Tag: Melvin Gordon

Wisconsin’s 2012 running back room might be the best of all-time

Wisconsin’s 2012 running back room might be the best all-time

The Wisconsin Badgers’ 2012 running back room may go down as one of the greatest in college football history.

That season, the Badgers rostered Melvin Gordon, Montee Ball and James White. Both Ball (2012) and Gordon (2014) would go on to win a Doak Walker Award, an honor annually awarded to the nation’s top running back, while White left Wisconsin ranked No. 4 all-time in rushing yards.

When considering the best backfields ever, one typically envisions USC’s duo of Reggie Bush and LenDale White in 2005, Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy on the 2010 Alabama Crimson Tide, or even Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel on the 2014 Georgia Bulldogs.

While the debate surrounding the most prestigious college football backfield may be unanswered, the trio’s most dominant output in a single game is unrivaled.

In the Badgers’ 71-30 victory over Nebraska at the 2012 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the three combined for 524 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

Gordon, who would become the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2014, tallied nine carries for a team-high 219 yards and one 56-yard touchdown.

Ball, who received the Doak Walker Award just five days after the blowout win, registered 21 touches for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Like Gordon, he also ripped off a 50-yard score.

White, Wisconsin’s all-purpose back, accounted for 119 rushing yards and four touchdowns with a long run of 68 yards in the third quarter.

All three would go on to play in the NFL, with White winning three Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots.

Now, Wisconsin deploys running back Tawee Walker, a veteran back with the sixth-most rushing yards in the Big Ten. Wisconsin running backs have a long history of dominance over the rival Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Badgers need Walker to channel that form for the team to pull off a much-needed victory on Saturday.

Wisconsin welcomed two Badger legends back to Camp Randall for game vs. No. 1 Oregon

Wisconsin welcomed two Badger legends back to Camp Randall for game vs. No. 1 Oregon

Wisconsin football welcomed a pair of iconic Badger alumni back to Camp Randall for its marquee matchup vs. No. 1 Oregon on Nov. 16.

2016 consensus First-team All-America team member Ryan Ramczyk served as UW’s honorary captain during the opening coin toss, while 2014 Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon was honored at halftime of the 16-13 loss.

Ramcyzk, who played offensive line at Wisconsin from 2015-16, started all 14 games of the 2016 season at left tackle for head coach Paul Chryst. He was selected with the No. 32 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2019.

He has been sidelined for the entire 2024 season with the Saints after starting in all 101 of his appearances with New Orleans from 2017-2023.

Gordon, meanwhile, was honored to a chorus of applause during the first quarter. Wisconsin took time to celebrate the former Badger on the 10-year anniversary of his 408-yard explosion against Nebraska on Nov. 15, 2014.

In 2014, Gordon wrapped up his final year in Madison with 2,587 rushing yards. He was picked No. 15 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers before making a pair of Pro Bowls in 2016 and 2018.

Even though the Badgers dropped the contest to the Ducks in nail-biting fashion, the team’s commitment to honoring its alumni is evident. The team also took time to celebrate Heisman winner Ron Dayne in its game vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide earlier this season.

Wisconsin will be back in action on Nov. 23 vs. the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln.

Wisconsin running back joins elite company in 42-7 victory over Rutgers

Wisconsin running back joins elite company in 42-7 victory over Rutgers

Wisconsin running back Tawee Walker joined some elite Badger company following his monster performance against Rutgers on Saturday.

After rushing for three touchdowns vs. the Scarlet Knights in New Jersey, Walker joined Melvin Gordon and Jonathan Taylor as the third UW running back to record three straight multi-touchdown games since 2014.

Alongside his three rushing scores, Walker registered 198 rushing yards and three receiving yards on 25 total touches.

In Week 6 against the Purdue Boilermakers, the senior back accounted for three more scores and 94 rushing yards off 19 carries. A week prior, the former Oklahoma Sooner burst onto the scene for the Badgers with 55 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Walker’s emergence arrives at the perfect time for offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Since news broke that Chez Mellusi would be leaving the program, Walker has become Wisconsin’s most reliable rushing threat.

https://twitter.com/B1Gfootball/status/1845226798537376176

The company Walker joins is no joke. Taylor, now a star in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, pocketed a pair of Doak Walker Awards with the Badgers during his collegiate tenure. Gordon, meanwhile, was the 2014 Heisman runner-up and set the FBS record for career rushing average with 7.79 yards per carry when he left Madison.

Through five appearances, Walker has rushed for 439 yards, nine touchdowns and 87.8 yards per game. His next opportunity to reach the end zone will be on Oct. 19 against Northwestern on the road.

Badgers great James White names greatest Wisconsin running back of all time

Badgers great James White names greatest Wisconsin running back of all time

Former Wisconsin running back legend James White considers former UW teammate Melvin Gordon the greatest Badger running back ever, per a recent interview with ESPN Madison.

White, who finished his career No. 4 all-time at Wisconsin with 4,015 rushing yards, shared the field with Gordon, the runner-up for the 2014 Heisman Trophy, from 2011-13.

At the peak of their powers, the two absolutely dominated for UW in 2013. That season, Gordon ranked second in the Big Ten with 1,609 rushing yards, scored 12 rushing touchdowns, and set a UW single-season record at 7.8 yards per attempt. White, who started 12 of those games, ranked No. 17 nationally with an average of 111.1 rushing yards per game, rushed for a career-high 1,444 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.

