Is Wisconsin’s running back room underrated entering 2024 football season?

Is Wisconsin’s running back room underrated entering 2024 football season?

The Wisconsin Badgers enter the 2024 football season with a lot more questions surrounding the team than answers.

There are legitimate unknowns including whether Phil Longo’s air raid offense can click in year two, what veteran transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke brings to the team, the performance of Mike Tressel’s defense after a transfer-heavy offseason and, importantly, how the team will perform against a gauntlet schedule.

Related: Phil Steele ranks Wisconsin football’s 2024 position groups compared to rest of Big Ten

Along those lines, there is a thought that is constantly used when previewing the Badgers’ upcoming season: “Wisconsin lost star running back Braelon Allen, which will hurt the team’s rushing output.”

Allen is a well-known name across the country, and rushed for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns on 181 carries in 2023. He became a star after a breakout freshman season in 2021. But his 2023 production didn’t necessarily add up to that billing.

The loss of a star-level name like Allen will find its way into every preview magazine and paragraph. But those previews will inevitably ignore what the team has returning in super-senior Chez Mellusi and Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker.

I project Mellusi and Walker to out-perform Allen and Jackson Acker’s 2023 season in the aggregate (1,306 combined yards, 14 rushing touchdowns). In other words: they form a 1-2 punch that makes this running back corps an upgrade over last season.

Mellusi is back for a final collegiate season after suffering a demoralizing season-ending injury in the Badgers’ win over Purdue in Week 4, 2023.

The former Clemson Tiger has been as productive as they come when on the field (5.0 career yards per carry, 6.0 yards per carry in 2023 before the injury). But the big question is his health, which must be taken into account when discussing this tandem.

Mellusi is a true top-end running back when he is healthy. That health should only be aided by Walker’s presence.

Walker transferred to Wisconsin this offseason after two years at Oklahoma. His role with the Sooners grew significantly entering 2023, which led to a final stat line of 102 carries, 513 yards and 7 touchdowns.

He by himself is not a top-end Big Ten running back, especially given how great the conference is at the position. But the duo of Mellusi and Walker could prove to be productive as any this season.

Phil Steele ranks Wisconsin’s running back room No. 6 in the Big Ten entering the year. Ohio State is an easy No. 1 with TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, Penn State is No. 2 with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Steele then ranks Minnesota, Oregon and Michigan respectively ahead of Wisconsin.

I’d bet that the Badgers running back duo, given health, not only outperforms the team’s 2023 rushing output, but also rises to No. 3 on the Big Ten leaderboard.

So yes, Wisconsin’s running back duo is overlooked and underrated entering the season. It may be upgraded over last season’s group.

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