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PFF: Wisconsin transfer among top 10 offensive linemen in college football

PFF: Wisconsin transfer among top 10 linemen in college football

Former Wisconsin offensive lineman Trey Wedig finished the 2024 season among Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded players at his position.

Wedig, who is scheduled to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 30, received an 85.7 PFF grade. Only Utah’s Spencer Fano (92.8), Missouri’s Wyatt Milum (91.7), Missouri’s Armand Membou (90.4), Iowa’s Gennings Dunker (90.2), Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. (88.0) and Rutgers’ Hollin Pierce (86.4) earned higher marks than the former Badger.

Wedig and fellow Wisconsin transfer Drew Evans were big parts of an Indiana offensive line that was named a finalist for the 2024 Joe Moore Award. Bob Bostad, Wisconsin’s longtime inside linebackers and offensive line coach, coaches the position for Indiana.

Before transferring to Indiana, Wedig played in 35 career games over four seasons at Wisconsin. He was the program’s most versatile lineman, with starts at right tackle, right guard and left guard. 2022 was the best of his four seasons with the Badgers. He started eight games: five at right tackle, two at right guard and one at left guard.

The Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, native transferred to Indiana following the 2023 campaign. The returns of Wisconsin starting tackles Jack Nelson (left) and Riley Mahlman (right) likely played a big role in that decision.

Wedig enjoyed a career year in 2024, helping Indiana to rush for nearly 2,500 yards and reach the end zone 37 times. The team was one of the top stories in college football, finishing 11-2 after making a College Football Playoff appearance.

The standout tackle is projected to be a late-round selection in the NFL draft.

Former Wisconsin linebacker named ProFootballFocus’ 2024 NFL ‘Breakout Player of the Year’

Former Wisconsin linebacker named ProFootballFocus’ 2024 NFL Breakout Player of the Year

Former Wisconsin and current Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun was named ProFootballFocus’ 2024 ‘Breakout Player of the Year’ on Wednesday.

The honor is nowhere near surprising. After amassing 88 combined tackles and two sacks from 2020-23 with the New Orleans Saints, Baun emerged as the engine of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive unit in 2024.

Baun shattered his previous career bests with 151 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, four pass deflections and 3 1/2 sacks during the regular season. His 151 tackles were tied for the sixth-most in the NFL behind Zaire Franklin (Colts), Budda Baker (Cardinals), Robert Spillane (Raiders), Jamien Sherwood (Falcons) and Roquan Smith (Ravens).

The former Badger also pocketed a 90.1 PFF grade for his contributions leading an NFL-best defensive unit, the highest among any linebacker in the league. He and San Fransisco 49ers superstar Fred Warner were the two inside linebackers on the outlet’s First-Team All-Pro unit. To put that into context, Baun didn’t crack PFF’s top 32 linebacker power ranking before the season began.

Baun’s ascendance is inarguably the most impressive by any defensive player this season. The output earned him a Pro Bowl nod alongside fellow Badgers Andrew Van Ginkel and T.J. Watt.

His Eagles now sit at No. 2 in the NFC playoff picture prior, set to host the No. 7-seed Green Bay Packers in Wild Card Round.

Former Wisconsin legend might be the best deep-ball thrower this season

Former Wisconsin legend might be the best deep-ball thrower this season

Former Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded quarterback on throws of 15+ yards this season.

Wilson’s 2024 output with the Pittsburgh Steelers is somewhat of a resurgence. After going 11-19 as the Denver Broncos starting quarterback from 2022-2023, the UW alumnus is playing some of the best football of his career this season.

In six games as the Steelers starter, Wilson has totaled 1,626 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 104.3. His 271 yards per game clip would be the highest of his career.

Wilson most recently showcased his deep ball prowess in the Steelers’ 44-38 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The nine-time Pro Bowler went 29-of-38 for 414 yards and three touchdowns to earn his fifth win as a starter.

In that contest, Wilson made several high-level deep throws. His most significant came when he a 23-yard laser to wide receiver Calvin Austin III at the beginning of the second quarter, plus a 25-yard dime to tight end Pat Freiermuth for a touchdown later in the third quarter.

Wilson might not be as dynamic of a rusher as he once was, but he can still throw the deep ball as well as any quarterback in the NFL.

At 9-3, the Steelers are in position to win the AFC North and clinch a home playoff game. They will return to the gridiron on Dec. 8 vs. the division rival Cleveland Browns.

PFF: Max Brosmer, who dominated Wisconsin, was the highest-graded quarterback of Week 14

PFF: Max Brosmer, who dominated Wisconsin, was the highest-graded quarterback of Week 14

Minnesota’s Max Brosmer earned ProFootballFocus’ highest grade of any quarterback for Week 14.

