Wisconsin enters 2023 with arguably its greatest wide receiver core of all time. If it isn’t the best, and I don’t know what year would rival this group, it’s undoubtedly the deepest.
Phil Longo’s offense could go as far as seven-deep during a game. The starting group of Chimere Dike, C.J. Williams and Will Pauling aren’t far removed from the second trio of Keontez Lewis, Bryson Green and Skyler Bell. Then with a few wildcards like Quincy Burroughs and Chris Brooks Jr., it’s a unit that may be the best on the team when the season comes to a close.
While there was a sizable influx of talent during the offseason, Dike still figures to lead the way for the unit. A recent watch list would agree, as the Waukesha, Wisconsin native was named to the Paul Hornung Award watch list for the most versatile player in college football.
On the ๐ for ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐ท๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ค@chimdk11 pic.twitter.com/6r75GXQCgD
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) August 3, 2023
The award has been given out since 2010. Notable former winners include Alabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2020, Purdue’s Rondale Moore in 2018, Penn State’s Saquon Barkley in 2017, Michigan’s Jabril Peppers in 2016 and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey in 2015.
Dike makes the list thanks to his part-time role as a return specialist. If he has a big season catching the football and a few splash plays on special teams, we could see the veteran Badger advance as a finalist.