MADISON – The questions surrounding the Wisconsin football team will soon begin to be answered.
Who will emerge as the starting defender? Can defense pressure signal signal callers? Will the depth necessary to compete with the Big Ten’s best teams be developed?
Fall camp begins Tuesday morning at UW-Pletteville, but before the Badgers left town, they held their local media day at the McClain Center, where UW coach Luke Fickell, defensive coordinator Mike Tressel and offensive coordinator Phil Longo and a number of players met with reporters.
Here are four things we learned.
Will Pauling is committed to more YAC
Pauling led the Badgers with 74 receptions, but his yards per reception average was a modest 11.31 yards. Fickell said he expects Pauling to have fewer receptions and more yards this season.
Pauling also wants to increase his average this season, in part by doing a better job fighting for contact after grappling.
“It’s just a matter of mindset after you get the ball of not letting the first guy attack you and making the first guy miss,” Pauling said. “(Wide receivers) coach (Kenny) Guiton has been really behind us this spring (about) no spot catches and that’s basically catching the ball and not getting any yards after the catch.”
Part of the reason Tyler Van Dyke maintains an edge in the race for the starting quarterback job entering camp is that Braedyn Locke has pushed the Miami transfer to be at the top of his game when it comes to mastering the playbook.
“Braedyn is a wise man,” Longo said. “He is very, very smart. I can’t keep him out of the office. He studies everything. He’s obsessed with it.”
Locke, meanwhile, was hard-pressed to match Van Dyke’s ability to throw the ball, even though his arm isn’t as strong.
“It challenges Braedyn,” Longo said. “He goes out there and hits one. He hit a running back down the sideline late in spring ball. It was a very long throw and he hit it perfectly. … It was an explosive gain for us and Braedyn kind of shook his head like, ‘That’s a hell of a play.’
Transfer DL Brandon Lane has already impressed
The Badgers signed defensive lineman Brandon Lane after spring training in an effort to bolster their defensive front. We won’t know for a few weeks if transfer Stephen F. Austin can make it into the rotation, but he’s already impressed with his size (6-3, 312) and passion for the game.
“When he got here, he was a little tired from practice and everything, but he was putting in a full motor effort,” senior defensive lineman James Thompson said. “During the OTAs that guy was full gas, without breaks.
“I think it gave everyone else (the mentality that) ‘Oh, he’s doing this, let me do this (too). It’s another level of mutual pressure and another level of responsibility. When you see someone working hard, it means I have to work hard too, because I won’t be the weakest link on the team.”
Former Boston College WR Passing Test So Far
Another post-spring training transfer, receiver Joseph Griffin, has been as advertised so far, displaying good speed to go along with his 6-4, 208-pound frame. The Springfield, Mass., native ranked second among the Eagles last season in receptions (25) and receiving yards (345).
However, the optimism he created is tinged with a wait-and-see mentality.
“I think everyone tends to look pretty good until you put on the helmet and the shoulder pads and then things start to separate a little bit,” Longo said. “(Wide receivers) coach (Kenny) Guiton is really excited to dress him and we’re going to push the ball to him in certain drills to see how he handles it. late, but we’re definitely happy to have him in the cast.”
The back room is as deep as Chez Mellusi has ever seen
Longo declared that the team is more advanced this season compared to last in almost every position. On offense, this increase in depth is felt especially at running back.
In addition to the return of Chez Mellusi, Jackson Acker and Cade Yacamelli, the team added Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker and welcomed three freshmen: Gideon Ituka, Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree. Jones and Dupree were four-star recruits.
“We have a lot of bodies,” Mellusi said. “I’ve never been in a running room where I think we have nine guys in the room. Heading into fall camp, I’m excited to lead this group of guys. I wouldn’t say there are many rings available, but fall camp is long. A lot of people are going to show what they can do.”
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Five things we learned from Wisconsin football media day
