Tag: Isaac Guerendo

Wisconsin has a changes at RB, TE in its Week 8 offensive depth chart

Wisconsin has a changes at RB, TE in its Week 8 offensive depth chart

Wisconsin has released its depth chart for Saturday’s contest against the No. 25 Purdue Boilermakers.

There were a few subtle changes to note, as things must be shuffled for the upcoming game with RB Isaac Guerendo ruled out for the year and TE Jack Eschenbach ruled out for Saturday’s game.

Related: Three ruled out, four listed as questionable for Wisconsin’s contest at Purdue

There will also be a change at kick returner with Devin Chandler having entered the transfer portal earlier today. The news came out after the depth chart was released, so Chandler is still listed as the No. 1 at that position with CB Faion Hicks listed No. 2.

Here is Wisconsin’s complete offensive depth chart for Saturday’s game against Purdue:

WATCH: Wisconsin RB Isaac Guerendo explodes for the longest Badger play of the season

Wisconsin has their longest play of the season on an Isaac Guerendo TD run

Wisconsin football has the best problem to have in the running back room. The Badgers simply have too many great options. One of those options is speedster Isaac Guerendo, who showed off his team-leading sprint speed in a massive way during the second quarter of Wisconsin’s matchup with Eastern Michigan.

Guerendo bounced outside to the right and turned on the jets for an 82-yard run to give the Badgers a 24-0 lead over the Eagles. Guerendo is a former high school track star who is known as the fastest member of a talented Wisconsin RB room.

The Badger RB’s have already eclipsed 200 yards as a group in the first half.

Wisconsin has depth chart changes at RB for Week 2

Wisconsin updates the Week 2 depth chart at RB:

Heading into Week 1 against Penn State, one of the bigger questions surrounding Wisconsin’s depth came at RB. No, this wasn’t a question of would the Badgers have enough at the position, but rather of how to deal with the many potential options for snaps. An embarrassment of riches is not the worst problem to have. On Saturday, they certainly looked like a group that will be a strength all season.

There were, however, unexpected surprises in terms of distributing the carries. Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi was listed as the top back, and he certainly looked the part. Mellusi had 31 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown despite his offensive line struggling against the Nittany Lions. Next in line was not second-year Badger Jalen Berger, but instead speedster Isaac Guerendo who carried the ball 13 times for a productive 56 yards.

Berger, in fact, did not see the field on Saturday despite being active. No reason was given postgame for why the New Jersey native was on the sideline. Despite not having Berger, the Badgers RB tandem ended up being the strength of the offense.

Heading into Week 2 against Eastern Michigan, depth chart changes at RB are small but noteworthy. Thanks to Jake Kocorowski of BadgerBlitz on Twitter, here is a look at those changes:

With Berger and Guerendo getting that “OR” designation, it feels like we will again see Mellusi and Guerendo as the 1-2 punch on Saturday. If there is any time to see a heavy dose of all three, it would be at Camp Randall in Week 2.

PHOTOS: Wisconsin football gets ready for the 2021 season

Some of the best photos of the latest Wisconsin football team as they gear up for the upcoming season

With the start of the season less than two months away, Wisconsin football is gearing up for the start of fall camp with many new and familiar faces.

Related: Wisconsin TE Hayden Rucci partners with Cameo

Before the start of every season, players often get to check out the new uniforms and model them to make promotional videos and graphics for the season. Many Badgers including senior wide receiver Danny Davis and sophomore tight end Hayden Rucci posted some of their favorite photos to their social media.

Here are some of the best photos of the latest Wisconsin Badgers team as they gear up for the upcoming season:

Chryst mentions three running backs who will lead the way for the Badgers

The Badges will go RB by committee in 2020

In a Wednesday morning press conference with local media, Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst addressed the depth at the RB position after losing Jonathan Taylor to the NFL.

“Certainly, not trying to match what J.T. did, but we do have to get really good, consistent production out of that group,” Chryst told reporters on Wednesday.

So, who will be called on for that consistent production? Expect Doak Walker award watch list selection Nakia Watson to lead the way coming off of a freshman season where he played second fiddle to Taylor.

The rising sophomore averaged 4.5 yards per carry a year ago, while finding the end zone twice on the ground. In addition to Watson, senior Garrett Groshek returns to fill the third-down back role and play a major factor in the receiving game.

“Groshek has been tremendous this off-season,” said Chryst. “Despite it being a very different off-season, he’s taken the leadership role to heart and done it a lot of different ways.”

