Tag: Rachad Wildgoose

Two former Badgers receive NFL Scouting Combine invites

Two former Wisconsin Badgers received invites today to the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine—LT Cole Van Lanen and CB Rachad Wildgoose. Due to the

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Two former Wisconsin Badgers received invites today to the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine—LT Cole Van Lanen and CB Rachad Wildgoose.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL won’t hold a traditional combine but instead will hold the workouts at each school’s pro day.

Wildgoose is currently ranked by TheDraftNetwork as the No. 239 prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft and the No. 36 cornerback.

The now-former Badger declared for the draft after Wisconsin’s loss at Northwestern, finishing his college career with 24 games, 44 tackles, 5 tackles-for-loss, 1 interception and 14 passes defended.

Van Lanen, on the other hand, is ranked by TheDraftNetwork the No. 383 overall prospect in the class and the No. 33 offensive tackle.

Here’s what they have to say about the standout left tackle:

“PROS (+): Van Lanen is an absolute load coming off the snap. He’s got natural power for days thanks to his foot drive and mass, once he’s able to create any level of forward push, he’s consistent in his efforts to continue to balloon the point of attack. Really enjoyable to watch him in gap/power concepts to continue pushing pace and collapsing defenders off of the football — he’s going to be a natural in the run game at the next level. His frame has enveloped defenders completely and he pairs that push and power with good tenacity as a blocker to stay sticky. I like his general mobility, he’s not the most graceful but generally speaking he’s effective in space to get the job done.

CONS (—): Reach and wingspan aren’t something that flashes as a great asset of his — but it’s compounded by his foot speed in his pass sets. He’s much more nimble when he’s working forward versus when he’s tasked with taking vertical sets. He’ll overextend himself a bit on quick sets open the door for defenders to force a missed punch and catch him leaning. There’s some visible stiffness in his hips, he’s got to really fight and scrap with the inside hand to prevent getting taken on inside counters when he’s working on an island with speedy rushers off the edge.”

Van Lanen and Wildgoose aren’t the only Badger standouts looking for a shot in the NFL, as FB Mason Stokke, DE Isaiahh Loudermilk have also made their NFL aspirations known. But at Wisconsin’s pro day later this month, it’ll be Wildgoose and Van Lanen being parts of this year’s “combine.”

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A leader on defense will return for Wisconsin this Saturday

The Badgers get back their top corner

The Badgers got some big news on Wednesday morning from a direct source. After missing this past Saturday’s win over Michigan due to undisclosed reasons, CB Rachad Wildgoose looks to be ready to roll against Northwestern on Saturday.

After an incredible season debut against Illinois, it appears that Wildgoose was among the 15 Badger players who tested positive for COVID-19 over the last three weeks. His 21 day mandatory Big Ten waiting period is up, and he will be back in action in Evanston for a battle for Big Ten West supremacy.

Projecting Wisconsin’s 2020 Spring Defensive Depth Chart

Who will open up on Wisconsin’s spring depth chart on the defensive side of the football?

Wisconsin’s defense in 2020 will be missing not only two key players but also two key leaders to not only the defense but the entire team. Those two players being 2019 team captains outside linebacker Zack Baun and inside linebacker Chris Orr. Despite Wisconsin losing Baun and Orr to graduation the Badgers still return an impressive nine starters from last year’s defense.

In this Badgers Wire feature, we project what the spring depth chart on defense will look like when the Badgers open up spring practice.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Defensive Line: DE 1. Isaiahh Loudermilk and Garrett Rand, 2. Matt Henningsen and Isaiah Mullens NT 1. Keeanu Benton 2. Gio Paez

Loudermilk and Rand were able to stay healthy over the course of their redshirt junior seasons and as long as they stay healthy they have established themselves as starters at the defensive end positions. Henningsen used last year’s spring practice to put him in a position to have a terrific redshirt sophomore season. If Henningsen can put together a productive spring like he did in 2019 should allow him to take another step in his development. Mullens appeared in 13 games mostly on special teams as he registered one tackle. With backup defensive end David Pfaff graduating he’ll have a chance in spring football to show why he deserves to be apart of the defensive line rotation. At nose tackle, Keeanu Benton will be going through his first spring practice and will receive plenty of valuable practice reps as Bryson Williams could miss all of spring football as he continues to recover from his left leg injury that he suffered this past season. If Williams can’t go that will mean more reps for redshirt freshman Gio Paez as it will be critical that he takes advantage of his reps.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Linebackers: OLB 1. Noah Burks and Izayah Green-May, 2. Spencer Lytle and Jaylan Franklin ILB 1. Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal 2. Mike Maskalunas and Maema Njongmeta

