Three Storylines From Week One of Wisconsin Football Fall Camp

It’s hard to believe, but the Wisconsin football team is already done with one week of fall camp. They spent the first week at UW-Platteville. Going off campus is something first-year head coach Luke Fickell did during his time at Cincinnati. 

The first week was full of highlights and players making big-time plays. Here are three stories that stuck out to me in the first week of practice.

Maema Njongmeta Injury

Nov 26, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Maema Njongmeta (55) commits a penalty on Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (8) during the fourth quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It was reported last night starting inside linebacker and leading tackler Maema Njongmeta had a procedure done on his hand and is in a sling.

However, Luke Fickell indicated Njongmeta could practice when the team returns to Madison. Fickell also mentioned Njongmeta didn’t need a lot of reps as he is an experienced player.

It’s still a few weeks until Wisconsin football opens up the season on September 2, and while it seems like Njongmeta will be okay, it’s still a reason for concern because he’ll be missing some time and will have a club on his hand upon returning.

Clubs don’t usually impact players, but you hope the senior linebacker gets better soon and can fully heal.

The Wisconsin Football Wide Receivers Stand Out

Wisconsin wide receiver Keontez Lewis, left, celebrates a touchdown with teammates Chimere Dike, center, and Skyler Bell during a NCAA Big Ten Conference football game against Iowa, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
221112 Wisc Iowa Fb 027 Jpg

The first week was full of Wisconsin football receivers making plays. We have heard all winter and spring about wideouts making plays consistently. However, it was nice to see actual clips.

In the first week, Bryson Green, Chimere Dike, and Will Pauling stood out. There’s a real chance this could also be Wisconsin’s starting three receivers.

It’s also refreshing to see how talented this room is. It’s been a long time since Wisconsin fans could say that. UW has a deep, talented, and experienced group. I have yet to mention players like C.J. Williams, Skyler Bell, and Keontez Lewis, who all had nice first weeks too.

It’s a good problem to have after one week.

Wisconsin Football Players Fueled by Competition

Oct 8, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers safety Kamo’i Latu (13) celebrates with linebacker Maema Njongmeta (55), left and cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) after incepting a pass in the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

I saw a few clips that showed how competitive the first week was. There was a play where safety Kamo’i Latu made a huge hit on running back Chez Mellusi.

The media there said it would have likely been a penalty in a game. While Mellusi got up under his own power, it sounds like he had words for Latu shortly after.

As a result, Mellusi did miss the next practice, but for precautionary reasons—you like seeing the physicality but not on a teammate.

There was also a time where the secondary and wide receivers became competitive. There was one on one drills to see who could win the rep. Will Pauling made an excellent play to get open in one of the clips. It’s no surprise as both the secondary and receiver positions have a lot of talent.

#Badgers done with the first practice of spring. Will Pauling picked up where he left off in the spring. He’s going to be a problem. pic.twitter.com/izXtxN7NlR

— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) August 2, 2023

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