The Wisconsin Badgers football team hosted their 13th spring practice of the year Saturday, playing primarily 11-on-11 for the duration. Luke Fickell and the Badgers no longer host a spring game between their offensive and defensive units, but Saturday came close.
Graduate transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (Miami, Florida) handled the majority of the first-team reps at practice, though redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke continued to get plenty of work as well.
Van Dyke connected for a pair of notable touchdowns to tight end Riley Nowakowski and wide receiver Tyrell Henry, while once again showing an improved understanding of Phil Longo’s offense.
With just a pair of practices remaining before spring workouts conclude, Van Dyke has proven capable of being the team’s primary option at quarterback in 2024.
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Wide receiver Trech Kekahuna has impressed throughout camp, and he made sure to show off his shiftiness on a handful of occasions while operating out of the slot wideout position on Saturday. With Will Pauling returning for another season, Wisconsin has a formidable duo in the slot.
At running back, both transfer Tawee Walker (Oklahoma) and true freshman Gideon Ituka produces scores on the ground. Familiar faces Chez Mellusi and Nate White churned out big gains.
On the defensive side, linebacker Darryl Peterson had a big day, getting to the quarterback and into the backfield on a semi-regular basis, showing his elite understanding of Mike Tressel’s defensive approach.
Transfer linebackers John Pius (William & Mary) and Leon Lowery (Syracuse) have been among the most notable additions to Wisconsin’s roster this season and they figure to make a significant impact in the pass rush in 2024.
Last but not least, safety Hunter Wohler is back for 2024, and he looks to build upon a 2023 campaign in which he led the team with 120 total tackles while also snatching a pair of interceptions. He has been just as effective this spring and was good for some show-stopping hits on the practice field Saturday.
The @BadgerFootball team’s 13th spring practice and last Saturday session was today 💨
Takeaways:
– QB Tyler Van Dyke has the upper hand in “first team” reps
– LB Darryl Peterson was constantly in the backfield
– RBs Tawee Walker and Nate White both with TDs@TheGameMadison pic.twitter.com/zImUz5xS7w
— Nick Bruesewitz (@NickBruesewitz) April 27, 2024
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