Inside Camp Randall
Since fall camp coverage dominated this week, we’ll start with Wisconsin football and some insider observations from practices from John Veldhuis:
The Badgers are still trying to sort out a few starting spots on their offensive line, but those position battles have overshadowed some of the growth that I've seen from the younger guys who have only been in the program for a year or so.
Jacob Maxwell, in particular, has stood out to me, particularly in the team's one-on-one blocking drills, where they go down the line and pit an offensive player and a defensive player against each other for a few seconds. Maxwell, a redshirt freshman, has more than held his own in that drill, and seems to have reaped the benefits of adding 14 pounds in the offseason. Maxwell has even taken one or two reps with the first team, subbing in for Tyler Marz for a few plays after he false started once during team drills.
It didn't surprise me to hear that Joe Rudolph has been impressed with his work, even if he's not threatening to take Marz's job away. Maxwell has come a long way since last fall, when he had a meeting with Gary Andersen and his parents and was close to leaving the team. He's a year away from really contributing, but he could end up as a three-year starter at left tackle when all is said and done.
Moving down the line, it's important to underscore how much Jon Dietzen stands to gain from enrolling early in the spring. He looks much more comfortable now, and has pulled his weight in the reps he's been given, whether they're on the first team or the second team. My hunch is that the Badgers might put him on the Dan Voltz/Michael Deiter plan: get him ready to play, bring him to road games, but preserve his redshirt if possible. That plan worked out pretty well for Voltz and Deiter, the latter of whom has locked up a starting spot on the line a week into camp as a redshirt freshman.
It will be interesting to see what the Badgers decide to do at right tackle, although their hand might be forced if Hayden Biegel misses more than a few days with his head injury. Beau Benzschawel has been working with the first team in his stead, so he could close the gap or take the lead in the position battle if he plays well over their next few practices. But in the reps they've taken I'm not sure how much daylight there is between them, so this position battle is shaping up to be the most interesting one to watch over the next three weeks.
In the end the Badgers will still have to smooth out the edges of their offensive line this year, since they're really starting to feel the effects of losing four scholarship linemen to attrition over the last few years. But in the long term I think the Badgers will end up pretty happy with their starting lineup for the next few years — there's some promising young talent in the pipeline, and this group could end up playing together for three seasons if the right pieces fall in to place.
Two at the top for Rand?
A recent scholarship offer from Stanford was supposed to halt Wisconsin’s momentum with four-star defensive tackle Garret Rand, who was thoroughly impressed after taking an unofficial visit this summer.
Talking with people close to his recruitment, however, we’re told the Cardinal and the Badgers are currently running neck-and-neck. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound prospect from Arizona, we’re told, is intrigued by what both schools offer academically. He’s in no hurry to make a decision, and both schools — along with a few others — are expected to get official visits this fall.
A closer look at Stanford’s offer list shows its staff put out a recent tender to Jovan Swann. The Cardinal also currently have two commitments at the position from Bo Peek and Michael Williams, something that could work in UW’s favor. Need at tackle, strong academics and a family connection to the state could very well be enough to secure Rand’s commitment, though there is still a long way to go.
UW currently has one pledge from a tackle in the current cycle from in-state standout Tyler Biadasz.
Two running backs in 2016?
This scenario has been kicked around all summer, and the more people we talk to the more it sounds like the staff is leaning towards taking two scholarships backs in this class. Corey Clement could very well leave early for the NFL and the staff really doesn’t know what it has in Caleb Kinlaw and Serge Trezy. The need for added depth has become more apparent this fall.
First and foremost: Current commit Antonio Williams is not at all bothered by this scenario and figures he’ll be ahead of the curve by arriving early next January. Talking with the four-star prospect, he has no problem with added competition.
Theo Anderson was supposed to commit earlier this month — likely to Pittsburgh — but bumped his decision back. We’re told he’s still in some contact with the staff after taking an unofficial visit this summer, but he’s likely not the prospect(s) John Settle is most seriously after. We’re told there’s a number of national options Settle is evaluating — both committed and uncommitted — and there’s a very good chance one or two names will surface for official visits after fall camp.
One player we’re told to keep an eye on is Chawntez Moss, a current Pitt commit. Moss makes sense for a few reasons: The 5-foot-11, 202-pound prospect from Ohio is from an area Wisconsin has had success in on the recruiting front. Secondly, Settle is familiar with Moss during his time on staff at Pitt. Again, he’s just one of a handful of potential candidates.
Schaffer names a top 3
Three-star defensive end Thomas Schaffer recently released a top three to Rivals.com of Wisconsin, Stanford and Oregon. From that group, Schaffer has only visited Madison unofficially, but we’re told the chance to play on the west coast, particularly at a school with an academic reputation like Stanford, could be tough to turn down.
"Wisconsin, being the only school (in the top three) that I have actually visited, I like the atmosphere and just everything about it. It is a great place," Schaffer told Rivals.com. "I got to spend the whole day and the campus is beautiful. The facilities are really great, and the same with the coaching staff. It just felt like a place I would feel comfortable being at.
"My only contact with Oregon and Stanford was with the coaches, however it was a really good interaction I had with the coaches. The coaches showed me the feeling at those places is more of a family and an environment I want to be in."
That said, Schaffer hasn't been shy about his love for former Badger J.J. Watt. The Badgers could sell that during his official visit, as well as how well he’d fit in a 3-4 scheme.
A look at official visitors
At this point, Wisconsin has secured official visits from uncommitted prospects Armunz Mathews, K.J. Sails, Ke'Shan Pennamon and Carlos Becker, in addition to committed prospects Dallas Jeanty, Kare’ Lyles and Williams.
