Tag: Darrion Dupree

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell discusses Chez Mellusi’s departure from Badgers program

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell discusses Chez Mellusi’s departure from Badgers program

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell discussed Chez Mellusi’s recent departure from the Badgers program during his media availability on Monday.

The news broke last Thursday that Mellusi was stepping away from the program, reportedly to ‘continue rehabbing injuries that prevented him from playing to his expectation.’

Related: Wisconsin updated depth chart for Rutgers game sees true freshman running back enter two-deep

Fickell was not asked about the timeline surrounding Mellusi’s departure after Wisconsin’s 52-6 win over Purdue on Saturday. The focus of his postgame press conference was the team’s strong performance — including the stellar play of the team’s running back room.

Now that the dust settled on the win, Fickell took time to expand on Mellusi’s departure. Here is the full question and answer sequence:

Q: ‘I know this is last week’s news, but Chez stepping away from the program. What kind of conversations, if at all, did you have with him and how did that all play out?

Fickell: “Look, it’s not my spot to sit up here and to speculate on all of the things that are going through him. But I probably had a good hour, two hours, of conversation with him. Spent a lot of time with him. It just is what it is.

For him to be able to get away and try to get healthy, to be honest with you. We all have this expectation, that played the game. Your mind and your body have this expectation of how you are going to play. When you can’t do that it makes it really difficult. Sometimes, that’s because you can’t do it because, you know, maybe the opportunities aren’t there. Then sometimes deep down inside, maybe the health and things aren’t there. Sometimes as we get older, I compared it a little bit, I don’t want to say me, but at some point in time I stopped wrestling because where my mind was and where I wanted to be, I probably wasn’t, in a short amount of time, where I was going to get to.

So it was a little bit. It was a tough thing. But it wasn’t like ‘I’m outta here’ or ‘get out of here.’ We spent a lot of time together. Had a lot of conversations. We’ll continue to communicate. Who knows what it will lead to. That’s just one of those situations that’s not the easiest thing in the world. He’s been through a lot, he’s done a lot. I think his body just, right now, isn’t where his mind is.”

Wisconsin rushed for 228 yards on 5.6 yards per carry on Saturday against Purdue. Tawee Walker led the way with 19 carries, 94 yards and three rushing touchdowns.

The Badgers now move forward with Walker, true freshman Darrion Dupree and Cade Yacamelli as the top three at the position. The trio will be relied upon heavily as tough matchups remain against Rutgers (No. 44 in SP+), Penn State (No. 6), Iowa (No. 29), Oregon (No. 7), Nebraska (No. 26) and Minnesota (No. 41).

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How Darrion Dupree, Wisconsin’s trio of true freshmen performed against South Dakota

How Darrion Dupree, Wisconsin’s trio of true freshmen performed against South Dakota

Several Wisconsin true freshmen shined for UW during Saturday’s 27-13 victory over South Dakota.

Among the first-year standouts were running back Darrion Dupree, running back Dilin Jones and offensive lineman Kevin Heywood. All three saw some of the first action of their collegiate careers in the two-score victory at Camp Randall.

Dupree, a four-star recruit and 2023 Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year, rushed six times for 24 yards while Dilin Jones, ESPN’s No. 6 running back in the class of 2024, logged four carries for 14 yards.

Heywood, meanwhile, appeared in his second collegiate game and recorded 13 snaps at right tackle without allowing a single pressure.

ProFootballFocus awarded Heywood a 74.3 overall grade for his Week 2 effort, the second highest by any offensive player on the Badgers behind only running back Cade Yacamelli.

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While Dupree and Jones failed to reach the end zone, their respective introductions to Wisconsin’s ground game are certainly a positive sign going forward. Both look like they could morph into mainstays for Luke Fickell’s team moving into the future, especially fall camp standout Dupree.

The two could see a few snaps in Wisconsin’s pivotal Week 3 match vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 14 at Camp Randall.

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell mentions 6 true freshmen who could contribute in 2024

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell mentions 6 true freshmen who should contribute in 2024

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell met with the media on Sunday evening after the Badgers wrapped up their second week of fall training camp.

The biggest note from the period was Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke reportedly trending toward capturing the starting quarterback job.

Fickell avoided naming Van Dyke the starter during his press conference. But practice reps are reportedly telling the story of Van Dyke as the No. 1, and redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke as the No. 2.

Related: Wisconsin has terrific history when entering football season unranked in AP Poll

One other significant note from Fickell’s availability: he mentioned six true freshmen who could see the field and contribute as early as this season.

Those players: OT Kevin Heywood, CB Xavier Lucas, OT Emerson Mandell, OT Colin Cubberly, RB Darrion Dupree and RB Dilin Jones.

Here are relevant notes and context surrounding each player:

  • Heywood was the No. 50 overall player in the class of 2024 and is living up to that billing. He reportedly turned heads during spring practice and may win the backup job at left tackle
  • Mandell (No. 191 in the class) and Cubberly (No. 661) both could compete for depth roles along the line. That is due in part to the program’s lack of depth at the position, especially after an injury to Vanderbilt transfer Leyton Nelson.
  • Lucas (No. 372) has been one of the bigger standouts at fall camp. Wisconsin is loaded in the secondary. Him already in position to make an impact is a testament to his talent and potential.
  • Breakout performances from Dupree (No. 392) and Jones (No. 146) have dominated the headlines at fall camp. Wisconsin has solid veterans in place at the position. But there is precedent for a talented freshman being too good to leave on the sideline (Jonathan Taylor, 2017)

This list also does not mention Thomas Heiberger (four-star, No. 463), who was reportedly in line to compete for snaps at outside linebacker before suffering a knee injury.

Takeaway No. 1 from Fickell’s comment and the storylines from fall camp is that these players will form Wisconsin’s core for years to come.

Takeaway No. 2, importantly, is that Fickell’s top-ranked class of 2024 is already become a success story only months after joining the program. Fickell’s future at Wisconsin relies on his recruiting prowess leading to better on-field results.

It’s early, but the current signs are positive in that respect.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. 

Wisconsin freshman running flashes potential at Badgers training camp

Wisconsin freshman running flashes sky-high potential at Badgers training camp

Wisconsin freshman running back Darrion Dupree flashed his quickness and explosiveness at the Badgers training camp at UW-Platteville on Wednesday.

In a short clip released by UW’s football program, Dupree can be seen lining up against linebacker Jaheim Thomas in what appears to be a one-on-one goal-line drill.

Dupree fakes right before quickly cutting left and turning to catch a pass for a touchdown. The move completely confused the defender, and elicited an enthusiastic reaction from his excited offensive counterparts.

Dupree, who played high school football at Chicago’s Mount Carmel, committed to Wisconsin back in July 2023. He was a four-star recruit in the class of 2024.

During his storied career pre-UW, Dupree pocketed Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year honors in 2023 and registered 1,092 yards on the ground, 755 yards in the air and 24 total touchdowns as a senior in 2023.

He also played a monumental role in guiding Mount Carmel to a Class 7A state championship during his junior campaign in 2022.

Dupree will play a depth role this coming fall, but his upside suggests he could see reps at running back down the line in Madison.

The Badgers appear to be energized to start training camp in preparation for the 2024 season. The camp serves as one of Wisconsin’s final stretches of preparation before their season-opening Aug. 30 matchup against Western Michigan.

WATCH: A pair of Wisconsin 2024 RB commits go off for their high school teams

Highlights from a few Wisconsin commits this weekend:

Just because the season is here does not mean recruiting stops churning. It’s a quiet period, as Wisconsin’s class of 2024 is practically complete after the mid-summer push.

The class sits in the nation’s top 25 according to most ranking systems, led by top tight end Grant Stec, four-star quarterback Mabrey Mettauer and a loaded running back group.

Badger fans are rightfully excited about how the class will translate to the field in Madison to help out Phil Longo’s offense. We do get a bit of a glimpse during their high school action which is just getting underway. So after a big weekend of high school football, there are two Wisconsin commits to spotlight.

Related: Predicting every Big Ten team’s 2023 wins and losses, final record and the conference champ

The first is four-star running back Dilin Jones from Olney, Maryland. He rushed for more than 140 yards and a touchdown for Our Lady Good Counsel High School this weekend in a contest against St. Edward…all in the first half.

Here’s his touchdown:

While full stats are not available yet for this year, MaxPreps does note that Jones rushed for 804 yards in six games last year with a yards-per-carry clip of more than nine. He seems primed for a big career in Madison.

The second spotlight today is four-star Darrion Dupree from Mount Carmel, Illinois. Dupree found the end zone several times against East St. Louis on Friday night, also showcasing what he’ll bring to Madison:

Alabama ‘absolutely’ a threat to flip Wisconsin commit Darrion Dupree

Their next target may be Wisconsin, where Mount Carmel (Ill.) four-star running back Darrion Dupree committed in July.

After a first-place finish in the 2023 national recruiting rankings, Alabama got off to a relatively slow start in 2024. However, they’ve made up a ton of ground in recent weeks and they’ve done it by adding multiple blue-chip recruits, including some from other programs. Most recently, they flipped five-star safety Peyton Woodyard from Georgia.

Their next target may be Wisconsin, where Mount Carmel (Ill.) four-star running back Darrion Dupree committed in July.

According to Jon Mcnamara at Rivals, Alabama is “absolutely” a threat to flip Dupree from the Badgers.

