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Wisconsin Football: Former Badgers Impress at the NFL Combine

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7 months ago

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Wisconsin football alumnus Nick Herbig at the 2023 NFL Combine

How did Wisconsin football alums fare at the NFL Combine?

Wisconsin football alums Keeanu Benton, Joe Tippmann, and Nick Herbig attended the NFL Combine this past weekend.

Here’s a look at how the former Badgers fared at the combine and what analysts are saying following their showings.

Nick Herbig

Herbig earned himself a prospect grade of 6.23 following his performance at the NFL Combine.

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound EDGE completed the 40-yard dash and the bench press but did not participate in other workouts. Herbig posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.65 seconds, coming in at 15th among all EDGEs. He also completed 25 bench press reps, good for 8th in his position.

Here is what NFL analyst Lance Zierlein had to say about Herbig:

“A three-year starter as a 3-4 outside linebacker, Herbig is lacking in size and strength but possesses plenty of athleticism and potential. He can be a slippery rusher with subtle hands and a wicked inside move that leaves tackles in the mud. His lack of play strength limits his speed-to-power rush and his ability to stand his ground against tackles looking to widen him off the mark. He would benefit from a year in the weight room to get ready for NFL edge work, but he might have the instincts and athletic ability for consideration as an off-ball linebacker.”

Herbig is now a projected day-three pick for the NFL Draft after previously being projected as an undrafted player. Although a small jump, Herbig raised his draft stock after a solid showing at the combine.

Keeanu Benton

Benton was the only Wisconsin football alum to complete a full workout at the NFL Combine.

Here are Benton’s numbers:

40-yard dash: 5.08 seconds
Vertical jump: 29.5″
Broad jump: 9′ 3″
3-cone drill: 7.3 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.65 seconds
Bench press: 25 reps

Benton’s 40-yard dash time was good for the eighth spot among all defensive tackles. On top of that, the 6-foot-4, 304-pound DT finished in the top five in every other drill.

Here’s Lance Zierlein’s analysis of Benton:

“Benton is a powerful interior defensive lineman with size and persistence. He lacks the early rep explosiveness needed to get decisive wins at the point of attack on the pro level, though. Block engagements become drawn-out brawls at times, but he does a nice job of defeating block sustains and often finds himself near the play. He lacks a wide base and sturdy anchor, so he’ll need to improve his pad level to prevent double teams from moving him around too easily. He’s solid but needs to become a more consistently impactful force in the middle to make noise as an NFL starter.”

After impressing at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, Benton is a projected third-round pick who could be a good backup as he works his way to a starting spot. Wisconsin football fans know this, but whoever takes Benton will get a damn good player.

Joe Tippmann

Tippmann did not participate in workouts at the NFL Combine, but he did take his measurements.

Here are Tippmann’s measurements:

Height: 6” 6″
Weight: 313 lbs
Arm: 32 3/4
Hand: 10 3/4

Tippmann has the highest projection among Badgers who declared for the draft, as he is a projected second to third-round pick who can be a day-one starter.

Here’s what Lance Zierlein has to say about Tippmann:

“Two-year starter with the weight room strength and athleticism for work in a variety of run schemes. Tippmann is taller than your average center, but he can bend enough to neutralize at the point of attack. He’s a fluid move blocker who can make wide pulls, climbing cut-offs and adjustments to moving targets in space. He’s recognized for his football intelligence in the pivot and is an effective communicator. He needs to play with better posture and tighter hands to stay mirrored in protection and to improve his body control through engagement. Tippmann’s size, strength, smarts, and athleticism should help him become a starter in the NFL.”

Although Tippmann did not complete a workout, he will likely be the first Badger selected in the NFL Draft in April.

With the combine now over, the draft is just a month away. Be sure to watch where these former Badgers are taken as they begin their NFL journeys.

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

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Wisconsin Football: Handing Out Helmet Stickers From the Purdue Victory

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2 mins ago

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September 24, 2023

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Wisconsin Football quarterback Tanner Mordecai
Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Tanner Mordecai (8) dives into the pylon for a touchdown during the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.

A win is a win! In this case, it’s the 17th straight victory for the Wisconsin football team over the Purdue Boilermakers. This victory gave the Badgers a nice start to conference play, putting them at 1-0 in the Big Ten and 3-1 overall.

It still wasn’t a perfect game, but this team is starting to look more like the team we were all hoping for this offseason.

Players on both sides of the ball shined tonight.

So let’s hand out some helmet stickers for the Wisconsin football players who shined under the Friday night lights.