Brosmer notched a 94.0 overall grade for his performance in Minnesota’s 24-7 blowout win over Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. The Roswell, Georgia native completed 17 of 26 attempts for 191 yards and two passing touchdowns in the win. He also rushed four times for 11 yards and one touchdown in the effort.

To put Brosmer’s three-touchdown game into perspective, he finished with a higher grade than Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke (93.7), NC State’s CJ Bailey (93.3), USC’s Jayden Maiava (91.9), Syracuse’s Kyle McCord (90.9) and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (90.7).

Rourke captained the Hoosiers to a 66-0 victory, Maiava dropped 360 yards and three touchdowns vs. Notre Dame, McCord tossed nearly 400 yards in the Orange’s upset win over No. 6 Miami and Gabriel registered three touchdowns in a 28-point blowout win over rival Washington.

While Brosmer didn’t play a top-tier defense or throw for a substantial number of yards, he did pilot a dominant offensive attack for the Golden Gophers throughout the contest. Minnesota out-gained Wisconsin by over 200 yards in the win, controlled the time of possession and built a 21-0 edge by the eight-minute mark of the third quarter.

Brosmer’s grade is yet another blemish in Wisconsin’s defensive effort to end the season. The Badgers were unable to generate any momentum on defense and recorded just one sack during their final game of the year.

The Golden Gophers, meanwhile, appear to be headed in the opposite direction. P.J. Fleck’s group secured impressive wins over UW, Illinois and USC this season, while the Badgers failed to record a single win over a respectable opponent.

Wisconsin cornerback among PFF’s best true freshman of 2024 season

Wisconsin cornerback among PFF’s best true freshman of 2024 season

Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas continues to grade well in the eyes of ProFootballFocus.

The standout true freshman has an overall grade of 80.7 through seven weeks of action, good for sixth among all true freshmen in the Power Four.

Related: Ranking the biggest storylines entering Wisconsin’s premier matchup with Penn State

Lucas has battled minor injuries throughout the season, though has been mostly available for Mike Tressel’s secondary. He has recorded nine total tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and two pass deflections in that time.

Raw statistics are often misleading when evaluating cornerbacks, however, as those who are thrown toward less are usually the ones who are best in coverage. For example, Wisconsin star CB Ricardo Hallman barely has any counting statistics this season (nine tackles, four pass deflections), but he’s playing like one of the best corners in the country.

Lucas is certainly playing up to that caliber.

He trails only Oklahoma‘s Eli Bowen (81.4), Louisville’s Isaac Brown (81.6), Ohio State‘s Jeremiah Smith (82.4), Texas‘ Colin Simmons (86.4) and Minnesota’s Koi Perich (91.1) on PFF’s latest list of the true freshmen in the sport:

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1849437436402683981

Lucas’ status for Wisconsin’s Saturday night showdown with No. 3 Penn State is somewhat up in the air. He left the Badgers’ win over Northwestern last weekend and did not return. There has since been no material update on his availability for Saturday.

His status will be worth monitoring as kickoff nears for a season-defining opportunity for Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers.

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Wisconsin cornerback among PFF’s highest-graded true freshmen entering Week 4

Wisconsin cornerback among PFF’s highest graded true freshmen in 2024

Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas is ranked No. 8 among ProFootballFocus’ highest-graded true freshmen through the first three weeks of the 2024 season.

The Pompano Beach, Florida, native was sandwiched between Texas linebacker Colin Simmons and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith with an overall grade of 79.9. Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo took the top spot with a 90.6 mark, followed by South Carolina’s superstar edge Dylan Stewart at 85.9.

Outside of OSU’s Smith, other Big Ten notables include Nebraska wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr., Washington tight end Decker Degraaf and Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Through three games, Lucas owns the only takeaway by Wisconsin’s defensive unit after intercepting Western Michigan quarterback Kaleb Eleby in garbage time of Week 1. He also registered two tackles in the contest.

The true freshman then suffered a minor injury during the Badgers’ second game of the season against South Dakota, though he returned for the Badgers’ 42-10 loss to No. 4 Alabama on Sept. 14.

Nonetheless, Lucas has firmly cemented himself as a valuable piece in defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s secondary. While veteran Nyzier Fourqurean will continue to take lead snaps alongside star corner Ricardo Hallman, Lucas will certainly be in the mix down the line.

Four Big Ten players crack PFF’s top 10 players in college football entering 2024

The Big Ten has some of college football’s top players in 2024:

ProFootballFocus’ recently-released ranking of the top players in college football reached its conclusion on Friday. The top 10 of the list includes four Big Ten athletes.

