Tag: Jalen Berger

True freshman RB Jalen Berger’s sensational Wisconsin debut catches Jonathan Taylor’s attention

The next Badger RB from Jersey has made his presence felt

With Wisconsin missing key pieces in the RB room heading into Ann Arbor, true freshman RB Jalen Berger had his number called, and he didn’t disappoint. The Badgers were down both Garrett Groshek and Isaac Guerendo, and as a result the freshman from New Jersey had plenty of opportunity early and often.

With 13 carries for 77 yards and his first career touchdown run, Berger caught the attention of another Wisconsin RB from the Garden State.

Just moments after the 23-yard burst, Jonathan Taylor had a shoutout for the back from his home state on the east coast:

Wisconsin looks like they have their next talented RB from the state of New Jersey in the four-star 2020 recruit.

WATCH: Hype video from Wisconsin Football’s practice

This evening, Wisconsin Football’s Twitter account released a hype video featuring photos from today’s practice.

This evening, Wisconsin Football’s Twitter account released a hype video featuring photos from today’s practice.

The video highlights ‘pictures’ of several Badgers including Jack Coan, Jack Sanborn, Jon Dietzen, Kendric Pryor, Collin Wilder, Graham Mertz, and Jalen Berger. Even though the video mostly shows players doing drills, it does feature a nice catch from wide receiver A.J. Abbott over cornerback Dean Engram in the endzone.

Although Wisconsin may not yet be practicing in full pads, seeing photos from practice makes me extremely excited for the start of the season. Hopefully, there will be more clips and news from practice in the coming weeks to give a better idea of what the team will look like this season.

WATCH: Running back Jalen Berger staying ready for whenever the Badgers take the field

Even though the Badgers aren’t starting their football season in 10 days like previously scheduled, Wisconsin players and coaches are…

Even though the Badgers aren’t starting their football season in 10 days like previously scheduled, Wisconsin players and coaches are still staying ready for whenever the team and the conference are able to take the field.

The latest posted workout video comes from freshman running back and former four-star recruit Jalen Berger.

Berger was one of Paul Chryst’s biggest acquisitions in the class of 2020 and by all accounts has the potential to become the next big thing in the Badger backfield.

The Ramsey, New Jersey native was ranked by 247Sports during his recruitment as the No. 137 player in the class of 2020, the No. 15 running back and the No. 3 recruit from the state of New Jersey.

And yes, the parallels will probably be drawn between him and New Jersey natives Corey Clement and Jonathan Taylor–both guys who became stars at the position for the Badgers and are currently playing in the NFL.

Maybe it won’t be until the spring or even next fall that Berger takes the field for the first time in a Wisconsin Badger uniform, but Badger fans definitely have something to look forward to as he seems to be the next in a long line of great Badger running backs and figures to have an extremely productive college career.

The five most important players on the 2020 Wisconsin Badgers

The 2020 college football season is right around the corner and teams around the country have began their in-person preseason programs…

The 2020 college football season is right around the corner and teams around the country have began their in-person preseason programs.

The Wisconsin Badgers, one of those teams holding weight room workouts, head into 2020 without many of their key contributors and most important players from the 2019 unit, those being Jonathan Taylor, Chris Orr, Tyler Biadasz and Zack Baun to name a few.

If you’ve been a college football fan for more than two years, though, you know that the key to a program succeeding year-in and year-out is having new guys come and fill the shoes of departed players.

Here, in order, are my top-5 most important players on the 2020 Wisconsin Badgers.

 

No. 5: Running back [Insert name here]

Syndication: Unknown
Badgers running back Nakia Watson pushes Michigan State safety Xavier Henderson aside on 19-yard run in the first half. NCAA Football Michigan State At Wisconsin. Credit: Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Badgers enter 2020 with Jonathan Taylor’s 2255 scrimmage yards and 26 total touchdowns gone to the NFL and big shoes to fill.

But that’s what the Badgers do, cycle in running backs like it’s been the same player all along.

On Twitter yesterday I saw the perfect description of what the Wisconsin running back system is:

“Wisconsin running backs don’t graduate – they just burn up like a Phoenix and are reborn with a new name and immediate eligibility.” I could not have chosen better words.

