Tag: Kendric Pryor

Five takeaways from Wisconsin’s 14-6 loss to Indiana

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers battled hard down the stretch but in the end came up short in the red zone and lost to the…

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers battled hard down the stretch but in the end came up short in the red zone and lost to the No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers 14-6.

The game was dominated statistically by Paul Chryst’s team with the Badgers gaining 342 offensive yards to the Hoosiers’ 217, 140 rushing yards to 87, 50% on third down to 40% and 35:08 time of possession to 24:52.

Related: Instant analysis: Turnovers continue to plague Graham Mertz as Wisconsin falls to Indiana 14-6

In the end, however, it came down to Graham Mertz and the offense being unable to capitalize on red zone opportunities, the offense being depleted in many areas and a talented Indiana defense coming away with stops when they needed them most.

Here are five takeaways from the Badgers’ loss:

‘Next man up;’ how the Badgers plan to possibly play without some of their Week 1 starters

In welcome news for Badger fans, after what will be a three-week layoff, Paul Chryst and the 1-0 Wisconsin Badgers are set to take the…

In welcome news for Badger fans, after what will be a three-week layoff Paul Chryst and the 1-0 Wisconsin Badgers are set to take the field on Saturday against Jim Harbaugh and the 1-2 Michigan Wolverines.

It’s been a tough couple of weeks in Badger land, as the team opened the season with a dominant 45-7 victory Illinois, experienced a COVID-19 outbreak within the program, saw two of their games canceled and had to wait until just recently to return to the field for normal preparation.

“They’ve been rough,” junior inside linebacker Jack Sanborn said when meeting with the media today. “To start it up this week, we’re all really excited about the opportunity we have at hand.”

Wide receiver Kendric Pryor shared Sanborn’s sentiment, saying the excitement is real and “the energy has been great. Everybody came out there today and yesterday with great energy and focused because two games got taken away just like that.”

When Sanborn, Pryor and the Badgers do end up taking the field on Saturday, it’s likely they’ll do so without some of the players we saw start for the team in Week 1.

Related: Can Graham Mertz play this Saturday?

While who will or how many players will miss the game is unknown, Pryor and Sanborn both shared three words about the current situation: “Next man up.”

Pryor, up first in the presser, said they will go into Ann Arbor with the guys they have, and both he and his team are confident they can come away with a victory.

When asked about whether redshirt freshman Graham Mertz will play, or what it would be like without him on the field, Pryor responded by saying “I feel confident. I’m obviously not sure about Mertz’s situation, but I’m confident in whoever goes out there.”

Sanborn practically mirrored Pryor’s sentiment surrounding the current situation, noting that no matter who misses the game, whoever plays is there for a reason.

The team’s attitude? “Next man up.”

Related: 3 things to watch for against Michigan this weekend

The depth chart aside, preparing for Saturday’s game has been unlike anything the players have experienced to date. During a normal season, even with bye weeks, they are able to meet in-person, practice and have normal workout routines.

Now, given they’ve been back in quarantine and unable to practice together, Sanborn praised the team’s attitude and mindset over the last few weeks and entering the week of practice.

“From what I’ve seen our team has approached it really well,” Sanborn said. “Each week it’s ‘on to the next week, who’s our opponent.’ I think we’ve had a good mindset and approach to it.”

Pryor noted that this is just another form of adversity that usually comes with a football season, just obviously this adversity is team-wide and not specific to a single player.

He finished by saying it isn’t about what you go through, as nobody will feel sorry for them going into quarantine and missing two games. “It’s about how you battle back from it,” Pryor said.

The Badgers will take the field in Ann Arbor this Saturday at 6:30 central. Whether they do so without key pieces is yet to be seen, but the team is confident about their preparation and who will play, and is excited about the opportunity to return (again) to playing football.

 

Stay tuned to BadgersWire all week as we preview the Michigan contest and follow the news of who will be able to put pads on and take the field.

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.

Opinion: Who will be the third starting receiver for Wisconsin this season?