Christian Bell would’ve had a chance at competing for one of the starting outside linebacker positions opposite of Noah Burks but instead elected to transfer. That leave’s Green-May as the likely starter opposite of Burks when Wisconsin opens spring football. Green-May initially started the 2019 season as a starter but suffered a right arm injury early in the season, which caused him to miss time. Green-May was able to put together a productive fall camp and the practice habits he developed last year will need to continue if he wants to establish himself as the starter once again. Outside linebackers coach Bobby April will also give Franklin and Lytle a look as a starter opposite of Burks. Making it an important spring for both of them as the Badgers look for a starter who can complement Burks. Wisconsin may lose Chris Orr at middle linebacker but the transition between Orr and Leo Chenal should be a smooth one. Chenal gained valuable experience last year as he played as a true freshman. Chenal will receive plenty of reps over spring football and he should be able to take a nice step in his development. Maskalunas will be Chenal’s top competitor for the other starting inside linebacker position as he’s been serviceable during his time at Wisconsin. Njongmeta redshirted last season and will be going through his first spring practice.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Cornerbacks: 1. Faion Hicks and Rachad Wildgoose 2. Caesar Williams and Semar Melvin

Hicks has been a regular starter at cornerback for Wisconsin the past two seasons and that shouldn’t change heading into spring practices. Wildgoose and Williams started eight and seven games respectively a season ago. The trio has been Wisconsin’s most consistent group of cornerbacks. Semar Melvin is coming off a redshirt season but he was able to take advantage of the redshirt rule by playing in four games without burning a year of eligibility. Melvin was up and down, which is understandable but the reps he does receive during spring practice will be invaluable as he looks to build off of his freshman season. Jim Leonhard will also likely rotate in Donte Burton and Deron Harrell too as the starters at cornerback or with the second string cornerbacks too.

Projected Spring Depth Chart Safety: FS 1. Eric Burrell, 2. John Torchio SS 1. Reggie Pearson, 2. Collin Wilder

Wisconsin Football Season Review: Cornerbacks

How did Wisconsin’s cornerbacks play during the 2019 football 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 cornerbacks from the 2019 season and take a sneak into what the 2020 season may have in store for the position:

One of the main questions heading into the 2019 season was if Wisconsin could have two players from the cornerback position emerge and lock down the position. Considering over the 2018 season the Badgers used seven different starting combinations at the cornerback position.

In 2019 not much changed as the Badgers once again used seven different starting combinations. That’s not a bad thing though as the Badgers for a second consecutive year received good production from their cornerbacks as they helped to only allow 187.3 passing yards a game.

Faion Hicks was one of the constants in the starting lineup at cornerback as he started 12 games for the Badgers, Rachad Wildgoose was second with eight starts, and Caesar Williams started the last seven games this season. Redshirt sophomore Deron Harrell (four starts), redshirt freshman Donte Burton (two starts), and true freshman Semar Melvin (two starts) all started at least two games this past season.

The highlight of the season for Williams was the game against Minnesota as he put his best game to date together. As he registered his only interception of the season against the Gophers and broke up four passes.

With two of his four pass breakups coming on consecutive plays against consensus first-team All-Big Ten wide receiver Tyler Johnson. Minnesota attempted a pass on both third and fourth and goal with Tanner Morgan’s pass attempt intended for Johnson. The problem was Williams was there both times ready to break up the pass.

Hicks once again was steady manning his positon at cornerback as he was a consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention selection. Hicks finished the season with 32 tackles, one pass breakup, and one tackle for loss. Hicks has the trust of defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jim Leonhard as he is able to play disciplined football and doesn’t get beat easily.

Wildgoose was able to take a nice step from his true freshman season to his sophomore year. Wildgoose was able to become more consistent in his play as he registered his first interception in his career, which came against Michigan State to help preserve the shutout. Wildgoose once again put himself in a good position to make a play on the football as his six pass breakups were the second most amongst the cornerbacks only trailing Williams who had 11.

2020 Wisconsin Cornerbacks

In 2020 Wisconsin once again could utilize multiple starting combinations but the main three will likely be Hicks, Wildgoose, and Williams. Those three were the most consistent in their play a season ago and if they continue to develop their games the Badgers once again should be to tough pass on. It will also be interesting to see how Leonhard utilizes Melvin who will be a redshirt freshman next year. Considering the talent Wisconsin has at the cornerback position he still played in four games and made two starts. If he continues to develop he’ll push for playing time. Burton and Alexander Smith will need to continue to develop the consistency that is needed if they want to push for playing time in 2020.

Rachad Wildgoose must raise his floor in the Wisconsin secondary

More on the Wisconsin secondary

As the 2019 season fully recedes into the pages of history, Badgers Wire is exploring what Wisconsin will look like — and can achieve — in 2020. We have been taking a look at the Badger offense, but now it’s time to switch sides and take a look at what the Badgers are bringing back on defense for the 2020 season. In order to make it easier to digest and disseminate, Badgers Wire will be breaking it up by position group. Next up for the Badgers is a look at the defensive backs.

