One week of camp in the books
The Wisconsin Badgers didn’t give a lot away during their first three practices of spring camp, in part because the team did very little 11-on-11 work and didn’t do any contact drills or 7-on-7 passing.
However, there are a few topics that got a little clearer during the first few practices. The first is that the mid-season rumors about Ryan Ramczyk’s dominance on the scout team were well-founded. The players seem to have been impressed with his work ever since he joined the team last fall, and he frustrated the likes of Joe Schobert and Vince Biegel when the linebackers took on the scout team during mid-season practices. It’s to the point where I’d be concerned about people over-hyping him — when you hear things about Ramczyk getting beaten for a sack just once during fall camp last year it seems like a lot to live up to. At the very least it seems like the Badgers are expecting a seamless transition at left tackle — all we need to see now is how well he holds up in full pads during team drills.
It also seems like the battle for the second cornerback spot is more lopsided than I expected it to be. The Badgers return just Sojourn Shelton in their defensive backfield, but it sounds like Derrick Tindal has a firm grasp on the other spot. I wouldn’t say I’m shocked, but it seemed like Natrell Jamerson came on strong at the end of last season so I thought there might be some competition there. But Tindal has taken every first-team rep across from Shelton that I’ve seen, and it looks like he’s definitely benefitted from playing early on in his career. The defensive backs have done almost all of their positional work inside the McClain Center and away from the media members in attendance, so Tindal is someone to watch once the Badgers start practicing against each other after spring break.
As for the quarterbacks, I’m sure it might be frustrating to see a lack of 11-on-11 work (or even 7-on-7 skeleton drills) if you were expecting the battle to kick off spring camp with a bang. But the coaching staff made the decision to do three developmental practices at the start of spring so they could really drill down on the fundamentals, and then see how the players responded after spring break. The players won’t say they’re in a direct competition (they prefer to say they’re competing against themselves) but it’s clear both Bart Houston and Alex Hornibrook believe they have a shot to win the job this fall, and how they perform after the break should give us a good look at who has the early edge.
If I had to pick one today, my guess would be that Houston will start out in front, but I don’t think he’s a shoo-in by any means. If Houston wins the job he’ll likely have to defend against a stern challenge from Hornibrook, who seems confident and more physically ready for the job now than he did this time last year. A season’s worth of work in the weight room and traveling with the team has shown him what it takes to be successful, and after the two quarterbacks traded first-team reps during the first week of camp it will be interesting to see how they perform in a scrimmage-like setting, throwing the ball against a live defense.
The Badgers are on spring break this coming week and practice resumes on Tuesday, March 29.
--John Veldhuis
Two big-time targets narrowing focus
March 23 will be a big date for the Wisconsin coaching staff, which will host four-star running back AJ Dillon. Earlier this week, the 6-foot, 228-pound junior trimmed his list to UW, Michigan, Florida State, Notre Dame and Virginia.
Though Dillon maintains his recruitment is open, sources close to him believe Notre Dame is currently the school to beat. The Irish played host to Dillon this weekend and his grandfather, Thom Gatewood, played for the university.
A final decision is expected in May after trips to Virginia and Florida State. The Seminoles already have a commitment at running back from four-star Zaquandre White and the Wolverines have a tailback pledge from three-star Kurt Taylor. UW, Notre Dame and Virginia do not have any prospects committed at the position.
Should the Badgers hit on one of their top running back targets such as Dillon, there’s a good chance the staff takes just one tailback in this class. Should Dillon commit elsewhere, C.J. Verdell could become a big target for the staff. The unranked junior from California has a number of offers from the West Coast. Justin Brown is another prospect to watch from the opposite side of the country (Connecticut). UW and Stanford are showing strong interest, among others schools.
Another four-star prospect who is moving towards trimming his list is quarterback Jack Coan, who was on campus this past weekend. According to a source close to Coan, UW was sitting well prior to the visit but almost certainly cemented a spot in his top group when it comes time to make cuts.
A big part of what Coan appreciated was the extensive time he spent with head coach Paul Chryst. Coan’s camp was impressed with Chryst’s background with quarterbacks and the projected fit in Wisconsin’s pro-style offense. The Rivals250 member bas been pretty quiet in regards to favorites, but UW and Northwestern appear to be high on his list.
