Tag: adam krumholz

Opinion: Who will be the third starting receiver for Wisconsin this season?

Last season, Wisconsin relied heavily on the talents of Quintez Cephus to stretch the field and make big plays. Many Wisconsin fans were hoping that former Badger Aron Cruickshank would be the third receiver this season that would take over the role as a deep threat, but he transferred to Rutgers shortly after last season to play under Greg Schiano. 

Last season, Wisconsin relied heavily on the talents of Quintez Cephus to stretch the field and make big plays. Many Wisconsin fans were hoping that former Badger Aron Cruickshank would be the third receiver this season that would take over the role as a deep threat, but he transferred to Rutgers shortly after last season to play under Greg Schiano. 

This left me, as well as many others wondering, who will be Wisconsin’s third starting wide receiver for this season? 

My prediction is that Jack Dunn will beat out Adam Krumholz for this position because of his experience last season. Dunn was a favorite to be used by Paul Chryst for trick plays or misdirections and finished the season with five receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown. The Madison, Wisc. native also contributed heavily last season as the punt returner for the Badgers, which leads me to believe that Dunn was being groomed to be the next starting receiver. 

Up to his redshirt senior season, Adam Krumholz has yet to have made an impact on this team, which leaves me to believe that this trend will continue into this season. Krumholz has neither the game experience nor the favor with Paul Chryst that Dunn has. It is going to take a heck of a camp for Krumholz to crack the starting lineup this season. 

Jack Dunn is not the deep play threat that Wisconsin is looking for, but his experience and play style lends him to be a solid slot receiver next to Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis. Pryor or Davis are going to have to develop a deep threat ability as a part of their game for this season because it definitely will not be Dunn, who has mid-range speed and stands at 5-foot-7.

Where Paul Chryst believes his team has the biggest question marks this season

In a press conference yesterday Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst noted the two position groups where his team has the biggest question…

In a press conference yesterday Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst noted the two position groups where his team has the biggest question marks this season: wide receiver and outside linebacker.

If you think about it, this comment makes a lot of sense with the team saying goodbye to A.J. Taylor, Quintez Cephus and Aron Cruikshank at wide receiver and Zack Baun at outside linebacker.

The “next-ups” at the two positions respectively are set to be Jack Dunn and Adam Krumholz–with both Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor already established as contributors on the outside–and Noah Burks.

To me the wide receiver position the bigger question mark of the two as Badger fans know very well that Chryst and Jim Leonhard never have trouble developing “next-ups” at outside linebacker.

The Badgers are currently scheduled to start their season September 4 when they host the Indiana Hoosiers.

Wisconsin Spring Position Preview: Wide Receivers

Taking a closer look at the wide receiver position group as Wisconsin enters spring football

Spring football allows for head coach Paul Chryst to not have to worry about preparing for a game. Instead, it allows him to teach the game of football and continue to develop the players on Wisconsin’s roster as they prepare for the 2020 season. Chryst will have 15 practices beginning March 22 to help his team improve and build on what they accomplished during the 2019 season.

In this Badgers Wire feature, we will break down the wide receiver position for Wisconsin as it heads into spring practice.

Spring Wide Receiver Roster

A.J. Abbott (redshirt sophomore), Stephan Bracey (redshirt freshman), Danny Davis (senior), Jordan DiBenedetto (redshirt freshman), Chimere Dike (freshman), Jack Dunn (redshirt senior), Cade Green (redshirt junior), Mike Gregoire (redshirt sophomore), Adam Krumholz (redshirt senior), Taj Mustapha (redshirt sophomore), Cooper Nelson (redshirt freshman), Cam Phillips (redshirt freshman), Emmet Perry (redshirt junior), Kendric Pryor (redshirt senior)

What we know going into spring practice

It will be an important spring for both Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor as their roles will change as they head into their final seasons. Considering Pryor who has mostly played on the outside at the wide receiver position will likely now be relied on to play in the slot, which was played by A.J. Taylor a season ago.

Outside of those two consistently working on their games it will be an important spring for the Badgers to build quality depth behind Davis and Pryor. That responsibility will fall on first-year wide receiver coach Alvis Whitted who served as the Green Bay Packers wide receivers coach a season ago.

