During the Wisconsin Badgers’ 14-6 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday the team had 11 seniors in the starting lineup–four on offense, five on defense and two on special teams.
Back in August the NCAA granted all fall athletes an extra year of eligibility, meaning that the seniors could return in 2021 if they wanted to and the year acts as a redshirt season for everybody on the roster.
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That decision of whether to leave or stay is still up in the air for some seniors on the Wisconsin football team, one of those players being defensive end Garrett Rand
“I’m still thinking about what my choices are,” Rand noted in a press conference today.
Other players including left tackle Cole Van Lanen, however, have already made the decision that this will be their final season in Madison.
“It was a bittersweet day today knowing that was my last game playing in Camp Randall,” Van Lanen said after Saturday’s loss. “I love it here and I love being a Badger… yeah that was my last game at Camp Randall but it’s not it’s not my last game as a Badger.”
Offensive lineman Jon Dietzen shares Van Lanen’s sentiment from Saturday, telling reporters today that “It feels like I got here yesterday and it’s passed in the blink of an eye.”
Rand, who still is weighing his options about next year, felt for his classmen that had just run out of the tunnel at Camp Randall for the last time.
“You never want to lose a home game,” Rand said “But I definitely felt for [Van Lanen] because I know he’s definitely going to leave and enter the draft.”
The Badger seniors now turn around and prepare for the final regular-season game of their careers against No. 19 Iowa.
We will then learn in due time how many players in the class return and play for Paul Chryst next season.
Indiana Recap: