Tag: Big Ten

Takeaways from Wisconsin football’s de-facto spring game

Takeaways from Wisconsin’s de-facto spring game:

The Wisconsin Badgers football team hosted their 13th spring practice of the year Saturday, playing primarily 11-on-11 for the duration. Luke Fickell and the Badgers no longer host a spring game between their offensive and defensive units, but Saturday came close.

Graduate transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (Miami, Florida) handled the majority of the first-team reps at practice, though redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke continued to get plenty of work as well.

Van Dyke connected for a pair of notable touchdowns to tight end Riley Nowakowski and wide receiver Tyrell Henry, while once again showing an improved understanding of Phil Longo’s offense.

With just a pair of practices remaining before spring workouts conclude, Van Dyke has proven capable of being the team’s primary option at quarterback in 2024.

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Wide receiver Trech Kekahuna has impressed throughout camp, and he made sure to show off his shiftiness on a handful of occasions while operating out of the slot wideout position on Saturday. With Will Pauling returning for another season, Wisconsin has a formidable duo in the slot.

At running back, both transfer Tawee Walker (Oklahoma) and true freshman Gideon Ituka produces scores on the ground. Familiar faces Chez Mellusi and Nate White churned out big gains.

On the defensive side, linebacker Darryl Peterson had a big day, getting to the quarterback and into the backfield on a semi-regular basis, showing his elite understanding of Mike Tressel’s defensive approach.

Transfer linebackers John Pius (William & Mary) and Leon Lowery (Syracuse) have been among the most notable additions to Wisconsin’s roster this season and they figure to make a significant impact in the pass rush in 2024.

Last but not least, safety Hunter Wohler is back for 2024, and he looks to build upon a 2023 campaign in which he led the team with 120 total tackles while also snatching a pair of interceptions. He has been just as effective this spring and was good for some show-stopping hits on the practice field Saturday.

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Wisconsin offers impressive multi-sport athlete from Michigan

Wisconsin offers impressive multi-sport athlete from Michigan

The Wisconsin Badgers football team offered Lincoln Keyes, a three-star tight end from Saline, Michigan, on Saturday. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound athlete is a sophomore at Saline High and he still has two more years of high school football before he’d make the jump to the college level.

Keyes has now picked up 12 Division 1 football offers, including Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin within the Big Ten. The Michigan Wolverines have yet to offer, but he has gotten scholarships extended to him from Central Michigan and Western Michigan within his home state.

What makes Keyes a rather intriguing recruit is his general size, which he has also used to make himself successful on the basketball court. There’s a long list of tight ends that also played basketball going on to have strong football careers and Keyes will look to do so as well.

Wisconsin has now offered eight different tight ends in the class of 2026.

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Pair of former Wisconsin football teammates reunited in New York

Pair of former Wisconsin football teammates reunited in New York

The 2024 NFL Draft is on its final day and former Wisconsin Badgers running back Braelon Allen was selected in the fourth round (134th overall) by the New York Jets. He will reunite with offensive lineman Joe Tippmann, who was picked by New York in 2023.

Allen spent three seasons with Wisconsin, compiling 3,494 total rushing yards while scoring 35 times on the ground. He ran behind Tippmann for his first two campaigns in Madison and the pair will now look to repeat their success with the Jets.

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New York already has a bell-cow running back in Breece Hall, who rushed for 994 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 on 223 carries. With Allen now in town, the organization will likely attempt to scale back Hall’s touches to protect his body, which is a smart move considering Hall has already suffered a torn ACL during his NFL career.

Operating in an offense with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Allen could find himself a few more holes to run through than he has in the last couple years in Madison.

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Nebraska softball falls short to first place Northwestern 6-5

Nebraska softball falls short to first place Northwestern 6-5

The Huskers commenced their final home series of the season against first-place Northwestern Friday night. Nebraska battled Northwestern throughout the night, but the Wildcats ultimately got the edge over the Huskers.

Northwestern and Nebraska entered the seventh deadlocked 4-4 after Northwestern took a 4-2 lead. But a sacrificial fly and a wild pitch pushed the Wildcats to a 6-4 lead. The Huskers attempted a comeback, which consisted of a solo home run by Emmerson Cope to cut the lead down 6-5 but could not manage another run.

Nebraska finished with eight hits while Northwestern delivered six, but the Huskers brought in just one of seven runners in scoring position. The Wildcats finished with four RBIs off two sacrificial flies, a solo home run, and a single. Northwestern earned its other two runs off the aforementioned wild pitch and a fielding error.

Samantha Bland started the game with a two-run home run in the first to put Nebraska up 2-0. Katelyn Caneda then hit a two-RBI single in the sixth to tie the game 4-4. The duo led the Huskers in RBIs.

Nebraska falls to 27-20 on the season and 10-7 in conference play. The Huskers will conclude the series against Northwestern on Saturday in a doubleheader. Game one is set for 11 a.m. with game two to follow at 1:30 p.m., with both games being broadcasted on B1G+.

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Wisconsin women’s basketball adds Duquesne transfer guard

Wisconsin women’s basketball adds Duquesne transfer guard

The NCAA transfer portal remains very active and the Wisconsin women’s basketball team added another athlete Friday, reeling in Duquesne transfer guard Tess Myers.

Myers will join Marisa Moseley’s squad after four years with the Dukes in Pittsburgh, most recently averaging 7.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 36.8 percent from the field in 2023-2024.