Last season, Wisconsin relied heavily on the talents of Quintez Cephus to stretch the field and make big plays. Many Wisconsin fans were hoping that former Badger Aron Cruickshank would be the third receiver this season that would take over the role as a deep threat, but he transferred to Rutgers shortly after last season to play under Greg Schiano. 

Last season, Wisconsin relied heavily on the talents of Quintez Cephus to stretch the field and make big plays. Many Wisconsin fans were hoping that former Badger Aron Cruickshank would be the third receiver this season that would take over the role as a deep threat, but he transferred to Rutgers shortly after last season to play under Greg Schiano. 

This left me, as well as many others wondering, who will be Wisconsin’s third starting wide receiver for this season? 

My prediction is that Jack Dunn will beat out Adam Krumholz for this position because of his experience last season. Dunn was a favorite to be used by Paul Chryst for trick plays or misdirections and finished the season with five receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown. The Madison, Wisc. native also contributed heavily last season as the punt returner for the Badgers, which leads me to believe that Dunn was being groomed to be the next starting receiver. 

Up to his redshirt senior season, Adam Krumholz has yet to have made an impact on this team, which leaves me to believe that this trend will continue into this season. Krumholz has neither the game experience nor the favor with Paul Chryst that Dunn has. It is going to take a heck of a camp for Krumholz to crack the starting lineup this season. 

Jack Dunn is not the deep play threat that Wisconsin is looking for, but his experience and play style lends him to be a solid slot receiver next to Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis. Pryor or Davis are going to have to develop a deep threat ability as a part of their game for this season because it definitely will not be Dunn, who has mid-range speed and stands at 5-foot-7.

Where Paul Chryst believes his team has the biggest question marks this season

In a press conference yesterday Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst noted the two position groups where his team has the biggest question…

In a press conference yesterday Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst noted the two position groups where his team has the biggest question marks this season: wide receiver and outside linebacker.

If you think about it, this comment makes a lot of sense with the team saying goodbye to A.J. Taylor, Quintez Cephus and Aron Cruikshank at wide receiver and Zack Baun at outside linebacker.

The “next-ups” at the two positions respectively are set to be Jack Dunn and Adam Krumholz–with both Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor already established as contributors on the outside–and Noah Burks.

To me the wide receiver position the bigger question mark of the two as Badger fans know very well that Chryst and Jim Leonhard never have trouble developing “next-ups” at outside linebacker.

The Badgers are currently scheduled to start their season September 4 when they host the Indiana Hoosiers.

Post-draft outlook: who will fill the roles of the departed Badgers?

Though the season is still five months away, it’s never too early to look ahead to how the Badgers will line up to start the season…

Though the season is still five months away, it’s never too early to look ahead to how the Badgers will line up to start the season.

The biggest question mark year-to-year, understandably, is who will step in for the former players who either finished their four years of eligibility or declared early for the NFL Draft.

This year more than any in recent memory, it seems, coach Paul Chryst will need to replace the majority of both his offensive and defensive production from last season.

That production includes more than 2000 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 1153 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns combined between offensive stars Jonathan Taylor and Quintez Cephus in addition to 153 tackles, 33.5 tackles-for-loss, 24 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception combined between defensive stars Chris Orr and Zack Baun.

Additionally, with a less-quantifiable position group, Chryst will need to replace three starters along his offensive line including projected 4th-round pick Tyler Biadasz and NFL hopeful Jason Erdmann.

There isn’t only bad news heading into the 2020 season, though, as the team welcomes back starting quarterback Jack Coan, productive wide receivers Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis, tight end Jake Ferguson, talented defensive linemen Keeanu Benton and Isaiahh Loudermilk, a tackling machine at linebacker in Jack Sanborn and the entire secondary from 2019.

The talent is there for another successful campaign, but the team will no doubt need players to fill the roles of those gone to the NFL.