Despite being relatively unheralded and unmentioned, the Badgers did an outstanding job in the defensive backfield. They were central to the creation of the nation’s No. 13 passing efficiency defense, intercepting the ball 12 times. Wisconsin’s secondary allowed an average of only 187 passing yards per game to the opposition. That was good enough for Wisconsin to come in ranked as the No. 12 team in the nation for passing yards allowed. Only Ohio State (No. 1), Michigan (No. 10), and Minnesota (No. 9) were ranked higher in the Big Ten. All of this contributed to the fact that the nation’s No. 10-ranked scoring defense resided in Madison. Only Penn State (No. 8), Iowa (No. 5), and Ohio State (No. 4) were ranked higher in the Big Ten. 

The boon here for the Badgers is that they don’t have any key departures on defense from the defensive backfield. Caesar Williams and Faion Hicks return, and Rachad Wildgoose also comes back as the slot corner. Reggie Pearson, Scott Nelson, Collin Wilder, Madison Cone, and John Torchio all return at safety and defensive coordinator Jim Leohnard will have a host of options to choose from in his backfield. A former safety himself, Leohnard is going to know exactly how often and when some of these guys will play. This is easily one of Wisconsin’s deepest groupings. 

The pressure-point player here, in one person’s opinion, is Rachad Wildgoose. Badger fans know that in various games last year, from Northwestern to the Rose Bowl, Wildgoose was… well… a little too wild. He committed a few key penalties and, on other occasions, got caught well out of position. On balance, he did a lot of good things for the Badgers in 2019, but when he was bad, he was awful. His worst moments were crippling moments. If his worst moments in 2020 can be less disastrous — which is another way of saying that he needs to raise his floor more than his ceiling — UW’s back line of defense will give up fewer big plays and give the team an extra margin for error.

The Badgers look very promising on defense for the 2020 season. With the talent and production they have returning at the front-seven and in the backfield, their defense will be one of the more competitive in the Big Ten. The biggest worry for the Wisconsin defense is the offense lacking standout playmakers following the departure of most of their skill position players to the NFL Draft, chiefly Jonathan Taylor and Quintez Cephus. If the Badgers are out on the field playing defense for half a game, it’s going to have an effect on their defense. If they can find a way to keep the offense going, this defense is good enough to win a few 50-50 games which will make the difference between first and second place in the Big Ten West.

Two Wisconsin Players Named to All-Big Ten Defensive Team

Wisconsin places two defensive players on the All-Big Ten Defensive Teams. Zack Baun OLB, Chris Orr ILB

On Tuesday the Big Ten Conference released its All-Big Ten Defensive Team and special teams conference selections. With how dominant Wisconsin’s defense was this year it was natural that there would be individuals from Wisconsin’s defense to be recognized.

Outisde linebacker Zack Baun was a consensus first-team selection by the media and coaches while inside linebacker Chris Orr was a consensus second-team selection.

Baun and Orr have been two of Wisconsin’s most consistent and dominating defenders as Baun’s 18.5 tackles for loss leads the team. While Orr’s 71 tackles leads the team not to mention Orr and Baun are tied for the team lead in sacks with 11.5.

Safety Eric Burrell, cornerback Faion Hicks, and defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk were consensus honorable mention’s on defense. Redshirt sophomore defensive end Matt Henningsen was an honorable mention by the coaches and sophomore cornerback Rachad Wildgoose was honorable mention by the media.

Sophomore Aron Cruickshank was named a consensus second-team All-Big Ten return specialist. Cruickshank averaged 26.59 yards per return on 17 attempts as his highlight return came against Nebraska when he returned a kick 89 yards for a touchdown.

The Big Ten Conference will announce the offensive team selections on Wednesday.

Three Players Listed as Questionable Heading into Big Ten Championship Game

Wisconsin lists three players as questionable heading into the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State.

Heading into Wisconsin’s rematch against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game the Badgers ruled three players as questionable in A.J. Taylor (right leg), David Moorman (left leg), and Rachad Wildgoose (left leg).

Wildgoose missed the game against Minnesota while Taylor and Moorman both had to leave the game early against the Gophers.

Moorman has started the last six games and seven overall this season and if he can’t go on Saturday he’ll be replaced by redshirt sophomore Kayden Lyles at left guard.

True freshman Semar Melvin who made his first career start against Minnesota likely will play in his fourth game this season if Wildgoose can’t go.

Melvin despite being responsible for giving up the first touchdown to Rashod Bateman bounced back as he finished the game with one tackle and one pass breakup.

Wisconsin lost to Ohio State earlier this season 38-to-7 in Columbus, their second straight loss at the time before winning their final four games. Wisconsin and Ohio State will kickoff at 7 p.m. as the game can be seen on Fox.