PFF ranked Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham No. 3 overall, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson No. 4, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs No. 8 and Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins No. 10.

Colorado star receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter came in at No. 1 overall on the list, while Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II followed at No. 2.

Graham, who enters his third season in Ann Arbor, earned an All-American second-team selection as a sophomore for the Wolverines. On the interior, he registered 36 tackles, 3.0 sacks, three quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Johnson, meanwhile, earned Defensive MVP of the 2023 National Championship Game during Michigan’s triumph over Washington. The game-wrecker was both a first team All-American and consensus first team All-Big Ten selection with four interceptions across 12 appearances.

Ohio State’s Downs transferred to the Buckeyes after a spectacular freshman season with Alabama. The safety earned Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year honors and was pinpointed as the SEC Freshman of the Year by its coaches.

Judkins also transferred to OSU ahead of the 2024 slate. Unlike Downs, he played his college ball at Ole Miss before the move. He enters the Big Ten as a 2023 All-SEC First Team member.

PFF: Wisconsin RT Riley Mahlman among most ‘underrated offensive tackles in the country’

PFF: Wisconsin RT Riley Mahlman among most ‘underrated offensive tackles in the country’

Wisconsin starting right tackle Riley Mahlman was recently called ‘one of the more underrated offensive tackles in the country’ by ProFootballFocus’ Max Chadwick on the PFF College Football Show.

The service currently ranks Mahlman as the No. 8 overall offensive tackle in the sport entering the 2024 season. Not much national recognition follows that ranking, which likely leads to Chadwick’s conclusion.

Related: Full previews for every Wisconsin football position group entering 2024 season

The redshirt junior enters 2024 after starting all 13 games for the Badgers at the position in 2023. He finished the season with a 74.4 overall PFF grade, the fifth-best among all Big Ten offensive linemen.

That effort came after winning a starting job as a redshirt freshman in 2022, though he played in only seven games that season due to injury.

Mahlman enters 2024 as one of the Badgers’ better offensive players. Both he and left tackle Jack Nelson should benefit from another offseason to adapt to, and grow within, Phil Longo’s air raid system. His presence at tackle is one of the reasons many point to a resurgent season for the Badgers on that side of the football.

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

ProFootballFocus perpetuates untruth that Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne is not NCAA’s all-time leading rusher

Badgers fans were not happy to see this on Sunday:

ProFootballFocus is in the midst of perpetuating one of the worst untruths in the college football world — that former Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne is not the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher.

The service put out a graphic titled ‘college football all-time rushing leaders’ on Sunday. At No. 1: San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey with 6,405 yards. No. 2, as listed, is Dayne with 6,397 yards. Then comes Texas great Ricky Williams with 6,279 and Badger great Jonathan Taylor with 6,174.

Related: Position battles to follow as Wisconsin Badgers begin 2024 fall training camp

Wisconsin fans should be well aware of why PFF’s list — which is actually just an aggregation of the official NCAA rushing leaderboard — is contradictory. The NCAA includes Pumphrey’s bowl statistics in his 6,405 yards but omits Dayne’s. That is because the NCAA, for some reason, does not count bowl statistics before 2002.

So it ignores Dayne’s 728 rushing yards from bowl games, but includes Pumprey’s 328.

Simple logic would urge the NCAA to either include all bowl statistics, or include none. ProFootballFocus, instead, has shared one of the NCAA’s biggest ongoing mistakes.

If all rushing yards in every game played were considered, as they should be, here is what the NCAA’s all-time leaderboard would look like:

Wisconsin among winningest college football programs without national championship

Wisconsin among most wins of any college football program without national championship

The Wisconsin football program has been the model of consistent success over the last few decades.

The program has qualified for 22 consecutive bowl games, the third-longest active streak behind only Georgia and Oklahoma. It has experienced only two losing seasons (2001, 1995) since Barry Alvarez’s initial breakthrough in 1993.

Related: Full recap of power rankings for every Big Ten football position group entering 2024 season

Wisconsin has achieved that consistent success with a few peak seasons including a 12-1 mark in 2006, 11-2 in 2010, 11-3 in 2011 and 13-1 in 2017. But none of those breakthrough years have included a College Football Playoff appearance.

The Badgers have been either good or really-good in nearly every season over the last 30 years. The program has not, however, had a truly ‘great’ season. It has been unable to reach national title contention.

That leads us into a look at the context surrounding Wisconsin’s steady success but lack of top-end breakthrough. The Badgers are toward the top of the list of FBS programs with the most all-time wins without a claimed national championship (all win numbers via Wikipedia):