Who becomes that third guy for Wisconsin with Watson and Groshek handling the majority of the work? Chryst was singing the praises of rising sophomore Isaac Guerendo.

“Nakia [Watson]’s played a lot of football for us, and yet all these guys’ roles are yet to be defined. I appreciate Isaac Guerendo and how he’s started to feel comfortable at the position. Between those three you hope to be productive.”

It won’t be one player filling the massive shoes of one of the greatest backs in college football history, but the Badgers feel as though they can get it done by committee in 2020.

 

Wisconsin Spring Position Preview: Running Backs

Looking at the running back position group as the Badgers enter 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 running back position for Wisconsin as it heads into spring practice.

Spring Running Back Roster

Julius Davis (redshirt freshman), Garrett Groshek (redshirt senior), Isaac Guerendo (redshirt sophomore), Brady Schipper (redshirt sophomore), and Nakia Watson (redshirt sophomore)

What we know going into spring practice

It was expected that two-time Doak Walker Award winner Jonathan Taylor would declare early for the NFL draft at the end of this past season and that this coming spring would be an important one for Garrett Groshek and Nakia Watson.

Groshek and Watson were Taylor’s top two backups from a season ago as the two combined to rush for 525 yards on 116 carries and four touchdowns. Between the two Groshek was more serviceable than Watson as Watson didn’t register a carry over Wisconsin’s last two games of the season. But can Groshek be an every-down back in Wisconsin’s offense?

Groshek has shown that he can be an asset in both the run and pass game where Watson needs to show the consistency the coaches are looking out of him. He was able to show flashes of it at times a season ago and with it being his third year in the program he should start to put everything together.

Groshek and Watson will likely get the bulk of the carries at the running back position during spring football making it important that the reps Isaac Guerendo and Julius Davis do receive they take advantage of.

Guerendo started to see more playing time toward the end of the season but can he became consistent at running back and actually receive a carry out of the running back position?

Davis’ true freshman season was slowed down because of a sports hernia injury but he had a number of impressive offers coming out of high school from programs like LSU, Southern California, and Notre Dame. Can Davis show the injuries that plagued him last season are behind him and get on track as he tries to earn reps this coming fall?

What we hope to find out following spring practice

Out of the running back group, Watson will have the most eyes on him. Watson could end up being the starter by the time the season rolls around against Indiana on Friday, September 4th.

In order for that to happen, he’s going to need to become more consistent and show that he’s capable of becoming Wisconsin’s lead ball carrier.

Watson is going to have to improve in all facets of his game but the skillset is there and running back coach John Settle will have 15 spring practices to continue to help him improve upon his vision, patience, blocking, and catching out of the backfield.

Highly touted freshman running back Jalen Berger won’t arrive until the summer but if Watson can have a productive spring and improve with each practice he’ll be able to take momentum with him into fall camp.

Groshek will be the leader of the running back room and with him being a redshirt senior in the fall there should be a comfort for him in the offense. With that familiarity will come the expectation that he also helps out the younger guys on the roster. In addition to him continuing to expand on his game as his role will expand from what it has been the previous seasons.

Wisconsin has talent in the running back room as this will mark an important spring for the running backs as they all will push each other to get better and to make sure there is no drop off at the running back position.

Who are Five Offensive Players for Wisconsin that Need to have Productive Spring Practices?

Who are five offensive players for Wisconsin that need to put together productive spring practices?

Wisconsin is set to begin spring football on March 10th as they start to prepare for the 2020 season. Spring football serves as a great opportunity for players on Wisconsin’s football team to improve upon their performances from the 2019 season as they try to carve out new roles for the upcoming season.

In this Badgers Wire feature, we will look at five players on the offensive side of the football that need to put together a productive spring camp.

1. Nakia Watson RB Redshirt Sophomore

With Jonathan Taylor off to the NFL Nakia Watson can expect a larger role in Wisconsin’s offense as a sophomore. That role will start to be defined over the 15 spring practices. If Watson is consistent and is able to build off of each practice he’ll have a chance of becoming Wisconsin’s lead ball carrier. Watson finished his redshirt freshman season with 74 carries, which was second on the team but he didn’t register a carry over Wisconsin’s last two games. Watson needs to continue to work on his vision and patience in order to identify the right hole. He showed improvement in this area over the course of the season but one part that made Taylor so good was he consistently picked up positive yardage. Watson’s ability to become more consistent in this area over spring will help set him up for success when fall camp opens.   