“I feel like it’s going to come down to academics and also just comfort level,” Coan, who also recently visited Nebraska, told Rivals.com. “It’s just the feel I get for each campus. If I like the way the campus is, if I like all of the coaching staff, and if I like the way the players compete on the team. I think those will really be the main factors.
“It’s going to be really hard to make a decision because every school that I’ve gone to has been really nice. They all have things that I really like about them. It’s just going to be something that will be really hard, trying to decide on which school.”
Similar to the situation with Dillon, UW would likely sign just one quarterback in this class if it were able to hit on Coan, or one of its top-tier prospects (Lindell Stone and Myles Brennan). Again, still a long way to go before Signing Day, but spots are a bit tighter in the 2017 class.
Wisconsin jumps on Jennings early
The coaches at Brookfield Central High School expected Reggie Jennings to eventually earn offers from a handful of Big Ten schools and other universities across the Midwest. Chryst and Wisconsin wanted to get that process started this spring.
Earlier this week, UW extended an offer to the 6-foot-1, 210-pound prospect who, according to a coach at Central, could play either inside or outside linebacker at the next level. Central runs the same 3-4 scheme at Wisconsin and sophomore tape shows Jennings’ ability to get to the quarterback coming off the edge.
We’re hearing that a scholarship from Wisconsin meant a great deal to Jennings and his family, who took in a spring practice prior to the offer. The two-year varsity performer, though, is not a candidate for an early decision. The Badgers made a big impact early, but other schools will likely get involved this summer.
In-state tracker
*Four-star offensive lineman Tyler Beach picked up an offer from Notre Dame during an unofficial visit this weekend. Wisconsin and Michigan were the top schools prior to the scholarship, but now it’s a three-school race, according to a source. Northwestern and Michigan State are also in the picture, though each has a lot of ground to make up.
From Wisconsin’s point of view, the staff feels good about landing Beach but Michigan and Notre Dame pose a significant threat. A source closer to Beach’s side feels the four-star prospect already has a good idea of where he’s headed and that Michigan and Wisconsin were “neck and neck.” This was prior to Notre Dame’s offer, though.
Look for UW to try and get Beach on campus one more time, likely for the spring game on April 23, if not earlier.
*Kimberly defensive end Logan McCormick added an offer from South Dakota.
*Menasha offensive lineman Mohammed Elazazy picked up a scholarship from Eastern Michigan. Michigan and Stanford have also inquired.
*Madison West wide receiver Terrell Carey was offered by Wyoming.
More transfer talk
Running back Chris James’ transfer to Wisconsin appears imminent as he finishes out the spring semester at Pittsburgh. Hawaii transfer Nick Nelson seems to be in the same boat, according to the sophomore cornerback.
The Maryland native, who started 13 games at cornerback this past fall, has been granted his release. UW, according to a source, is the only school Nelson is seriously looking at right now and admission into the school is the final hurdle.
Wisconsin is currently sitting at 84 scholarships after some off-season attrition (ie: Hayden Biegel, Walker Williams and Arthur Goldberg). Room is available for both James and Nelson, though, and there isn’t a concern about the Badgers not having room or going over the 85-scholarship max.
Adding Nelson, who would have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2016 season, would certainly add some experience to a very young and thin unit. Shelton is taking part in his final spring camp with Tindal, Jamerson and Titus Booker all working for more reps.
Nelson, 6-foot, 200 pounds, had 53 total tackles (38 solo, 15 assisted), including 1.5 for loss and one sack in 2015. He also registered a team-leading 15 pass breakups, the second-highest total in the Mountain West and eighth-most in the NCAA.
Odds and ends
*Sophomore offensive lineman Andrew Todd visited Wisconsin this past week. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound prospect from Iowa already has an offer from Iowa State.
*2018 defensive back Kalon Gervin and a handful of Cass Tech teammates are on campus this weekend. Assistant coach Mickey Turner is trying to increase Wisconsin’s presence at the powerhouse school in Michigan.
*Recruiting talk has been quiet for the 2016 basketball class; certainly not a surprise during the Badgers’ tournament run. But the crop of unsigned talent was recently described by a Big Ten assistant coach (not from Wisconsin) as “awful.”
“There’s literally nothing out there,” the source said.
Newly-appointed head coach Greg Gard will certainly focus more on the senior class at the conclusion of the NCAA tournament, but don’t be surprised if the staff elects to bank the two available scholarships for the 2017 and even 2018 recruiting classes.