Wisconsin Football vs. Purdue Helmet Sticker No. 1:

Ricardo Hallman

Ricardo Hallman is quietly becoming a lockdown corner for the Wisconsin football team. Before the game, Hallman had yet to allow a touchdown reception. After the game, that statement still stands true. I’m sure he will continue to lead the country in coverage snaps without giving up a score.

On top of being a shutdown corner, he is turning into a legitimate playmaker. He logged two interceptions in the Badgers’ Friday night victory over Purdue, bringing his season total to three.

He finished the night with three tackles and two interceptions. The sophomore cornerback is having a great start to the year. We’ll see how well he continues to play once the level of competition ramps up. Hopefully, he continues to play like he is because this Wisconsin defense is going to need him to.

Wisconsin Football vs. Purdue Helmet Sticker No. 2:

Braelon Allen

Banged up? If he was, Allen didn’t show it. As usual, Wisconsin’s top back had another great game last night. He ran the ball just 16 times for 116 yards, a 7.4 yards per carry average. He also added a pair of touchdowns. A good chunk of his yardage came on a 52-yard scamper, where he blew up a defender like he was nothing and almost took it to the house.

Unfortunately, Allen had to take the bulk of the carries towards the end of the game when Chez Mellusi went down with an ankle injury. Without a whole lot of experienced depth behind Allen, he is going to be expected to carry the rushing attack for the Wisconsin football team.

Wisconsin Football vs. Purdue Helmet Sticker No. 3:

Tanner Mordecai

There’s the quarterback we were all hoping to see. He didn’t put up huge numbers through the air or even throw a touchdown pass. But he did provide the offense with some production on the ground. His ability to scramble and make plays with his legs made a difference early in the game.

At one point, Mordecai was Wisconsin’s leading passer, rusher, and receiver. When’s the last time you’ve ever seen that?

Mordecai finished the game with 174 yards passing and a pick. But he added on 44 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Mordecai is slowly but surely turning into the playmaking quarterback Wisconsin fans have wanted in Madison for a long time.

Wisconsin Football vs. Purdue Helmet Sticker No. 4:

Darian Varner

Varner had a very heads-up play that helped nail the coffin shut in the game.

Kaden Johnson came off the edge, hitting Purdue quarterback Hudson Card as he was throwing. The refs let it play out. Purdue recovered it but held it, thinking it was a dead ball. Alertly, Varner went over, punched the ball out of his hands, and landed on it.

Three plays later, the Badgers punched it in for six, extending the lead to 38-17. We’ve all been waiting for Varner to make his presence known on this Wisconsin defense. Now we finally have. Hopefully, this is just the start for Varner this season and we see some more of this.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers basketball news, notes, opinions, and analysis. You can also follow Christian Borman on Twitter @christianborman.

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Wisconsin Football Fans React: Badgers Defeat Purdue Boilermakers

Published

3 hours ago

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September 24, 2023

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Wisconsin Badgers football

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin football team has officially opened their Big Ten football season after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday.

The Badgers entered halftime up 21-3 courtesy of two rushing touchdowns by quarterback Tanner Mordecai. Wisconsin never looked back and held onto their lead for the remainder of the game. Once again, the Wisconsin ground game proved to be too much for their opponent as the Badgers recorded four touchdowns and 195 yards rushing. Wisconsin also recorded three turnovers on the defensive side of the ball as Ricardo Hallman dominated for the Badgers with two interceptions.

While there were plenty of positives in the 38-17 win over the Boilermakers, there is still room for improvement. Fans were quick to fill social media with a variety of responses following the victory.

Wisconsin Badgers Excite Fans In Big Ten Conference Opener Against Purdue 

While the entirety of the game was not exciting, the Badgers had their moments and provided some excellent football for their fans. Including, the exceptional “Philly Special” the Badgers ran at the end of the game, as well as the intriguing rushing touchdowns. Transfer kicker Nathanial Vakos also impressed as he went 3-for-3 with his longest kick at 48-yards.

The Wisconsin Badgers Football Team Ran Wild Once Again

Against the Purdue Boilermakers, the Badgers recorded four touchdowns and 195 yards on the ground. Through the first four games of the season, Wisconsin has rushed for 807 yards and 14 touchdowns, with an average of 5.4 yards per carry. While the offense in general has struggled, the run game is certainly thriving under Head Coach Luke Fickell and Offensive Coordinator Phil Longo.

Some fans enjoyed the success of the Wisconsin football team, but seemed eager for the elusive running back Braelon Allen to touch the football more.