 

Bryson Williams to Miss Game Against Minnesota

Bryson Williams set to miss his third straight game with a left leg injury against Minnesota.

Wisconsin for a third straight game will be without starting nose tackle Bryson Williams with a left leg injury. Williams sustained his injury during Wisconsin’s win against Iowa.

True freshman nose tackle Keeanu Benton will fill in for Williams as Benton has played well this season. Benton on the year has registered 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack as his biggest impact has been his ability to help open up rushing lanes for Wisconsin’s linebackers to make plays in the backfield.

Outsdie of Williams being listed as out for Wisconsin the Badgers also listed starting left tackle Cole Van Lanen and starting cornerback Faion Hicks both as questionable with a head injury.

Van Lanen missed Wisconsin’s win over Purdue as redshirt sophomore Tyler Beach filled in as the starter at left tackle. If Van Lanen can’t go against Minnesota Beach will once again receive the start, which would be his third start.

Hicks has started nine games this season and has appeared in all 11 games this season. On the season Hicks has registered 19 tackles, one pass breakup, and one tackle for loss.

Wisconsin has started five different cornerback combinations this year and if Hicks can’t go Rachad Wildgoose who has started two games this season will likely be the starter opposite of Caesar Williams who has started the last four games.

Three Takeaways from Wisconsin’s 45-24 Victory over Purdue

Three takeaways from Wisconsin’s 45-24 senior day victory over Purdue. Jonathan Taylor RB, Kendric Pryor WR, Rachad Wildgoose CB

Wisconsin beat Purdue for the 14th straight time winning 45-24 on senior day as it also marked the Badgers third straight victory after dropping two straight games. Here are our top three takeaways from the game for the Badgers.

1. Wisconsin’s offense needs to fix their turnover problem

Over Wisconsin’s last five games the Badgers have committed a total of 12 turnovers.

In order for Wisconsin’s season to end on a high note, the Badgers offense will need to revert back to the beginning of the season in terms of valuing the football as over the first six games Wisconsin only turned the football over a combined five times.

The four turnovers Wisconsin had against Purdue was a season high as the Badgers fumbled the football five times losing three of them and Jack Coan also threw an interception. Although Wisconsin turned the football over four times against Purdue the Boilermakers only were able to cash Wisconsin’s mistakes into seven points.

Wisconsin’s defense may not have had its best day against Purdue but they did come up with some timely defensive drives. Considering turnovers can be momentum changers and with Purdue needing a win just as badly as Wisconsin to make sure Purdue couldn’t capitalize off of Wisconsin’s mistakes is a sign of a good defense.

Jonathan Taylor dealt with fumbles as a true freshman and at the beginning of his sophomore season too. Taylor appeared to have put the fumbling issues to bed this season although he did have a costly fumble against Illinois was responsible for two of the three fumbles lost yesterday.

With how much Wisconsin feeds Taylor as he’s averaging 23.7 carries a game opposing teams are going to try and rip the football out of his arms. Making it important that he keeps the football high and tight in order to avoid fumbling the football. If Taylor is successful it should allow for Wisconsin’s offense to continue to move the football effectively down the field.

2. More touches for Kendric Pryor

Pryor against Purdue showed what he’s capable of doing once you get the football in his hands as he registered 103 yards of total offense. Pryor was able to hurt Purdue’s defense either on the ground or through the passing game as he rushed for 56 yards on two carries and caught four passes for 47 yards.

Pryor over the last two games has become more active in the passing game as he has caught a combined seven passes for 77 yards. That will need to continue considering prior to Wisconsin’s wins over Purdue and Nebraska in the five games previous he caught only one pass in each game.

Pryor has shown that he’s capable of creating chunk plays in the passing game considering against Kent State he had one catch for 33 yards and against Illinois, he hauled in a 35-yard pass. The chunk plays have been missing from Wisconsin’s offense through the air and if Pryor can help stretch the field it will only help Wisconsin’s offense become more balanced.

3. Wisconsin’s finding ways of breaking up passes

Over the last three games, the Badgers have faced teams who are capable of throwing the football. Although the Badgers have allowed chunk plays through the passing game at times the Badgers have been able to break up 15 passes and have registered two interceptions over the last three games.

Wisconsin’s secondary has been responsible for eight of the 15 pass breakups as Rachad Wildgoose has registered four over the past three games. Wisconsin will certainly get a test against Minnesota and the secondary will be counted on to help slow down the Gophers talented wide receivers.

Although Wisconsin’s pass defense has been up and down over the last three games the Badgers will need to be able to continue to give themselves a chance of making a play on the football when it’s in the air. Not to mention Wisconsin’s linebackers are also more than capable of defending the pass as between Wisconsin’s starting linebackers they have combined to pick off four passes and have broken up 12 passes this season.