football program holds 11 commits in the 2024 cycle. Heywood joins in-state OT Derek Jensen as the sole offensive line commits in the 2024 cycle.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter. Also, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here. Additionally, like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. Also, you can follow Jake Maier on Twitter @JakeJMaier.