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Where Braelon Allen ranks among PFF’s best all-time Wisconsin Badgers running backs

Where does Braelon Allen rank on Wisconsin’s all-time list?

The Wisconsin football program is known for its long history at the running back position.

The latest product is Braelon Allen. He entered the 2024 NFL Draft after a three-year Wisconsin career that included 3,494 rushing yards, 275 receiving yards and 35 total touchdowns.

Allen’s play style doesn’t directly relate to that of Badger greats Jonathan Taylor, Melvin Gordon and James White. His NFL prospects are a bit of a question mark, as a result.

What the former Badger does boast is a power-first style with surprising speed. Derrick Henry, A.J. Dillon and others have made careers off overpowering defenders. Allen hopes to follow in that list of running backs.

Before the NFL Draft later this month, ProFootballFocus took to X to compare Allen’s collegiate grade with some of Wisconsin’s other greats.

He ranks third since 2014, unsurprisingly behind both Taylor and Gordon:

Braelon Allen is one of the top RBs to come out of Wisconsin⭐️ pic.twitter.com/zvQNjE4ADV

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 10, 2024

Allen will hope to hear his name called on the second day of April’s draft as he looks to continue Wisconsin’s legacy at the position.

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

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Braelon Allen gives his all-time Wisconsin running back Mount Rushmore

What is your Mount Rushmore of Wisconsin running backs?

Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen turned heads at the NFL combine last week. He towered over every other player at the position, prompting NFL fans and NFL draft pundits to ask why he didn’t play middle linebacker.

Badgers fans know Allen’s stature and running style all too well. The three-year starter finished his college career with 597 total carries, 3,494 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns. Wisconsin struggled on offense for the majority of his collegiate career, though Allen always seemed to be the steady force propelling the team forward.

Naturally, media at the NFL combine were interested in Allen’s place among the program’s greats at the position. The list is extensive, which is why he was asked for his Mount Rushmore of Wisconsin running backs: the four greatest players from the large group of exceptional talents.

Here is who the now-former Wisconsin running back included:

Multiple Wisconsin Badgers make ESPN’s all-playoff era team

Who was your favorite Badger of the CFP era (since 2014)?

Nearly 10 years have passed since the first edition of the College Football Playoff, won by a surging Ohio State team led by running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Cardale Jones.

Wisconsin did not make the CFP in its first decade. The Badgers came close several times, most notably falling 40 yards short of a Big Ten Championship over Ohio State and Playoff birth in 2017.

Now the format is expanding to 12 teams. It will get more challenging for schools like Wisconsin to win the entire thing, but more tickets are available for them to make the dance.

ESPN recently looked back upon the first decade of the CFP and put together an all-Playoff era team. Several Wisconsin Badgers were included:

RB Jonathan Taylor
RB Melvin Gordon (honorable mention)
C Tyler Biadasz (honorable mention)
OL Beau Benzschawel (honorable mention)
OLB T.J. Watt (honorable mention)

Unsurprisingly, Wisconsin got a few running backs, a few offensive linemen and an outside linebacker included. Those position groups also correlate to what the program has sent to the NFL, and the general strengths of the team under former head coach Paul Chryst.

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

Ranking which former Wisconsin Badgers should appear on the cover of EA College Football 25

Which Wisconsin Badgers, former or current, would you want to see on an EA Sports College Football cover?

If you missed it Friday, EA Sports gave college football fans the news they’ve been waiting for: EA College Football 25 is on the way.

There will be a full reveal in May, but the release date will be this summer. Chris Vannini of The Athletic wrote “the official release date has not been announced, but it will likely be July.”

Speaking as a longtime fan of the sport and former player of the NCAA video game series, this is incredible news.

Yes, there was a period of turmoil with litigation surrounding amateurism and name, image and likeness. But with it now being essentially a free market, it’s great news that the video game is returning.

Now for the important part of this article: Which current or former Wisconsin Badgers would’ve made the best cover athletes?