 

Running Back

Filling Taylor’s collegiate production is an impossible task. What Chryst and the Badgers can hope to do, though, is find a consistent option to complement Garrett Groshek in the backfield and continue the string of success they’ve had at the position.

The two options to fill that role are redshirt sophomore Nakia Watson and top recruit Jalen Berger.

Watson carried the ball 74 times last season for 331 yards and two touchdowns in a backup role. The Texas native was a four-star recruit coming out of high school in 2018 and has the talent to succeed if given the starting role.

The other option, Berger, will be a true freshman this fall but is ranked as the No. 12 running back recruit in the nation and has the talent to become the next great Badger in the backfield.

If Berger redshirts this season expect the backfield to be led by Watson and a classic third-down back in Groshek. If Berger does not redshirt and sees the field Day 1, as Jonathan Taylor did during his freshman year, expect Berger to start the next era of success in the Badger backfield.

 

Wide Receiver

Though Cephus decided to leave school early and enter the NFL Draft and A.J. Taylor is finished with his four years of eligibility, the Badgers still return three solid receiving threats in Pryor, Davis and Jack Dunn.

Had Aron Cruikshank not transferred to Rutgers during the offseason, Chryst would actually be set to enter 2020 with one of the most experienced receiving cores in the Big Ten.

Pryor, Davis and Dunn all returning paired with an incoming three-star recruit in Chimere Dike points towards a productive year at wide receiver for the Badgers even without the services of Cephus, A.J. Taylor and Cruikshank.

 

Offensive Line

The offensive line seems to be the position that Chryst never has trouble rejuvenating and reloading from year to year.

The Badger coach now moves forward to 2020 without 2019 starters Biadasz, Erdmann and David Moorman but does return the likes of Cole Van Lanen, Logan Bruss, Tyler Beach, Josh Seltzner, Kayden Lyles and former five-star recruit Logan Brown and welcomes in a four-star recruit in Jack Nelson.

The starting five on the line should look something like Van Lanen and Bruss at the tackle positions, Lyles and Seltzner at the guard spots and either Blake Smithback or Joe Tippmann at center, though it is unclear at the moment who will take over at center for Biadasz.

Though Logan Brown is not in line to start yet in 2020 he is somebody worth keeping an eye on as he came to Wisconsin as the second-best prospect in program history and as an surefire future first round pick.

 

Linebacker

Orr and Baun, as I outlined earlier, combined for a remarkable season in 2019.

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will now look to the junior Sanborn to take over for Orr as the leader of the defense at middle linebacker and to Noah Burks to take over Baun’s role at outside linebacker.

Both Burks and Sanborn had starting roles 2019 so there are still holes behind them in the depth chart going forward to 2020. The most likely players to fill these roles and start for Leonhard in 2020 are Leo Chenal at middle linebacker and Izayah Green-May at outside linebacker, though the outside linebacker position is still wide open as summer preparation is close to getting underway.

 

The key to success in college football is being able to develop players throughout their four years in college yet have a system in place that is able to move forward once those players graduate and fill their roles at a high level. Chryst has shown a clear ability to do this thus far during his tenure and 2020 should be no exception.

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin Spring Position Preview: Wide Receivers

Taking a closer look at the wide receiver position group as Wisconsin enters 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 wide receiver position for Wisconsin as it heads into spring practice.

Spring Wide Receiver Roster

A.J. Abbott (redshirt sophomore), Stephan Bracey (redshirt freshman), Danny Davis (senior), Jordan DiBenedetto (redshirt freshman), Chimere Dike (freshman), Jack Dunn (redshirt senior), Cade Green (redshirt junior), Mike Gregoire (redshirt sophomore), Adam Krumholz (redshirt senior), Taj Mustapha (redshirt sophomore), Cooper Nelson (redshirt freshman), Cam Phillips (redshirt freshman), Emmet Perry (redshirt junior), Kendric Pryor (redshirt senior)

What we know going into spring practice

It will be an important spring for both Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor as their roles will change as they head into their final seasons. Considering Pryor who has mostly played on the outside at the wide receiver position will likely now be relied on to play in the slot, which was played by A.J. Taylor a season ago.