For Some Fans, The Struggles for Wisconsin Proved to be too much, But Many Keep Optimism

Despite the victory for the Wisconsin football team, the Badgers struggled at times to play fundamental football. In particular, the defense struggled at times and allowed more total yards than the Wisconsin offense gained. The Badgers still walked away with the victory but may have done so without fixing their issues at hand.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Jarrett Guerrera on Twitter @JarrettGuerrera.

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Football

Wisconsin Football Report Card From 38-17 Win Over Purdue

Published

6 hours ago

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September 24, 2023

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Wisconsin Badgers football
Sep 22, 2023; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) tackles Purdue Boilermakers running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (3) during the first half at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

The Wisconsin football program kicked off conference play with a bang, earning a 38-17 victory on the road against Purdue. It wasn’t a pretty or complete game by the Badgers, but UW did enough to come away with a win and head into the bye week at 3-1.

Here are my grades for Wisconsin’s offense, defense, and special teams in the Big Ten opener. 

Wisconsin Football Offense Grade: B

The offense was easily one of the biggest bright spots for Wisconsin in the win over Purdue, but I thought the way UW utilized Tanner Mordecai was one of the main reasons why. 

Mordecai isn’t your prototypical dual-threat quarterback, but he still possesses the ability to get out of the pocket and use his legs well. The sixth-year senior was able to run his way into the endzone twice while rushing for 58 yards. On top of that, Mordecai went 17-for-27 with 174 yards through the air. We’ve finally seen some glimpses of what Mordecai will be, and if he’s able to put the puzzle pieces together during the bye week, the Big Ten should look out. 

Of course, the biggest storyline coming out of this game was Chez Mellusi’s injury. He had to get an air cast put on, and the replay did not look good in the slightest. You just have to feel absolutely gutted for Mellusi, who has had his fair share of injury problems since coming to Madison. Though his time was cut short, the fifth-year senior put on a show alongside Braelon Allen, combining for 155 yards on the ground. Allen would also rush for two touchdowns. This game seemed to be a return to form for Allen after seemingly playing a step slow — and banged up — through the first few weeks of the season. 

Wisconsin also got some nice contributions from CJ Williams and Chimere Dike in the receiving game, but the drops by Skyler Bell and Will Pauling were a bit discouraging. Would like to see those cut down after the bye week. 

There was plenty to be happy about with Wisconsin’s performance, but it wasn’t a spectacular showing from the offense. Going forward, UW will need to cut down on the penalties (looking at you, Jack Nelson) and will need to put together a complete four quarters of offense. 

Wisconsin Football Defense Grade: C+

I’m not crazy about how Wisconsin’s defense performed against Purdue, but there were some bright spots. 

Ricardo Hallman and James Thompson Jr. were undoubtedly the stars on Wisconsin’s defense tonight. Hallman secured two interceptions on the night while also logging three tackles and two passes defended. Meanwhile, Thompson finished the night with six tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, and one pass defended. At two key positions, Wisconsin was able to get some crucial contributions from some key contributors.

It wasn’t all great, though. I’m going to be frank for a second here: I’m getting a little tired of seeing these big chunk plays given up by Wisconsin. It’s been a consistent problem for the past few weeks, and while there may have been some improvement tonight, there were still far too many big plays given up for my liking. 

There are still plenty of kinks to work out in Wisconsin’s defense, but this game seemed like a very small step in the right direction. Hopefully, Mike Tressel can have this group ready as they venture further into conference play. 

Wisconsin Football Special Teams Grade: A-

Wisconsin found themselves a good one in Ohio transfer Nathanial Vakos. The sophomore knocked through all three of his field goal attempts to remain perfect on the season. With his three on Friday night, he’s now 7-of-7 on three-point tries. 

Four games in, I have to say I’m very impressed with what Atticus Bertrams has brought to this team. He’s been a mark of consistency, and he had some damn good punts on Friday night. 

It was also great to see Chimere Dike run a couple of kicks back. The senior receiver had two returns for 34 yards and 39 yards, respectively. He’s shown that he can be a threat, and you’d love to see him break off a return for six at some point this year.

The only thing bringing this grade down was Jack Van Dyke’s kick out of bounds. This has now become a consistent issue for the kickoff specialist, as he’s sent three balls sailing out of bounds through four games. 

The Wisconsin football program is now off to a 3-1 start in the Luke Fickell era. The Badgers will head into the bye week before facing Rutgers on October 7th.

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

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to BadgerNotes After Dark on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the official Wisconsin Badgers podcast of the Big Banter Sports Network.

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