As the 2019 season fully recedes into the pages of history, Badgers Wire is exploring what Wisconsin will look like — and can achieve — in 2020. One part of this larger exploration was our look at the departure of running back Jonathan Taylor and the (expected) improved play of quarterback Jack Coan. While Coan will likely be the focal point of the Badger offense in 2020, he’s going to lose the production and presence of Quintez Cephus at wide receiver. Cephus was the Badgers’ leading receiver in 2019 with 901 yards on 59 receptions and seven scores, good enough for an average of 15.3 yards per reception. Losing that kind of production can only mean one thing: next man up.
While tight end Jake Ferguson was the team’s second leading receiver with 407 yards, Kendric Pryor and A.J. Taylor both had 23 receptions, and both had just over 265 yards each. This means there is ample room for someone to step in and take the place of Cephus, who had become one of the most reliable receivers for the Badgers. It’s not just the production UW has to replace, it’s the veteran leadership and poise Cephus brought to the team. Let us not forget his ability to block downfield and provide a willing body even when he was not receiving the ball.
Cephus was never targeted more than six times per game until the postseason, when games against Ohio State and Oregon involved more of a responsibility in the offense. He caught seven passes in each game. Whoever steps up will have to provide a complete game on offense if they hope to replace what he gave the Badgers. Those receivers will have to display a willingness to compete not just for 50-50 balls, but to block and perform the glue-guy gruntwork a Wisconsin receiver is generally expected to contribute.
The Badgers have a lot of production to replace. Whether it’s Jonathan Taylor or Quintez Cephus or Tyler Biadasz, it’s a lot to replace in one class. It also leaves opponents with the knowledge that the Badgers will be Coan’s team next season. It gives opponents a small jump on planning for the Badgers. The great news is that there will be a lot of competition at the key positions for the Badgers. From that competition, Wisconsin needs strength in numbers which will give the 2020 offense a sufficient amount of options and the ability to keep opposing defenses off balance.