The likely top two wide receivers behind Davis and Pryor are a pair of redshirt seniors in Jack Dunn and Adam Krumholz. Dunn is slated to miss all of spring football due to a left leg injury. Krumholz has demonstrated to be a solid blocker for Wisconsin but he only has caught three passes in 31 career games.

Whitted will also need to continue with the development of A.J. Abbott and Taj Mustapha. Mustapha played in four games as a true freshman while maintaining his freshman eligibility but only appeared in one game a season ago. Abbott appeared in eight games a season ago as his action mostly came on special teams.

Chimere Dike who signed with Wisconsin as a part of the 2020 recruiting class elected to enroll early. Dike will get a head start in getting acclimated to college life and being able to create a new routine for himself. The biggest challenge for Dike is getting used to the speed of the college game and being able to learn from the mistakes he does make over the course of spring football.

What we hope to find out following spring practice

The progress of Abbott and Mustapha will be examined closely as the development of those two players could be the key to the success on whether or not the Badgers are able to consistently utilize four wide receivers this year.

Two other players who could have productive springs are a pair of redshirt freshmen in Stephan Bracey and Cam Phillips.

Bracey didn’t appear in a game a season ago but he did travel with the team for road games toward the end of the season. With the departure of Aron Cruickshank who transferred to Rutgers could Bracey take on a similar role that Cruickshank had in Wisconsin’s offense if he earns the trust of the coaches?

Phillips a walk-on held multiple scholarship offers including one from Wisconsin but he suffered a knee injury his senior year, which caused him to miss his entire season. The injury suffered by Phillips changed the course of his recruitment as the Badgers were able to land him as a walk-on.

Phillips was an early enrollee last year but because of his injury, he couldn’t compete during spring football. Phillips now healthy will look to show that his injury is behind him as he tries to earn playing time.

Wisconsin was able to utilize and rely on four wide receivers a season ago and if that’s the case again this coming season the Badgers will need Krumholz, Abbott, Mustapha or someone else to take the next step in their development. As the wide receivers will get plenty of reps during spring football as it will be up to them to take advantage and get better with each practice.

 

Wisconsin Announces the Hiring of Wide Receiver Coach Alvis Whitted

Wisconsin on Wednesday announced the hiring of wide receiver coach Alvis Whitted

Wisconsin on Wednesday announced the hiring of Alvis Whitted who will replace Ted Gilmore as the Badgers wide receiver coach.

Gilmore was hired away by former Badger player now the head coach at Michigan State Mel Tucker to be the position coach for the Spartans tight ends in February.

Whitted doesn’t have to move far to Madison as he served as the Green Bay Packers wide receiver coach during the 2019 season.

Prior to coaching the Packers, he was the wide receivers coach for Colorado State from 2012 to 2018. During his time with the Rams, he coached Rashard Higgins and Michael Gallup as both players were finalists for the Biletnikoff Award in 2014 and 2017 respectively.

Whitted was a wide receiver himself as he played for North Carolina State before being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round in the 1998 NFL Draft. Whitted played nine seasons in the NFL with the Jaguars and for the Oakland Raiders as he was a part of the Raiders Super Bowl XXXVII team, which lost to the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.

Whitted first job in coaching was with Millsaps College in 2010 and after spending a year at Millsaps college he became the Offensive quality controls coach at UCLA in 2011 before being named the wide receiver coach at Colorado State in 2012.

Whitted will take over an experienced wide receiver room as between Kendric Pryor, Danny Davis, Jack Dunn, and Adam Krumholz the four wide receivers have all played in at least 30 career games and have started a combined 36 games.

Wisconsin will begin spring practice on March 10th.

 

 

Projecting Wisconsin’s Spring Offensive Depth Chart

Who is projected to start on offense when the Badgers open spring camp.

Wisconsin’s offense in 2020 will certainly have a different feel to it considering the Badgers lost three key players on the offensive side of the football in running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receiver Quintez Cephus, and center Tyler Biadasz as all three declared early for the NFL Draft. Despite the departures from those three players, the Badgers do return six offensive starters from 2019.