Now the only real question Paul Chryst and his staff have is who will their Phoenix be this year–Nakia Watson or Jalen Berger.

No matter who is the starter or who leads the team in carries, though, the position will be a pivotal one to the team’s success this year (as it is every year) because of the way Wisconsin plays football.

Normally the running back position isn’t one of the most valuable on the team–as in some cases much of their success can be attributed to offensive line play and the quarterback’s ability to not let the defense stack the box.

For the Badgers, though, an offense without a ground game and a great running back always seems to be no offense at all.

Chryst and offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph will need Watson or Berger to carry the load and (make a step towards being able to) recreate Taylor’s insane production.

 

Next…No. 4 who is getting some NFL love before he enters his senior season

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A Graham Mertz-themed highlight package to get excited about the future of Wisconsin Football

I wrote about Jack Coan this week and why he and his impressive 2019 production have been mostly overlooked by Badger fans. Asher Low…

I wrote about Jack Coan this week and why he and his impressive 2019 production have been mostly overlooked by Badger fans.

Asher Low and I also went through the article and talked about why it is the case and what it means for the 2020 season on LockedOnBadgers a few days later.

Coan will start in 2020 for Paul Chryst‘s team. That much is known.

This all said, though, with the recognition that redshirt freshman and former four-star recruit Graham Mertz is indeed in line to be the one of the best players Wisconsin has had at quarterback in a long time and helps point to a bright future for Badger football.

If you need a positive outlook and something to look forward to while we await the return of sports, this is it.

The Kansas native was the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year, an All-American bowl selection, two-time All-State player, an Elite 11 quarterback and the No. 3 pro style quarterback in his class.

Though he only threw ten passes last season during his redshirt year, the flashes of brilliance were there even if it came with the team up big and many of the starters on the bench.

Take this appearance against Central Michigan, his college football debut.

What I want to highlight is the second, fourth and fifth passes thrown in the video.

Though he was only a true freshman you already see the arm strength, footwork and accuracy that made him such a highly-touted recruit.

Yes, there is still growth needed for him to fully adapt to the college level. But much can be taken from his first collegiate snaps to foresee what he has the potential to become.

Many quarterbacks are able to complete that pass to Aron Cruikshank over the middle, but if you’re looking for jump-off-the-field arm strength that pass was it.

Chryst and his staff have done a wonderful job reloading the talent lost to the NFL in recent years–they currently have the No. 17 2021 recruiting class in the nation after finishing the 2020 recruiting period with the No. 26 class–and if you want the closest quarterback-running back duo since Russell Wilson and Montee Ball look no further than the future pairing of Mertz and four-star 2020 running back Jalen Berger.

This will be Coan’s team in 2020 as the Badger look reach and win their Big Ten Championship since 2012. But after Coan graduates? Get ready for a Mertz era that should bring success and lots of it to Madison.

Videos posted of 2020 commit Jalen Berger’s quarantine workouts

It was big news when four-star 2020 running back Jalen Berger–the No. 15 recruit at his position and the No. 3-ranked player from…

It was big news when four-star 2020 running back Jalen Berger–the No. 15 recruit at his position and the No. 3-ranked player from New Jersey–committed to play for the Badgers back in January.

Berger is next in line for Wisconsin at running back, a positioned manned this decade by high-end NFL talent including Jonathan Taylor, Corey Clement, James White, Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon.

Last night we got a glimpse into what Berger’s quarantine workouts look like, as while we all sit at home in quarantine it’s interesting to see how both returning and incoming Badgers are getting ready for their season.

Berger is set to enter a backfield led by Nakia Watson and Garrett Groshek, two experienced guys who will work to fill the void left by Taylor entering the NFL Draft and joining the Indianapolis Colts.

If Taylor’s path was any indication, we could see the Don Bosco Preparatory High School product on the field early and often for Paul Chryst‘s Badger team with he and offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph tasked with trying to replace Taylor’s 2255 scrimmage yards and 26 total touchdowns from the 2019 campaign.

It looks like Berger will be ready for when his name is called whenever the season is able to get underway.

 

Wisconsin lands three-star 2021 running back

Paul Chryst and company continued their impressive recruiting season earlier today by landing three-star running back…

Paul Chryst and company continued their impressive recruiting season earlier today by landing three-star running back Antwan Roberts per his Twitter page.

The Hendersonville, Tennessee native chose Wisconsin over the likes of Duke, Louisville, Kentucky and Memphis.

He will enter a talented backfield in 2021 under offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph, one which is currently set to be headlined by four-star recruit Jalen Berger and former three-star recruit Nakia Watson.

Breaking Down Wisconsin’s 2020 Signing Class

Taking a closer look at how Wisconsin’s 2020 recruiting class breaks down by position and by state.

MADISON, Wis. – After signing 19 scholarship players and two walk-ons during the early signing period in December the Badgers saw their scholarship class officially grow to 20 players while adding four more preferred walk-ons to the program during national signing day on Wednesday. The Badgers class ranks 25th by 247 Sports, 26th by ESPN, and 27th nationally by Rivals.

Here’s an overview of the class. Click the player’s name for a more in-depth breakdowns on that specific player.

Scholarship Commits by State

Arizona (1): Malik Reed

Colorado (1): Max Lofy

Hawaii (1): Nick Herbig

Illinois (1): Dylan Barrett

Massachusetts (1): Cam Large

Michigan (1): Jordan Turner

Minnesota (2): Kaden Johnson, Aaron Witt

New Jersey (1): Jalen Berger

North Carolina (1): Devin Chandler

Ohio (1): James Thompson

Pennsylvania (1): Preston Zachman

Tennessee (1): Isaac Smith

Wisconsin (7): Ben Barten, Tanor Bortolini, Cole Dakovich, Chimere Dike, Cade McDonald, Jack Nelson, Trey Wedig

Commits By Projected Position

QB: None

RB: Jalen Berger

WR: Devin Chandler, Chimere Dike, Isaac Smith

TE: Cole Dakovich, Cam Large

OL: Dylan Barrett, Ben Barten, Tanor Bortolini, Jack Nelson, Trey Wedig

DL: Cade McDonald, James Thompson Jr.

ILB: Malik Reed, Jordan Turner, Preston Zachman

OLB: Nick Herbig, Kaden Johnson, Aaron Witt

DB: Max Lofy

Specialists: None

UW walk-ons: Inside Linebacker Ross Gengler, Offensive Lineman Kerry Kodanko, Long Snapper Duncan McKinley, Outside Linebacker Riley Nowakowski, Offensive Lineman Sean Timmis, Kicker Jack Van Dyke

Wisconsin National Signing Day Preview – Jalen Berger

Wisconsin National Signing Day Preview: Jalen Berger

With national signing day for high school football players beginning on February 5, Badgers Insider takes a closer look at the recruits that signed with the Wisconsin football program.

In this edition, we examine Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) High School running back Jalen Berger.

Note: All notes and stats provided by uwbadgers.com

Berger chose Wisconsin over other offers from: Alabama, Baylor, Boston College, Florida, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, and UCLA

Berger’s High School Accolades: Four-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals…Selected for 2020 All-American Bowl…Ran for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 111 carries as a senior…Caught 27 passes for 357 yards and 4 touchdowns as a senior

Berger’s Impact as a Badger: Wisconsin had to patiently wait to land their running back in the 2020 recruiting cycle. Despite maybe having to wait longer than they normally have to the Badgers certainly landed a good one in Berger.

Berger who’s listed at 6’0″ and 190 pounds held over 30 offers and is rated as the No. 5 running back nationally by Rivals and is rated as the No. 15 running back nationally by 247 Sports. In addition, Berger is rated as the 87th player nationally by Rivals and the 135th player nationally by 247 Sports.

Berger was able to have success in high school when he was able to get the football in space and use his athleticism to make defenders miss. As he’s able to keep his balance as a runner on runs up the middle and is also able to break plays to the outside.

Berger brings a multi-talented skillset to Wisconsin as outside of being a talented runner he has also shown his capability of catching the ball out of the backfield. As past running back recruits for Wisconsin haven’t come in as accomplished of receiving threat as Berger has.