Outside of those two consistently working on their games it will be an important spring for the Badgers to build quality depth behind Davis and Pryor. That responsibility will fall on first-year wide receiver coach Alvis Whitted who served as the Green Bay Packers wide receivers coach a season ago.

The likely top two wide receivers behind Davis and Pryor are a pair of redshirt seniors in Jack Dunn and Adam Krumholz. Dunn is slated to miss all of spring football due to a left leg injury. Krumholz has demonstrated to be a solid blocker for Wisconsin but he only has caught three passes in 31 career games.

Whitted will also need to continue with the development of A.J. Abbott and Taj Mustapha. Mustapha played in four games as a true freshman while maintaining his freshman eligibility but only appeared in one game a season ago. Abbott appeared in eight games a season ago as his action mostly came on special teams.

Chimere Dike who signed with Wisconsin as a part of the 2020 recruiting class elected to enroll early. Dike will get a head start in getting acclimated to college life and being able to create a new routine for himself. The biggest challenge for Dike is getting used to the speed of the college game and being able to learn from the mistakes he does make over the course of spring football.

What we hope to find out following spring practice

The progress of Abbott and Mustapha will be examined closely as the development of those two players could be the key to the success on whether or not the Badgers are able to consistently utilize four wide receivers this year.

Two other players who could have productive springs are a pair of redshirt freshmen in Stephan Bracey and Cam Phillips.

Bracey didn’t appear in a game a season ago but he did travel with the team for road games toward the end of the season. With the departure of Aron Cruickshank who transferred to Rutgers could Bracey take on a similar role that Cruickshank had in Wisconsin’s offense if he earns the trust of the coaches?

Phillips a walk-on held multiple scholarship offers including one from Wisconsin but he suffered a knee injury his senior year, which caused him to miss his entire season. The injury suffered by Phillips changed the course of his recruitment as the Badgers were able to land him as a walk-on.

Phillips was an early enrollee last year but because of his injury, he couldn’t compete during spring football. Phillips now healthy will look to show that his injury is behind him as he tries to earn playing time.

Wisconsin was able to utilize and rely on four wide receivers a season ago and if that’s the case again this coming season the Badgers will need Krumholz, Abbott, Mustapha or someone else to take the next step in their development. As the wide receivers will get plenty of reps during spring football as it will be up to them to take advantage and get better with each practice.

 

Wisconsin Announces the Hiring of Wide Receiver Coach Alvis Whitted

Wisconsin on Wednesday announced the hiring of wide receiver coach Alvis Whitted

Wisconsin on Wednesday announced the hiring of Alvis Whitted who will replace Ted Gilmore as the Badgers wide receiver coach.

Gilmore was hired away by former Badger player now the head coach at Michigan State Mel Tucker to be the position coach for the Spartans tight ends in February.

Whitted doesn’t have to move far to Madison as he served as the Green Bay Packers wide receiver coach during the 2019 season.

Prior to coaching the Packers, he was the wide receivers coach for Colorado State from 2012 to 2018. During his time with the Rams, he coached Rashard Higgins and Michael Gallup as both players were finalists for the Biletnikoff Award in 2014 and 2017 respectively.

Whitted was a wide receiver himself as he played for North Carolina State before being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round in the 1998 NFL Draft. Whitted played nine seasons in the NFL with the Jaguars and for the Oakland Raiders as he was a part of the Raiders Super Bowl XXXVII team, which lost to the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.

Whitted first job in coaching was with Millsaps College in 2010 and after spending a year at Millsaps college he became the Offensive quality controls coach at UCLA in 2011 before being named the wide receiver coach at Colorado State in 2012.

Whitted will take over an experienced wide receiver room as between Kendric Pryor, Danny Davis, Jack Dunn, and Adam Krumholz the four wide receivers have all played in at least 30 career games and have started a combined 36 games.

Wisconsin will begin spring practice on March 10th.

 

 

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.