Wisconsin Football Running Back Facing Make or Break Season

Wisconsin Badgers head football coach Luke Fickell probably didn’t plan on carrying eight scholarship running backs into spring practice. Yet, the reality is that’s how many Devon Spalding will have in his position group when fall camp rolls around unless something changes.

Sitting atop the Badgers depth chart is senior Chez Mellusi, who announced his return for a final season. Coach Fickell clarified during a radio appearance on Wilde and Tausch that the Florida native “won’t get a big load, if any load, in the spring” as he works his way back from injury.

Tawee Walker, a transfer from Oklahoma, stands out as one of Pro Football Focus’ top-rated Power 5 portal additions at RB. Walker is expected to serve as Wisconsin’s secondary option to Mellusi this fall while providing meaningful depth.

But the third spot behind them is up for grabs, and that competition will be in full swing when spring practice starts on March 22. 

Among the scholarship players vying for those carries will be Jackson Acker, Cade Yacamelli, freshman Gideon Ituka, and Nate White. Four-star talents Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree won’t arrive until this summer. 

Of that group, I’d argue that nobody needs to have a better spring practice than White, who is seemingly entering a make-or-break offseason with the Wisconsin football program. 

Wisconsin Football RB Nate White Needs to Shine During Spring Practice 

Oct 7, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Jackson Acker (34) carries the football during warmups prior to the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

In-state product Nate White joined the Wisconsin football program as a member of the Badgers 2023 recruiting class under Paul Chryst/Luke Fickell.

The Milwaukee King standout carried the ball 135 times during his senior season for 1,345 yards and 26 touchdowns. White was considered a three-star recruit and rated the No. 1 in-state player during that cycle, according to the composite.

On tape, White has some make-you-miss home-run hitting ability out of the backfield. But he’s probably more of a gadget player that you manufacture touches for on jet sweeps, screens, and use on special teams while using him as a change of pace running back.

At just 6-foot 170 pounds, White needed to add some weight before being able to push for carries at a Power 5 program. But even in a season where running back depth became incredibly thin, White found himself buried on the depth chart behind the likes of walk-on Grover Bortolotti.

Wisconsin football coaches took one look at the running back room and chose to rebuild it from the ground up. Signing the trio of Gideon Ituka, Darrion Dupree, and Dilin Jones, while making a veteran portal addition likely signals that the window for someone like White to work their way up the Badgers depth chart is running thin.

There’s no doubt that White has legit speed. Brady Collins posted the top sprint speeds graphic on social media that had him clocking in at an impressive 20.13 miles per hour behind only Will Pauling and Trech Kekahuna.

But White is facing an uphill battle to carve out a role on this Wisconsin football team, and spring practice needs to serve as a serious turning point, or he could potentially stay buried on the depth chart when Jones and Dupree arrive.

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