In this Badgers Wire feature, we project what the spring depth chart on offense will look like when the Badgers open up spring practice.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Quarterback: 1. Jack Coan, 2. Graham Mertz, 3. Chase Wolf, 4. Danny Vanden Boom

Jack Coan will open spring football as the projected starter for Wisconsin and until he gives Paul Chryst a reason why he shouldn’t be starting for Wisconsin he’ll remain atop the depth chart throughout spring and when fall camp opens. Graham Mertz is certainly talented enough to challenge Coan for the starting position but the key for Mertz is building off of his first year at Wisconsin and consistently stringing together successful practices. This will be Mertz’s second spring football. Chase Wolf will be competing to be the top backup. Mertz and Wolf were listed as co-backups to Coan last season but if Coan would have had to leave the game due to an injury it would have been Mertz to fill in the place of Coan. Making it an important spring for Wolf to continue to improve upon his quarterback mechanics. Danny Vanden Boom played in three games as a redshirt freshman in 2018 but didn’t appear in a game last season.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Running Back: 1. Garrett Groshek, 2. Nakia Watson, 3. Isaac Guerendo, 4. Brady Schipper, 5. Julius Davis

Highly touted and consensus four-star running back Jalen Berger won’t arrive until this summer. In the meantime, it will be up to Garrett Groshek and Nakia Watson to show they’re capable of filling the giant shoes that are being left behind in two-time Doak Walker Award winner Jonathan Taylor. Watson (74-331-2) finished the season with more carries and more rushing yards than Groshek (42-194-2). But Watson over Wisconsin’s last two games didn’t register a carry as he’ll need to show he can take on a larger role in the offense during spring practice. Groshek is trusted by the coaches as he’s the most experienced running back returning as he has shown his capability as a receiver but also holding up in pass blocking too. How Guerendo, Schipper, and Davis figure into the running back picture in 2020 will still be determined but how they play over spring football will go a long way in terms of how many reps they receive once fall camp begins.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Fullback: 1. Mason Stokke, 2. John Chenal, 3. Quan Easterling

Mason Stokke and John Chenal split reps at fullback in 2019 and that should continue unless Stokke or Chenal take complete command over the role as starting fullback. Both had their moments in 2019 where they succeeded but Stokke’s best statistical game came against Minnesota when he registered 14 yards rushing on two carries and had three catches for 30 yards. Quan Easterling redshirted in 2019 but did appear in one game against Illinois due to Stokke missing the game because of an injury.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Wide Receiver: 1. Kendric Pryor, 2. Danny Davis, 3. Jack Dunn, 4. Adam Krumholz, 5. A.J. Abbott, 6. Stephan Bracey

Wisconsin’s depth chart at the wide receiver position figured it would have Cephus and Aron Cruickshank but with Cephus entering the draft and Cruickshank transferring to Rutgers the depth at wide receiver took a hit. But the Badgers still have enough depth to absorb those losses. It helps that Wisconsin returns Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis. Between the two Davis finished with more receptions than Pryor (30-to-23) but Pryor finished with 278 receiving yards to Davis’ 250. Both of their roles should expand entering the 2020 season and with more opportunities, the duo should be able to respond. Behind Davis and Pryor will be Jack Dunn and Adam Krumholz. Two of Wisconsin’s better run blockers at the wide receiver position. Abbott appeared in seven games a year ago mostly on special teams or in mop-up duty while Bracey redshirted but he did travel with the team for road games at times.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Tight End: 1. Jake Ferguson, 2. Cormac Sampson, 3. Jack Eschenbach 

Ferguson will return as the Badgers top tight end as he has improved over the past two years and that should continue for Ferguson as his 33 receptions for 407 yards ranked second in both categories. Sampson took on a larger role than previously expected for Wisconsin in 2019 as he served as Wisconsin’s blocking tight end and had success as he’ll be projected to fill that role again in 2020. Eschenbach a walk-on is a player the coaches are high on but he’ll need to continue to put it all together. A pair of redshirt freshman Hayden Rucci and Clay Cundiff will compete for a spot on the depth chart as the duo have important springs ahead of them as they continue to grow into the tight end position.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Offensive Line: LT Cole Van Lanen, LG Josh Seltzner, C Kayden Lyles, RG Logan Bruss, RT Tyler Beach