Here’s what the Super Bowl champion said about his former Badger teammate:

“He has the speed, the power, everything you need,” White said. “After I left, especially during his senior year, he was heavily relied upon. That entire season, teams [were] stacking the box, doing whatever they [could] to slow him down. Still, he ripped off 100-yard games, 200-yard games… it was truly impressive to see the growth from him, his freshman year not playing too much all the way to that point where he was the guy, being up for the Heisman. They made it to the Big Ten Championship too, so it’s not like they were a slouch football team. A big part of that was because of him.”

After White was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft Gordon would go on to have one of the greatest individual seasons by a running back in NCAA Division I football history.

In 2014, Gordon rushed for a staggering 2,587 yards, a Big Ten record and the second-most in FBS history. He also led nation in rushing at 184.8 yards per game, the most since LaDanian Tomlinson averaged 196.2 yards per game with TCU in 2000.

Gordon pocketed the 2014 Doak Walker Award, signifying the nation’s best running back, and was runner-up in the Hesiman voting to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

White, meanwhile, went on to earn three Super Bowl rings with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. It’s hard to imagine how opposing defenses game planned for the duo during heir primes at Wisconsin, but one thing is for certain: it wasn’t easy.

Wisconsin tied for all-time lead in Doak Walker Award winners

More proof that Wisconsin is “Running Back University”

The Doak Walker Award is given to the top running back in college football each season and the Wisconsin Badgers football program is tied for the all-time lead in athletes receiving the award.

Entering the 2023-2024 season, Wisconsin has had four different athletes win the award for a total of five winners in the program’s history. Ron Dayne became the first Badger to win the Doak Walker in 1999. During that season, Dayne rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground, winning the Heisman Trophy as well as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

The next Badger to win the award was Montee Ball, who did so after the 2012 campaign. The running back churned out 1,830 yards and 22 scores as a runner. Although it was his second-best season as a member of Wisconsin’s roster, it was his only time winning the Doak Walker.

Just two years later, Melvin Gordon became the third Badgers running back to be selected as the best in the nation. In 2014, Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns while adding 19 catches for 153 yards and three scores.

Finally, Jonathan Taylor won the Doak Walker Award in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019. Over those two campaigns, the running back had 4,197 combined rushing yards and 37 total rushing touchdowns. He was just the third player ever to win consecutive Doak Walker Awards.

Texas is tied with Wisconsin for the most Doak Walker Award winners with five, but they also had four players tally those wins. Ricky Williams (1997-1998),  Cedric Benson (2003), D’Onta Foreman (2016) and Bijan Robinson (2022) have won as members of the Longhorns.

Alabama (3) sits at third all-time while Arkansas, Iowa, Stanford and Texas Tech are all tied for fifth with two Doak Walker Awards per program.

Wisconsin football offers No. 1 running back in class of 2026

Wisconsin football offers No. 1 all-purpose back in class of 2026

Wisconsin football extended an offer to four-star class of 2026 running back Davian Groce on Thursday.

Rivals, On3 and 247sports all list Groce as a four-star. The Frisco, Texas native already holds offers from 22 schools, including a collection of the nation’s best. Those offers include Michigan, Miami (Florida), Florida State, Oregon, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, SMU and TCU.

247Sports has Groce as the nation’s No. 1 running back in the class of 2026, No. 1 recruit from Texas and No. 17 overall player in the class. He currently stands at 6’1,’’ 190 pounds and represents Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas.

His first gridiron offers arrived in December 2022 from Arizona State and Texas Tech. Since that point, the running back has become one of the heavier-pursued players in the class.

247Sports’ crystal ball does not have a prediction for where Groce will land. On3’s recruiting prediction machine, however, has in-state SMU at the top of the list.

The rising junior is also a talented track and field sprinter. Groce posted a 10.90-second 100-meter dash as a freshman in March 2023. He has participated in the 4×100-meter relay as well.

Groce’s addition to Wisconsin’s program would be a monumental one. With a storied history of developing backs like Melvin Gordon, Jonathon Taylor and Braelon Allen, UW certainly knows how to handle the position.

Every former Wisconsin Badger selected in NFL draft first round since 2000

Every former Wisconsin Badger selected in NFL draft first round since 2000:

The 2024 NFL draft enters its third day of action on Saturday, April 27 with rounds 4-7.

Three rounds are already in the books, and no former Wisconsin Badger was selected in that frame for the fourth time since 2011.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 spring transfer portal window tracker

There will be several former Badgers selected on day three of the draft —  including running back Braelon Allen, offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini and running back Isaac Guerendo (via Louisville). Several others have a chance to be selected but will likely sign as undrafted free agents.

The Wisconsin football program is in the midst of a cold streak of turning players into top draft picks. Numerous recent players have turned into NFL stars, including Leo Chenal, Jonathan Taylor, T.J. Edwards and Andrew Van Ginkel — though none were first-round selections.

Luke Fickell and his staff are working to revamp the roster, which should lead toward that streak changing. But until that happens, here is every former Wisconsin Badger to be selected in first round since 2000:

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.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s incoming transfers by expected impact in 2024 season

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:

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.

Related: Where Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke falls on Fanduel’s 2024 Heisman Trophy odds

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:

10 pending free agents the Ravens should not re-sign

We’re looking at ten pending 2024 NFL free agents that the Baltimore Ravens should not re-sign

Baltimore faces an offseason of change after Mike Macdonald bolted for the Seahawks job. Anthony Weaver landed the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator job, and 26 players, headlined by Patrick Queen, are set to be free agents.

Justin Madubuike landed the franchise tag, leaving Baltimore -$9 million over the salary cap ahead of the early tampering period.

With an urgent offseason underway, we’re looking at ten pending free agents who shouldn’t return.