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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 2019 Football Season Review: Specialists

How did Wisconsin’s specialists perform during 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 specialists from the 2019 season and take a sneak into what the 2020 season may have in store for the position:

Wisconsin excelled in certain areas on special teams in 2019 and then there were other areas where the Badgers were inconsistent.

Let’s begin with the highlight of the special teams in 2019, which was the kickoff return team. The Badgers certainly excelled in this area as Aron Cruickshank was able to return two kicks with one coming against Nebraska and another in the Rose Bowl against Oregon.

Cruickshank certainly proved to be a weapon for the Badgers on special teams as he averaged 29.3 yards per return on 23 attempts. As Cruickshank earned Second Team All-Big Ten on special teams this past year.

Although Cruickshank excelled in this area he wouldn’t have been able to have the success he had if it wasn’t for his blockers helping open up return lanes for him to utilize his speed to help set up Wisconsin with good field position.

When it came to punt returns from a game-to-game basis it was hit or miss. For a second consecutive year Jack Dunn handled the primary responsibilites as the punt returner.

Dunn was able to statistically improve as a punt returner as he improved his average from 5.5 yards to 8.3 and he went for 94 punt return yards to 200.

In terms of punting the football, Wisconsin struggled as Anthony Lotti handled the punting duties. Although he was inconsistent his last two games as a Badger weren’t strong as in the Big Ten Championship game and the Rose Bowl game he struggled to handle a snap resulting in a fumble as Ohio State and Oregon were able to take advantage of the miscue by Lotti.

Overall Lotti finished the season averaging 39.7 yards per punt on 45 attempts.

While the punting game struggled with consistency kickoff specialist Zach Hintze was a model of consistency. Hintze routinely kicked the football in the end zone as 69 of his 89 kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.

Hintze’s strong leg came useful when the Badgers played Purdue as he made a program record 62-yard field goal before halftime. Hintze went 2-for-3 on his field goal attempts.

Collin Larsh was the regular kicker when it came to field goals and PAT’s as he finished the season 12-for-18 on his field goal attempts and made all of his PAT’s except one.

Larsh started the season 3-for-6 on his field goal attempts over the Badgers first six games but ended the year going 9-for-12.

2020 Wisconsin Specialists

Wisconsin will need to find a new kickoff returner as Cruickshank following the season announced he was transferring the Badgers also lose Lotti, Connor Allen who held for PAT’s and field goals, and Hintze. Spring will be important for all the specialists to continue to work and try to make Wisconsin’s kicking and punting game more consistent. Who replaces Lotti at punter and Hintze on kickoffs won’t be determined until fall camp. The Badgers will also likely try a combination at kickoff returner as the two that may get long looks at filling the role could be Isaac Guerendo or Kendric Pryor.

Grading Wisconsin’s 38-17 Victory over Minnesota

Handing out grades from Wisconsin’s 38-17 victory over Minnesota in Wisconsin’s regular season finale.

Grading No. 12 Wisconsin’s 38-17 win over No. 8 Minnesota.

Offense: A

Jonathan Taylor was responsible for three of Wisconsin’s five touchdowns but he was not the offensive MVP. That award goes to quarterback Jack Coan.

Coan was simply fantastic against Minnesota as he picked the Gophers secondary apart for a Big Ten season high 280 yards passing on 15-for-22 passing and two touchdowns.

Coan had a clean pocket to work with the entire game as he wasn’t sacked as his two biggest throws of the game came on Wisconsin’s opening possession in the third quarter.

Coan’s first throw resulted in a 31-yard completion to wide receiver Quintez Cephus on first and 10 from Wisconsin’s 9-yard line. Three plays later Coan once again connected with Cephus this time for 47 yards resulting in a touchdown to give Wisconsin a 17-7 lead.

Coan was certainly great for Wisconsin but Cephus certainly had a heck of a game too. Cephus was one of seven players to catch a pass but his five receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown were all team highs. It was Cephus’ second game this season where he went over 100 yards receiving.

Wisconsin certainly needed to have a strong passing attack against Minnesota considering Taylor was held to 76 yards on 18 carries and two rushing touchdowns. Taylor was also responsible for Wisconsin’s first passing touchdown of the game, which went for 28-yards. Wisconsin finished the game with 173 yards on 35 rushing attempts.

One of the unsung heroes from Wisconsin’s offensive performance was fullback Mason Stokke. Stokke finished the game with 44 yards of total offense as his three receptions were the second most on the team resulting in 30 yards. He also carried the football twice for 14 yards.

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