With one year of eligibility remaining, the 5-foot-9 guard will join a Wisconsin program that went 15-17 this past season, playing in the WNIT — their first postseason action in over a decade.

By choosing the Badgers in the portal, Myers became the second transfer addition for Wisconsin this offseason. Former Northern Kentucky standout Carter McCray announced that she would be transferring to Wisconsin earlier this week.

With Serah Williams returning to Madison after winning the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as upperclassmen like Halle Douglass and Natalie Leuzinger coming back for the upcoming season, Wisconsin is in a strong position to build off of their strong 2023-2024 campaign.

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Former Illinois forward sticking around Big Ten for final season

Former Illinois forward sticking around Big Ten for final season

Former Illinois forward Luke Goode announced Friday that he is transferring to Indiana, remaining in the Big Ten for his final season of eligibility. Goode entered the portal on Monday, quickly finding a new home in Bloomington.

The 6-foot-7, 210-pound athlete is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and he’ll live out a chance to play for his favorite childhood team. Wisconsin was reportedly interested in acquiring Goode from the portal, but once again came up empty.

Goode was a four-star athlete coming out of high school, joining Brad Underwood’s squad in 2021. He spent four seasons with Illinois, most recently averaging 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 39% from deep in 2023-2024.

The Badgers haven’t added a player from the portal after losing eight players as transfers following the 2023-2024 campaign.

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Wisconsin offers four-star class of 2026 edge rusher from Florida

Wisconsin offers four-star class of 2026 edge rusher from Florida

The Wisconsin Badgers football team offered Trenton Henderson, a four-star edge rusher from Pensacola, Florida, on Thursday.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound athlete is a sophomore at Pensacola Catholic and he still has two more years of high school football before he’d potentially make the leap to the collegiate level.

To this point, Henderson has now picked up 12 Division 1 offers, including notable programs Florida State, Georgia and Notre Dame, while Wisconsin is the first Big Ten school to extend him a scholarship.

With the defensive mindset of head coach Luke Fickell and the program’s established defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, the Badgers should be salivating at the chance to acquire the top edge rusher.

In Wisconsin’s class of 2024 group of commitments, the program secured four total four-star recruits, including three on the defensive side of the ball. They reeled in defensive lineman Ernest Willor Jr. (Towson, MD), linebacker Thomas Heiberger (Sioux Falls, SD) and edge rusher Anelu Lafaele (Honolulu, HI). Luke Fickell and his staff will look to replicate that output in the 2025 cycle.

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Commanders select Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton at No. 36 overall

The Commanders select the Big Ten defensive player of the year.

The Washington Commanders selected Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton at No. 36 overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

The 6-foot-2, 304-pound Newton was a three-year starter for the Fighting Illini, twice earning first-team All-Big Ten conference and was also a two-time All-American.

Newton is a bit of a surprising pick, considering Washington’s defensive tackle depth. The Commanders have Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne under contract. Washington also has third-year defensive tackles John Ridgeway and Phidarian Mathis. Mathis was a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Newton was considered by some to be the top defensive tackle in the draft but is dealing with a foot injury.

Here is Newton’s scouting report from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

Active interior defender with the potential to build on his disruptive production in college. Newton’s size and length don’t stand out, but he has shown a consistent ability to gain extension and set edges against bigger opponents. Newton is clever in setting up blockers and then beating them with sudden hand usage and foot quickness as both a run defender and a pass rusher. He’s strong enough to hold the point, but he’s not going to overwhelm NFL guards with force or power. His skill level and athleticism should create additional playmaking opportunities for him as a three-down 3-technique with early starting potential.

Wisconsin offers three-star class of 2025 athlete from Minnesota

Wisconsin offers three-star class of 2025 athlete from Minnesota

The Wisconsin Badgers offered Luke Emmerich, a three-star class of 2025 athlete from Monticello, Minnesota, on Wednesday. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder is a junior at Monticello Senior High andhas one more year of high school football before making the leap to the collegiate level.

Emmerich has now picked up five Division 1 offers, including from Wisconsin and Washington within the Big Ten, while Air Force, Iowa State and Illinois State have also extended scholarships. He has operated as a wide receiver and a free safety while in high school, making him an intriguing option for college programs.

Not only has he excelled at football, but Emmerich has also impressed as a track athlete, most recently running a 10.69 in the 100-meter dash this week. With his size and speed, it’s unclear what position Emmerich will end up playing in college, but his traits certainly suggest he has the tools to succeed.

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Brother of Wisconsin cornerback enters transfer portal

Wisconsin cornerback’s brother enters transfer portal

The NCAA spring transfer portal window is open until April 30 and UCF cornerback Jason Duclona, brother of current Wisconsin Badgers defensive back Jonas Duclona, entered on Wednesday.

Though they were in the same grade, Jason is less than a year younger than his older brother Jonas (350 days apart) and the brothers grew up in south Florida, going to separate high schools. Jason attended Estero High School, while Jonas wanted to stick with his football friends, enrolling in Naples High School.

Both brothers were three-star class of 2023 athletes. Jonas enrolled at UW-Madison while Jason chose to attend UCF. Jason appeared in three games during his freshman season with the Knights, failing to record any stats.

With the Badgers, Jonas played in 12 contests in 2023, totaling three tackles while playing mostly on special teams. Considering the family connection, Jason Duclona could certainly find himself visiting Luke Fickell’s squad in Madison in the near future.

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