*Last but not least: some newly-released junior film of Minnesota guard Brad Davison:
The Wisconsin Badgers didn’t give a lot away during their first three practices of spring camp, in part because the team did very little 11-on-11 work and didn’t do any contact drills or 7-on-7 passing.
However, there are a few topics that got a little clearer during the first few practices. The first is that the mid-season rumors about Ryan Ramczyk’s dominance on the scout team were well-founded. The players seem to have been impressed with his work ever since he joined the team last fall, and he frustrated the likes of Joe Schobert and Vince Biegel when the linebackers took on the scout team during mid-season practices. It’s to the point where I’d be concerned about people over-hyping him — when you hear things about Ramczyk getting beaten for a sack just once during fall camp last year it seems like a lot to live up to. At the very least it seems like the Badgers are expecting a seamless transition at left tackle — all we need to see now is how well he holds up in full pads during team drills.
It also seems like the battle for the second cornerback spot is more lopsided than I expected it to be. The Badgers return just Sojourn Shelton in their defensive backfield, but it sounds like Derrick Tindal has a firm grasp on the other spot. I wouldn’t say I’m shocked, but it seemed like Natrell Jamerson came on strong at the end of last season so I thought there might be some competition there. But Tindal has taken every first-team rep across from Shelton that I’ve seen, and it looks like he’s definitely benefitted from playing early on in his career. The defensive backs have done almost all of their positional work inside the McClain Center and away from the media members in attendance, so Tindal is someone to watch once the Badgers start practicing against each other after spring break.
As for the quarterbacks, I’m sure it might be frustrating to see a lack of 11-on-11 work (or even 7-on-7 skeleton drills) if you were expecting the battle to kick off spring camp with a bang. But the coaching staff made the decision to do three developmental practices at the start of spring so they could really drill down on the fundamentals, and then see how the players responded after spring break. The players won’t say they’re in a direct competition (they prefer to say they’re competing against themselves) but it’s clear both Bart Houston and Alex Hornibrook believe they have a shot to win the job this fall, and how they perform after the break should give us a good look at who has the early edge.
If I had to pick one today, my guess would be that Houston will start out in front, but I don’t think he’s a shoo-in by any means. If Houston wins the job he’ll likely have to defend against a stern challenge from Hornibrook, who seems confident and more physically ready for the job now than he did this time last year. A season’s worth of work in the weight room and traveling with the team has shown him what it takes to be successful, and after the two quarterbacks traded first-team reps during the first week of camp it will be interesting to see how they perform in a scrimmage-like setting, throwing the ball against a live defense.
The Badgers are on spring break this coming week and practice resumes on Tuesday, March 29.
--John Veldhuis
Two big-time targets narrowing focus
March 23 will be a big date for the Wisconsin coaching staff, which will host four-star running back AJ Dillon. Earlier this week, the 6-foot, 228-pound junior trimmed his list to UW, Michigan, Florida State, Notre Dame and Virginia.
Though Dillon maintains his recruitment is open, sources close to him believe Notre Dame is currently the school to beat. The Irish played host to Dillon this weekend and his grandfather, Thom Gatewood, played for the university.
A final decision is expected in May after trips to Virginia and Florida State. The Seminoles already have a commitment at running back from four-star Zaquandre White and the Wolverines have a tailback pledge from three-star Kurt Taylor. UW, Notre Dame and Virginia do not have any prospects committed at the position.
Should the Badgers hit on one of their top running back targets such as Dillon, there’s a good chance the staff takes just one tailback in this class. Should Dillon commit elsewhere, C.J. Verdell could become a big target for the staff. The unranked junior from California has a number of offers from the West Coast. Justin Brown is another prospect to watch from the opposite side of the country (Connecticut). UW and Stanford are showing strong interest, among others schools.
Another four-star prospect who is moving towards trimming his list is quarterback Jack Coan, who was on campus this past weekend. According to a source close to Coan, UW was sitting well prior to the visit but almost certainly cemented a spot in his top group when it comes time to make cuts.
A big part of what Coan appreciated was the extensive time he spent with head coach Paul Chryst. Coan’s camp was impressed with Chryst’s background with quarterbacks and the projected fit in Wisconsin’s pro-style offense. The Rivals250 member bas been pretty quiet in regards to favorites, but UW and Northwestern appear to be high on his list.
“I feel like it’s going to come down to academics and also just comfort level,” Coan, who also recently visited Nebraska, told Rivals.com. “It’s just the feel I get for each campus. If I like the way the campus is, if I like all of the coaching staff, and if I like the way the players compete on the team. I think those will really be the main factors.
“It’s going to be really hard to make a decision because every school that I’ve gone to has been really nice. They all have things that I really like about them. It’s just going to be something that will be really hard, trying to decide on which school.”
Similar to the situation with Dillon, UW would likely sign just one quarterback in this class if it were able to hit on Coan, or one of its top-tier prospects (Lindell Stone and Myles Brennan). Again, still a long way to go before Signing Day, but spots are a bit tighter in the 2017 class.
Wisconsin jumps on Jennings early
The coaches at Brookfield Central High School expected Reggie Jennings to eventually earn offers from a handful of Big Ten schools and other universities across the Midwest. Chryst and Wisconsin wanted to get that process started this spring.
Earlier this week, UW extended an offer to the 6-foot-1, 210-pound prospect who, according to a coach at Central, could play either inside or outside linebacker at the next level. Central runs the same 3-4 scheme at Wisconsin and sophomore tape shows Jennings’ ability to get to the quarterback coming off the edge.
We’re hearing that a scholarship from Wisconsin meant a great deal to Jennings and his family, who took in a spring practice prior to the offer. The two-year varsity performer, though, is not a candidate for an early decision. The Badgers made a big impact early, but other schools will likely get involved this summer.
In-state tracker
*Four-star offensive lineman Tyler Beach picked up an offer from Notre Dame during an unofficial visit this weekend. Wisconsin and Michigan were the top schools prior to the scholarship, but now it’s a three-school race, according to a source. Northwestern and Michigan State are also in the picture, though each has a lot of ground to make up.
From Wisconsin’s point of view, the staff feels good about landing Beach but Michigan and Notre Dame pose a significant threat. A source closer to Beach’s side feels the four-star prospect already has a good idea of where he’s headed and that Michigan and Wisconsin were “neck and neck.” This was prior to Notre Dame’s offer, though.
Look for UW to try and get Beach on campus one more time, likely for the spring game on April 23, if not earlier.
*Kimberly defensive end Logan McCormick added an offer from South Dakota.
*Menasha offensive lineman Mohammed Elazazy picked up a scholarship from Eastern Michigan. Michigan and Stanford have also inquired.
*Madison West wide receiver Terrell Carey was offered by Wyoming.
More transfer talk
Running back Chris James’ transfer to Wisconsin appears imminent as he finishes out the spring semester at Pittsburgh. Hawaii transfer Nick Nelson seems to be in the same boat, according to the sophomore cornerback.
The Maryland native, who started 13 games at cornerback this past fall, has been granted his release. UW, according to a source, is the only school Nelson is seriously looking at right now and admission into the school is the final hurdle.
Wisconsin is currently sitting at 84 scholarships after some off-season attrition (ie: Hayden Biegel, Walker Williams and Arthur Goldberg). Room is available for both James and Nelson, though, and there isn’t a concern about the Badgers not having room or going over the 85-scholarship max.
Adding Nelson, who would have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2016 season, would certainly add some experience to a very young and thin unit. Shelton is taking part in his final spring camp with Tindal, Jamerson and Titus Booker all working for more reps.
Nelson, 6-foot, 200 pounds, had 53 total tackles (38 solo, 15 assisted), including 1.5 for loss and one sack in 2015. He also registered a team-leading 15 pass breakups, the second-highest total in the Mountain West and eighth-most in the NCAA.
Odds and ends
*Sophomore offensive lineman Andrew Todd visited Wisconsin this past week. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound prospect from Iowa already has an offer from Iowa State.
*2018 defensive back Kalon Gervin and a handful of Cass Tech teammates are on campus this weekend. Assistant coach Mickey Turner is trying to increase Wisconsin’s presence at the powerhouse school in Michigan.
*Recruiting talk has been quiet for the 2016 basketball class; certainly not a surprise during the Badgers’ tournament run. But the crop of unsigned talent was recently described by a Big Ten assistant coach (not from Wisconsin) as “awful.”
“There’s literally nothing out there,” the source said.
Newly-appointed head coach Greg Gard will certainly focus more on the senior class at the conclusion of the NCAA tournament, but don’t be surprised if the staff elects to bank the two available scholarships for the 2017 and even 2018 recruiting classes.
*Last but not least: some newly-released junior film of Minnesota guard Brad Davison:
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