“Is Alabama a threat to flip Dupree? Absolutely. The Tide are one of two or three premier programs in college football, and they can generally pick and choose who they want on the recruiting front. Additionally, I think Alabama was one of the schools Dupree felt could be close to offering since the start of the summer, which is one reason why his commitment to the Badgers came a bit later than expected.”

While Wisconsin and Alabama are in the club, Dupree (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) has offers from 30 teams, including Illinois, Cincinnati, Iowa, Michigan and Notre Dame. Rivals has Dupree ranked No. 6 overall in Illinois and No. 4 at his position, but the other recruiting services all have him far lower among running backs.

For now, Wisconsin’s class of 2024 ranks No. 23 in the nation, while Alabama is at No. 4.

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Wisconsin’s class of 2024 continues to rise after its latest commitment

Good developments for Wisconsin’s class of 2024

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin football program have heated up again on the 2024 recruiting trail. The latest commitment came today from four-star running back Darrion Dupree, bringing the class up to 17 overall commitments.

There was that stretch of decommitments and seeing the top six in-state recruits commit elsewhere. But since then the program has rebounded, landing three four-star recruits in just the last week.

The class moved up to No. 21 overall in the 247Sports Composite after landing Dupree today, with an average player rating of 88.30. The group ranks sixth in the Big Ten behind Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska and Purdue. But time still remains in the cycle, and Wisconsin is still in the running for even more blue-chip players.

I make a big deal of the Blue Chip Ratio — or the percentage of a class made up of four and five-star recruits. Wisconsin’s highest ever was 42% in 2021, part of a three-year stretch from 2019-2021 with ratios of 21%, 25% and 42% respectively.

The Badgers’ current blue-chip ratio in the class of 2024 is up to 35% after Dupree’s commitment, with six of the 17 commitments being four-star recruits. Given how things are trending currently, that number should only rise in the coming weeks.

BREAKING: Four-star running back commits to Wisconsin

The Wisconsin football team added another 2024 recruit Friday, gaining the commitment of four-star running back Darrion Dupree from Chicago.

The Wisconsin football team added another 2024 recruit Friday, gaining the commitment of four-star running back Darrion Dupree from Chicago, Illinois. He’ll join the Badgers after his final year of high school football at Mount Carmel.

Dupree picked Wisconsin over the 28 Division 1 programs that offered him, including Illinois, Iowa and Michigan (amongst others) from within the Big Ten. The 5-foot-10 athlete instead opted to choose a program in Madison that churns out pro-level running backs as good as any in the country.

Luke Fickell and Phil Longo’s offense of the future appears to be coming together with Dupree and 2024 four-star quarterback Mabrey Mettauer (The Woodlands, TX) figuring to be focal points.

With Braelon Allen potentially moving on the the NFL following the 2023 campaign, the addition of Dupree is a rather impactful one.

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Report: Wisconsin top target Darrion Dupree sets commitment date

Wisconsin’s class of 2024 could grow in the coming days

Wisconsin has regained momentum on the recruiting trail after landing a surprise and entertaining commitment from four-star CB Omillio Agard.

The program will hope that momentum continues later this week, as Jon McNamara of Rivals reports four-star running back Darrion Dupree will announce his college decision on that date.

Dupree is 247Sports’ No. 366 player in the class of 2024, No. 32 running back and No. 8 recruit from his home state of Illinois. The service currently lists two crystal ball predictions for the Chicago, Illinois native to choose Wisconsin — those predictions coming from Director of Football Recruiting Steve Wiltfong and Wisconsin Insider Evan Flood.

Dupree would be the No. 16 commitment in Wisconsin’s class of 2024 if he commits and the second running back. The only running back in the class as of now is three-star Maryland native Gideon Ituka.

Stay tuned on July 7 as we hear if Dupree joins Wisconsin’s growing class of 2024.

Four-star running back Darrion Dupree gets a Rutgers football offer

Darrion Dupree, a four-star running back, was offered by Rutgers football on Saturday.

Rutgers football has sent out an offer on Saturday to Darrion Dupree, a talented running back out of Illinois.

In March, Rivals ranked Dupree a four-star recruit and plays for Chicago Mt. Caramel (Chicago, IL). He holds offers from Boston College, Iowa State, Missouri, Nebraska and Syracuse.

He is the No. 95 player in the nation and the second-ranked recruit in Illinois for the class of 2024.

At 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, Dupree has a hard running and physical style. He runs well between the tackles and gets to the second level, where he is difficult to take down.

He has good, solid speed when he gets in the open field.

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On Saturday afternoon, Dupree announced his offer from Rutgers on social media:

 

In the 2022 recruiting class, Rutgers landed a very strong running back in Samuel Brown, a standout from Philadelphia. Rutgers does not have a commitment at running back in the 2023 recruiting class.

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