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The rules: They must have played for the Badgers after 2014, the last time the game was released. Any Wisconsin Badger from 2014 to the present day.

Here are the top candidates:

5 RBs the Colts should target in 2024 free agency

Some intriguing free-agent RBs for the Colts to consider.

The Indianapolis Colts have plenty of positional needs entering free agency in 2024 and even though the running back position isn’t at the top of the list, some depth could be added.

With Jonathan Taylor returning in the first year of his new contract extension, the Colts know who the leader in the backfield is and should be. Zack Moss, who was impressive during his stint as a starter, is set to hit the market. They also have second-year back Evan Hull, but he missed his rookie season due to a knee injury.

Re-signing Moss is certainly an option the Colts should entertain, but they shouldn’t be willing to overpay. Moss may be seeking a chance to compete as a starter, but we also know the running back market is extremely down right now.

So for this article, we’re taking the mindset that Moss walks in free agency, and the Colts would need to find his replacement.

Here are five running backs the Colts should target in free agency:

Disclaimer: We should note that we understand a handful of these players won’t even hit the market, but we’re working under the hypothetical scenario that they become available, regardless of how slim the chances are.

Wisconsin football’s all-time leading rushers

Which Badgers RB was the program’s best of all time?

If the Wisconsin football program is known for one thing, it’s running backs. The program boasts some of the best in college football history and has sent stars at the position on to have massive success in the NFL.

When Melvin Gordon, Montee Ball, Jonathan Taylor or Braelon Allen leave the program, the question is always ‘who’s next.’ It’s a line of star talent that seems to never end.

Next up for the Badgers this year is Chez Mellusi and Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker. Mellusi has shown the talent during his time at Wisconsin, yet has struggled to stay healthy. The 1-2 punch of him and Walker should work well in year two of Phil Longo’s offense.

As we enter this season and a new crop of running back talent emerges behind the top two starters, it’s time to look back at the program’s all-time leaders in rushing yards. Plus, there is a new entry to the list since this piece was done a few years ago.

It’s quite the list:

Colts report card: Grading each position from 2023

Grading each position for the Colts in 2023.

The Indianapolis Colts are gearing up for a pivotal offseason in 2024 as they look to build on some impressive success in the first year under head coach Shane Steichen.

Though the 2023 season didn’t go as planned in terms of making the playoffs, there were still some developments that should bring optimism moving forward for the franchise.

Now, we’re going to grade each position for the Colts after the 2023 campaign as they prepare for a decisive offseason:

Ranking Wisconsin’s best moments against Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan teams

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is gone to the NFL.

He took the Los Angeles Chargers job Wednesday night, leaving the Michigan program after a legendary tenure.

Harbaugh had been flirting with the NFL for years. Two years ago it was the Vikings, last year it was the Broncos. Now it’s the Chargers that finally get him to jump.

He departs Michigan with an 89-25 record, three straight Big Ten titles, three straight College Football Playoff appearances and a national championship.

This is obviously a Wisconsin football site. So we came together to rank Wisconsin’s best moments against Michigan during the Jim Harbaugh era. Believe it or not, there were plenty:

Colts’ position-by-position review for 2023

Reviewing the Colts’ 2023 season position-by-position.

The Indianapolis Colts took a step in the right direction in 2023 in Shane Steichen’s first season as the head coach.

Before turning the page to the offseason, let’s look back on how each position group performed this season:

5 reasons the Colts missed the playoffs

Here are five reasons the Colts missed the playoffs in 2023.

Playoffs weren’t even a thought for those outside of the Indianapolis Colts organization heading into the 2023 season.

But thanks to Shane Steichen’s coaching, the team had a chance to crack into the postseason late in the campaign. However, they came up short in their Week 18 matchup against the Houston Texans.

The reasons why they missed a chance for a Super Bowl run aren’t as negative as it was for this franchise a year ago, but there are still factors on why they found themselves on the outside looking in.

Resolving these issues will be key for the Colts moving forward if they want to compete starting in 2024.

Here are five reasons why the Colts missed the playoffs in 2023: