Tag: Ranking

247Sports has high expectations for Wisconsin’s offensive line in 2024

What do you expect from Wisconsin’s offensive line in 2024?

247Sports national writer Cody Nagel thinks highly of Wisconsin’s offensive line entering 2024.

The Badgers’ unit came in at No. 4 in his recent ranking of Big Ten’s offensive line groups entering the upcoming season. It fell behind only No. 3 Penn State, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 1 Oregon.

Related: Predicting the best-case scenario for Wisconsin football’s 2024 season

Wisconsin enters the season with a starting group from left to right of Jack Nelson (left tackle), Joe Brunner (left guard), Jake Renfro (center), Joe Huber (right guard) and Riley Mahlman (right tackle).

Its ranking is interesting to note entering the season. On one hand, the Badgers’ unit has severely underperformed relative to expectations since the 2019 season. Some of those struggles were due to constant coaching changes and a stagnant offensive system. But Wisconsin’s time-old reputation of having the best offensive line in the sport just hasn’t been reality for the last four years.

But on the other hand, this group of five starters should take a significant step forward in 2024 in year two under offensive coordinator Phil Longo. 2023 was a significant adjustment period as Longo drastically altered the program’s offensive philosophy, going from a pro-style, under-center system to a spread-out air raid.

Wisconsin did lose an NFL-level center in Tanor Bortolini after the 2023 season. But Renfro is well-equipped to fill his vacancy. The group as a whole is a sure bet to at least improve upon its 2023 performance.

So a No. 4 ranking in the Big Ten entering the season is understandable given the context. Wisconsin has five above-average starters, with one or two who have the chance to be elite (Mahlman, Nelson). There is danger in blindly assuming Wisconsin’s offensive line will be top-notch. In this case, I’d bet on it paying off.

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

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ESPN not confident in Wisconsin’s future through 2026 under Luke Fickell

What do you think about Wisconsin’s outlook over the next three years?

The Wisconsin Badgers were omitted from ESPN’s latest Future Power Rankings through the 2026 season.

The ranking takes into account each program’s current roster, incoming talent, recruiting success, transfer portal and coaching to compile a list of the programs that will have the most on-field success in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Wisconsin was not among those top 25 programs.

Related: Which Wisconsin Badgers will be selected in the 2025 NFL draft?

Notable programs listed ahead of the Badgers include Missouri at No. 20, Louisville at No. 21, SMU at No. 22, Oklahoma State at No. 23, Miami at No. 24 and Arizona at No. 25.

Of note, the Badgers enter 2024 after consecutive 7-6 seasons including one in 2023 in Luke Fickell’s first year as head coach. The program has tempered expectations entering 2024 due to one of the nation’s toughest schedules.

But Fickell has made significant strides since taking over the program at the end of the 2022 season. First, he finished the 2024 recruiting cycle with a top-25 class and with the program’s first-ever 50% blue-chip rate. Now, he has the Badgers’ class of 2025 ranked among the nation’s top 15. He has led the program to a clear improvement in recruiting in only his first two cycles, and has complemented that with several successful transfer portal classes.

Wisconsin’s current roster may not be among the best in the Big Ten or in the nation as Fickell and his staff continue their work on the recruiting trail. But 2025 and 2026 figure to be breakout years for the fast-rising head coach and should see the program return to its typical position within the nation’s top 20.

Wisconsin’s absence from the ranking isn’t entirely a surprise after consecutive 7-6 seasons. But continued recruiting success and clear on-field improvement should see it enter next year’s edition.

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

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247Sports names Wisconsin’s most impactful true freshmen entering 2024 season

Wisconsin’s most impactful true freshmen entering 2024 season:

Wisconsin boasts two players on 247Sports’ recent list of the 100 first-year players who will influence the 2024 college football season.

Those two Badgers are linebacker Thomas Heiberger and offensive tackle Kevin Heywood.

Related: Every remaining class of 2025 recruit Wisconsin football is in great shape for

Heywood is the headliner of a Wisconsin class of 2024 that finished No. 23 in the national ranking and No. 7 in the new Big Ten landscape. The four-star tackle finished the recruiting cycle as 247Sports’ No. 50 player in the class and No. 4 offensive tackle.

Heiberger also finished with four-star status and was ranked as the No. 462 overall player in the class and the No. 40 linebacker.

Both project to play sizable roles for the Badgers in 2024 relative to their nonexistent collegiate experience. Heywood could be one of Wisconsin’s primary depth options at tackle along with Barrett Nelson, while Heiberger could immediately start on special teams.

Wisconsin enters 2024 with veteran starters at both tackle positions: Jack Nelson and Riley Mahlman. Rumor is Heywood has already made a significant early impression and could open the season as the Badgers’ second-team left tackle.

The Badgers also enter with a significant talent base at both linebacker positions. But Heiberger’s athleticism has reportedly stuck out throughout the offseason and should give him Day 1 snaps on special teams.

Importantly, both players project to be impact starters in the years to come. But it’s rare that true freshmen see the field and contribute immediately. If things hold, Wisconsin could have multiple do so in 2024.

It already appears that Luke Fickell found a few gems in the 2024 cycle, with more players sure to emerge as the 2024 season gets underway.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025, meanwhile, ranks No. 13 in the nation and No. 5 in the Big Ten after landing Wilnerson Telemaque on Tuesday. The class is a terrific follow-up to Fickell’s record-breaking 2024 cycle. Both mark a bright future for the Badgers.

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

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Wisconsin a finalist for top 2025 offensive lineman Hardy Watts

Wisconsin a finalist for top 2025 offensive lineman Hardy Watts

Wisconsin made the final schools for four-star class of 2025 offensive lineman Hardy Watts on Saturday.

The Badgers were included in his list of final three along with Clemson and Michigan.

Related: Wisconsin class of 2025 vaults up national rankings after addition of four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr.

Watts is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 217 player in the class of 2025, No. 12 interior offensive lineman and No. 1 recruit from his home state of Massachusetts. He is coming off visits to Clemson and Wisconsin on June 2 and June 7 respectively, and still has a trip planned to Michigan for June 21.

While the Badgers appear to still be in the running to land the top-ranked lineman, 247Sports does have one crystal ball prediction logged for him to choose Clemson. That prediction came on June 12 from Clemson insider Austin Hannon.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 recently took a big step forward after the additions of four-star LB Mason Posa and four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr. It now has 19 total commitments, five of which from blue-chip players. The class is an impressive follow-up performance by Luke Fickell and his staff after finishing the 2024 cycle with a top-25 class.

The group could rise even further in the Big Ten and national rankings with a possible commitment from Watts. He is one of the program’s highest-ranked remaining targets in the class.

It’s worth monitoring the top lineman’s recruitment as he nears a decision between the three finalists. Wisconsin should still have a late chance at landing a commitment.

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

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Saints restructure Taysom Hill’s contract, opening up a lot of salary cap space

The New Orleans Saints restructured Taysom Hill’s contract, opening up a lot of salary cap space. What could be their next move?

This is interesting. ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reports that the New Orleans Saints restructured Taysom Hill’s contract, opening up a lot of salary cap space; after drifting near $5 million in cap clearance by signing their rookie draft class and a couple of veteran free agents, they’re now in the clear by $12 million.

The Saints did this, per Terrell, by converting $8.79 million of Hill’s base salary into a signing bonus that will be paid out over subsequent years for accounting purposes. Hill went from owning the second-highest salary cap hit on the team ($15.7 million) to sixth-highest ($9.1 million). The team went from ranking 32nd in cap space to 22nd, so this may have just been about creating more breathing-room.

But what if there’s another shoe about to drop? Recommitting to Hill and making it tougher to trade or release him in the future wasn’t done for nothing. Maybe the Saints are working on a trade or big (relative to June) free agent signing. More likely is that they’re working on extensions with some players in the building. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are ineligible to sign new deals until March 2025, but guys like Paulson Adebo, Pete Werner, and Alvin Kamara might make sense if they’re part of the long-term vision for the team. Stay tuned.

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Alontae Taylor ranked top-five among NFL slot corners

Alontae Taylor is already ranked top-five among NFL slot corners at Touchdown Wire, but he has plenty of room to grow:

It was a rough first season in the slot at times for Alontae Taylor, but Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar saw enough to rank the New Orleans Saints defensive back top-five among slot specialists around the NFL.

The Saints asked a lot of Taylor after he lined up out wide almost exclusively in college and his first season in the NFL. Farrar found that Taylor logged more snaps in the slot than almost anyone else in pro football last season, and while he had to take some lumps, the potential is there for him to develop into a top-flight defender.

Here’s why Farrar is so high on the third-year Saint:

The Saints have a nice loaded cornerback room with Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and 2024 second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry. But when it came to slot coverage in 2023, nobody in New Orleans did it better than Alontae Taylor, the 2022 second-round pick from Tennessee. Taylor had 460 slot coverage snaps, fourth-most in the NFL, and he allowed 65 catches on 96 slot targets for 672 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, 10 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 93.8. He also had one sack and three total pressures from the slot.

Why is a player with an opponent passer rating allowed of 93.8 Top 5 on any list? Because while Taylor was out of phase at times, he also showed more than enough reps as a top-tier slot match defender on everything from quick-game routes to deep end zone fades against speed receivers.

Farrar pointed to a couple of highlight reel-worthy plays in coverage from Taylor as proof of his high ceiling, like this interception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17:

Still, Farrar acknowledged that Taylor must show more consistency if he’s going to meet that ceiling. He allowed more catches and yards in the slot than anyone else in the NFL last season, and the Saints benched him twice after he struggled to execute his assignments. But the ability is clearly there. Can he build on his experience in 2023? We’ll find out soon enough.

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Broncos’ Sean Payton ranked 16th among NFL head coaches

Touchdown Wire ranked Sean Payton 16th among NFL head coaches. The list of coaches ranked above him includes Shane Steichen and Zac Taylor.

Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey recently released his rankings for the top head coaches in the NFL, ranked 32nd (last) to first. On his rankings, Andy Reid, Sean McVay, and Mike Tomlin are his top three. Jerod Mayo, Matt Eburflus, and Dennis Allen are the bottom three.

However, squarely in the middle is Denver Broncos head man Sean Payton, who ranks 16th. While many would probably put the one-time Super Bowl champion a bit higher, Bailey isn’t using the days of way back to dictate his rankings of Payton. His reasoning? Two words: Bo Nix.

“I wish I could just write “Bo Nix” and move on because that’s basically my thoughts on the Broncos,” Bailey wrote. “I don’t want to hear about a “Sean Payton bump” either — he had plenty of seven and eight-win seasons with Drew Brees. Denver is going to be bad, and Payton will still be around, but it’s okay to acknowledge that this isn’t 2009 Sean Payton anymore.”

Is this true? Only time will tell. Payton knew that this would be a rebuilding project, and the Broncos’ giving Payton a five-year deal shows they are committed to providing time and resources to their head coach. Let’s see if Nix and Payton can take the Broncos to new heights in 2024.

To view Bailey’s complete NFL coach rankings, visit Touchdown Wire.

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Where Wisconsin’s class of 2025 ranks after Jahmare Washington commitment

Where Wisconsin’s class of 2025 ranks after Jahmare Washington commitment

Wisconsin football’s class of 2025 landed three-star cornerback Jahmare Washington on Sunday. His commitment is the first from the program’s June 7 official visit weekend and brought the class to 15 commitments.

The addition of Washington moved Luke Fickell’s group to No. 13 in the 247Sports composite. It remains No. 4 in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State (No. 1 overall), USC (No. 4) and Penn State (No. 12).

Related: Ranking the highest rated recruits in the history of Wisconsin football

Wisconsin’s upward trajectory in the class is noteworthy after the program finished the 2024 class No. 25 in the nation with a blue-chip percentage of 50%.

However, Fickell’s 2025 group currently lacks the top-end talent he finished the 2024 cycle with. The Badgers have only one 247Sports composite four-star player committed: offensive tackle Logan Powell.

That 2024 group had commitments from the class’ No. 4 and No. 13 offensive tackles, the No. 21 and No. 26 defensive tackles and the No. 26 edge rusher. The group was top-down one of the program’s best ever. Significantly, it landed top-end talent at the most important positions on the field.

This 2025 class still has a long way to reach that mark. Its top commits are the class’ No. 25 offensive tackle, No. 43 wide receiver, No. 31 offensive tackle, No. 35 offensive tackle, No. 40 cornerback, No. 60 linebacker and No. 46 cornerback.

Importantly, neither the 2024 nor 2025 class has a commitment from a top-end, difference-making quarterback. The 2024 class brought Mabrey Mettauer, who finished the cycle as the No. 52 QB in the class, while the 2025 group has a commitment from three-star Landyn Locke, the No. 50 signal caller in the class.

Luke Fickell has built a strong foundation in the class of 2025. More difference-making commitments are needed before calling it one of his best.

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

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247Sports ranks Wisconsin football’s net 2024 transfer portal haul

247Sports ranks Wisconsin football’s net 2024 transfer portal haul

Wisconsin football’s 2024 transfer portal cycle — including both incoming and outgoing transfers — was ranked No. 9 in the Big Ten by 247Sports.

The Badgers welcomed in 16 transfers with an average rating of 88.29, and saw 23 players depart. That led to a 2.44 overall ‘net rating gain’ according to the recruiting service.

Related: Predicting week-by-week College GameDay locations during 2024 college football season

The Badgers fell behind Ohio State at 5.62, Purdue at 5.07, Nebraska at 3.89, Iowa at 3.57, Oregon at 3.4, Illinois at 2.78, Penn State at 2.72 and Minnesota at 2.55.

More context is obviously necessary, as each team’s incoming and outgoing transfers are often more significant than a number can represent. For example, Wisconsin lost several starters and key contributors from the 2023 team (WR Chimere Dike, WR Skyler Bell, DL Gio Paez). But the program is in the process of turning over the wide receiver room and is well-equipped to deal with the departures. There’s that, and there’s the highly-ranked backups who haven’t lived up to their recruiting ranking (five-star OT Nolan Rucci, four-star QB Nick Evers).

Meanwhile, nearly every incoming transfer is set to start or play a significant role for the 2024 Badgers.

It’s clear that Wisconsin’s portal haul does not compare to Ohio State landing stars S Caleb Downs and RB Quinshon Judkins, or Oregon landing top QB Dillon Gabriel. But in terms of 2024 impact, it should finish higher than No. 9 in the Big Ten.

 

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

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Where Wisconsin basketball’s class of 2025 ranks after Will Garlock commitment

Where Wisconsin basketball’s class of 2025 ranks after Will Garlock commitment

Wisconsin basketball landed a commitment from three-star class of 2025 in-state center Will Garlock on Saturday.

Garlock is the program’s second commitment in the class, joining three-star shooting guard Zach Kinziger. His commitment moves the Badgers’ group up to No. 5 overall in 247Sports’ national rankings.

Related: Ranking the highest rated recruits in the history of Wisconsin football

Wisconsin is one of only a few programs with more than one commitment in the class. Providence is ranked No. 1 with two commits (one four-star, one five-star), South Carolina is No. 2 with three commits (one four-star), Georgia Tech is No. 2 with two commits (one four-star) and Iowa State is No. 4 with two commits (one four-star). Wisconsin, then, is at No. 5 with two three-star players committed.

Things will change as the efforts in the class of 2025 continue. But Wisconsin has established a solid foundation at this early stage in the cycle.

The commitment from Garlock figures to conclude what has been an eventful offseason for Greg Gard and his coaching staff. They saw top contributors Tyler Wahl (graduation), A.J. Storr (transfer portal) and Chucky Hepburn (transfer portal) all depart after the 2023-24 season. Then the Badgers responded by landing transfers PG Camren Hunter, G John Tonje and F Xavier Amos, and now Garlock.

The class of 2025 will not join the program until the 2025-26 basketball season. The Badgers just welcomed their class of 2024 onto campus, a group led by top point guard Daniel Freitag.

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

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