With Jonathan Taylor off to the NFL and Berger being able to do multiple things should allow him to see the field as a true freshman.

It is unfair to expect Berger to have a Taylor like freshman season if he does see the field but because he’s capable of catching the football out of the backfield he’ll be able to provide value to Wisconsin.

How the offensive coaching staff gets Berger involved on offense will depend on how quickly he can adjust to Wisconsin’s offense. Berger will need to continue to gain strength when he arrives in the summer in order to help him hold up in pass coverage.

Entering the 2020 season there are questions surrounding the running back position and if somebody in the running back room can step up? Berger will get his chance of carving out a role in Wisconsin’s offense during fall camp as it will be up to him to show running backs coach John Settle that he can be trusted and he won’t make a mistake when he’s on the field.

 

Wisconsin Football Season Review: Running Back

How did Wisconsin’s running backs do over the 2019 season? Jonathan Taylor RB, Nakia Watson RB, Garrett Groshek RB.

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 running back from the 2019 season and take a sneak into what the 2020 season may have in store for the position:

It was the Jonathan Taylor show in 2019. Taylor for the second consecutive year rushed for over 2,000 yards as he finished with 2,003 yards on 320 carries and had 21 rushing touchdowns.

Taylor who entered the 2019 season with very few questions surrounding him did have one main question though and that was if he could be a consistent contributor in the receiving game?

Considering entering the season he only caught a combined 16 passes for 155 yards. Taylor as a junior improved on his pass receiving skills finishing the season with 26 receptions for 252 yards and five touchdowns.

Taylor caught a pass in every game this season with the exception in Wisconsin’s win against Purdue. In addition, Taylor’s five receiving touchdowns were the second most on the team behind wide receiver Quintez Cephus.

Taylor posted 2,255 yards of total offense as he averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per play. The numbers Taylor posted this past season allowed him to not only be a finalist for the Doak Walker Award but also the winner of the award for a second consecutive season.

Taylor became the first Badger to win the Doak Walker Award in consecutive seasons and the third player to win the award in consecutive years as he joins Texas’ Ricky Williams (1998, 1999) and Arkansas’ Darren McFadden (2005, 2006).

Even when teams loaded the box in order to try and slow down Taylor it was no guarantee they would have success. Considering Taylor only lost an average of 2.9 yards per game. Taylor, as he has throughout his career, showed excellent vision and patience allowing him to consistently pick up positive yards.

The next highest rusher after Taylor was redshirt freshman Nakia Watson. Watson finished his season with 74 rushing attempts for 331 yards and two touchdowns. However, Watson over Wisconsin’s last two games against Ohio State and Oregon didn’t register a carry.

Although Wisconsin’s run game was excellent in 2019 the Badgers didn’t receive the same kind of production from their backup running back like they did in 2018 in Taiwan Deal (82-545-6).

Redshirt junior Garrett Groshek split reps as Wisconsin’s primary backup and also served as the Badgers third down running back too. Groshek finished the season with more receiving yards (289) than he did rushing yards (194). Groshek finished with two rushing touchdowns as he averaged 4.6 yards per carry.

Outside of getting the football in the hands of the wide receiver’s on end arounds the Badgers used three primary backs in Taylor, Watson, and Groshek throughout the season as redshirt senior Bradrick shaw received some playing time in mop up duty as well. Shaw finished the season with 116 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.

2020 Wisconsin Running Backs

With Taylor declaring for the NFL the Badgers will have questions surrounding the position entering the 2020 season. Primarily who is the starter at the position? One could project Watson as the starter but he’ll have to become more consistent in order to become the full-time starter. The Wisconsin coaching staff clearly has trust in Groshek but he would serve better in Wisconsin’s offense as the third down back. One also can’t cut out Julius Davis who redshirted this past season and the Badgers also have consensus 2020 four star running back Jalen Berger coming to Wisconsin. The Badgers certainly have talent at the position but it will come down to if somebody is able to separate themselves from the rest of the running backs on Wisconsin’s roster over spring and fall camp.