Wisconsin lost three starters from its 2019 offensive line all coming on the interior in guards David Moorman and Jason Erdman and center Tyler Biadasz. Who ultimately starts along the offensive line when the Badgers open up the season against Indiana won’t be determined until fall camp. As spring will serve as an opportunity for offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Joe Rudolph to use a variety of different combinations along the offensive line. But what is listed above seems to make the most sense with what Rudolph will roll out to start with and go from there when he tries out different line combinations. Lyles and Seltzner both started four games a season ago at left and right guard respectively. Lyles is capable of sliding over to center and with Bruss being capable of sliding over to guard will allow for Tyler Beach to start at right tackle.

Wisconsin Football Season Review: Wide Receivers

How did the Badgers wide receivers play over the 2019 season?

Wisconsin finished its fifth season under head coach Paul Chryst as Chryst improved his overall record to 52-16 and has a posted a 34-10 record in conference games. After not winning the Big Ten West Division title in 2018 the Badgers were back in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game as the West representative for the fourth time in the last six years since the Big Ten went to its current format.

In this Badgers Wire feature we will examine the play of Wisconsin’s wide receivers from the 2019 season and take a sneak into what the 2020 season may have in store for the position:

The wide receiver unit was bolstered by the return of Quintez Cephus this past season. Cephus’ return to the team was big as he was Wisconsin’s most consistent wide receiver despite missing all of the 2018 season as he finished the season with 59 catches for 901 yards and seven touchdowns as all three led the team. In addition, Cephus caught a pass in every single game this season.

Not to mention as the competition took a rise in the month of November and over the Badgers last two games of the season Cephus was able to elevate his level of play.

In Wisconsin’s last six games he was dominant at times in particular over Wisconsin’s last three games in that stretch he caught a combined 14 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns.

Cephus’ ability to stretch the field over the last part of the season helped make sure opposing defenses couldn’t consistently load the box against Wisconsin’s run game.

The trio of Danny Davis (30-250-1), Kendric Pryor (23-278-0), and A.J. Taylor (23-267-2) caught a combined 76 passes for 795 yards and a combined three touchdowns.

With Cephus having such a productive season meant that Davis’ and Taylor’s numbers took a dip compared to what they posted in 2018. Davis led the team in both receptions (40) and receiving touchdowns (five) while Taylor led Wisconsin in receiving yards with 521 in 2018.

Davis was able to form a good connection with Jack Coan over the course of the 2018 season. In addition, with Coan being named the starter it was fair to expect that the chemistry Coan and Davis developed would carry over to this past season.

But Davis did disappear at times as there were four games where he went without a catch including a three game stretch in November. Compare that to his first two years at Wisconsin when he only had a combined three games where he didn’t register a reception.

Pryor was able to finish the season with 460 yards of total offense as he had 278 receiving yards and had 182 yards rushing to go along with two rushing touchdowns. Pryor was Wisconsin’s most effective wide receiver when it came to the Badgers jet sweep as he averaged 12.8 yards per carry. His longest rush of the season came against Michigan State when he registered a 66-yard rushing touchdown.

After Wisconsin’s big four in Cephus, Davis, Taylor, and Pryor Wisconsin also received contributions from Jack Dunn and Adam Krumholz as both played in all 14 games.

Dunn finished the year with five receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown he also had two rushing attempts for seven yards and a rushing touchdown. Krumholz caught two passes for 20 yards.

2020 Wisconsin Wide Receivers

Wisconsin was already set to lose Taylor to graduation but following Wisconsin’s appearance in the Rose Bowl Cephus announced he was entering the NFL Draft and sophomore Aron Cruickshank announced he was entering the transfer portal. With Cephus and Cruickshank departing Wisconsin the wide receiver room will look different than previously expected. The Badgers will still have Davis, Pryor, Dunn, and Krumholz as the four will all be seniors. Wisconsin knows what they have in those four as the Badgers will need either A.J. Abbott, Taj Mustapha, Stephan Bracey, or one of the three incoming wide receivers in the 2020 class to step up.