The next official visitor to add his name to the list could very well be Eric Burrell, who is seriously looking at four schools. The Badgers are certainly trending in the right direction for the four-star defensive back, who is building a strong relationship with Lyles, Williams, Jeanty and Patrick Johnson.
Rumblings about Bo Ryan
I’ll start by saying the following piece of info has not been confirmed by anyone and is ONLY talk/speculation at this point. But we were told in July during the live evaluation period that Ryan, who has went out of his way to position Greg Gard as his successor, could back away from his head coaching duties right before the season starts in an attempt to force Barry Alvarez’s hand. Gard would then take over Ryan’s responsibilities and essentially be guaranteed a one-year trail run as head of the program.
This scenario is not something I would ever officially “report” because I don’t feel strongly about the sources. But in the context of this writing within the Den in a message board setting, I felt it’s an interesting twist and something to consider. That said, it certainly wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Ryan coach for another handful of years in Madison. The 67-year-old recently left the door open for a potential return past the 2015-16 season.
"Everybody kind of thinks they know when they're ready to retire, or step aside. I'm not totally sure, Barry said I could change my mind at any time,” said Ryan, according to Post-Crescent Media. “I haven't submitted any papers yet. I haven't submitted anything. As I was telling someone earlier, some of the offers these people made tonight, they made some offers I can't refuse. So I might stay for another four or five."
More from Garfield Heights
Last week wew talked about a potential package deal with 2016 high school teammates Willie Jackson and Frankie Hughes, who both have an offer from the Badgers. We noted that adding both to this class wasn't realistic because of Wisconsin's need for a point guard and the limited scholarships available for Ryan and his staff. Now we're told that Minnesota is also not in a position to take both, as Hughes is of much higher priority in comparison to Jackson.
At this point, Penn State could be the top option should the duo want to pursue that route. The Nittany Lions are in Hughes' top 10 and Jackson already has a visit set to Happy Valley.
Since fall camp coverage dominated this week, we’ll start with Wisconsin football and some insider observations from practices from John Veldhuis:
The Badgers are still trying to sort out a few starting spots on their offensive line, but those position battles have overshadowed some of the growth that I've seen from the younger guys who have only been in the program for a year or so.
Jacob Maxwell, in particular, has stood out to me, particularly in the team's one-on-one blocking drills, where they go down the line and pit an offensive player and a defensive player against each other for a few seconds. Maxwell, a redshirt freshman, has more than held his own in that drill, and seems to have reaped the benefits of adding 14 pounds in the offseason. Maxwell has even taken one or two reps with the first team, subbing in for Tyler Marz for a few plays after he false started once during team drills.
It didn't surprise me to hear that Joe Rudolph has been impressed with his work, even if he's not threatening to take Marz's job away. Maxwell has come a long way since last fall, when he had a meeting with Gary Andersen and his parents and was close to leaving the team. He's a year away from really contributing, but he could end up as a three-year starter at left tackle when all is said and done.
Moving down the line, it's important to underscore how much Jon Dietzen stands to gain from enrolling early in the spring. He looks much more comfortable now, and has pulled his weight in the reps he's been given, whether they're on the first team or the second team. My hunch is that the Badgers might put him on the Dan Voltz/Michael Deiter plan: get him ready to play, bring him to road games, but preserve his redshirt if possible. That plan worked out pretty well for Voltz and Deiter, the latter of whom has locked up a starting spot on the line a week into camp as a redshirt freshman.
It will be interesting to see what the Badgers decide to do at right tackle, although their hand might be forced if Hayden Biegel misses more than a few days with his head injury. Beau Benzschawel has been working with the first team in his stead, so he could close the gap or take the lead in the position battle if he plays well over their next few practices. But in the reps they've taken I'm not sure how much daylight there is between them, so this position battle is shaping up to be the most interesting one to watch over the next three weeks.
In the end the Badgers will still have to smooth out the edges of their offensive line this year, since they're really starting to feel the effects of losing four scholarship linemen to attrition over the last few years. But in the long term I think the Badgers will end up pretty happy with their starting lineup for the next few years — there's some promising young talent in the pipeline, and this group could end up playing together for three seasons if the right pieces fall in to place.
Two at the top for Rand?
A recent scholarship offer from Stanford was supposed to halt Wisconsin’s momentum with four-star defensive tackle Garret Rand, who was thoroughly impressed after taking an unofficial visit this summer.
Talking with people close to his recruitment, however, we’re told the Cardinal and the Badgers are currently running neck-and-neck. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound prospect from Arizona, we’re told, is intrigued by what both schools offer academically. He’s in no hurry to make a decision, and both schools — along with a few others — are expected to get official visits this fall.
A closer look at Stanford’s offer list shows its staff put out a recent tender to Jovan Swann. The Cardinal also currently have two commitments at the position from Bo Peek and Michael Williams, something that could work in UW’s favor. Need at tackle, strong academics and a family connection to the state could very well be enough to secure Rand’s commitment, though there is still a long way to go.
UW currently has one pledge from a tackle in the current cycle from in-state standout Tyler Biadasz.
Two running backs in 2016?
This scenario has been kicked around all summer, and the more people we talk to the more it sounds like the staff is leaning towards taking two scholarships backs in this class. Corey Clement could very well leave early for the NFL and the staff really doesn’t know what it has in Caleb Kinlaw and Serge Trezy. The need for added depth has become more apparent this fall.
First and foremost: Current commit Antonio Williams is not at all bothered by this scenario and figures he’ll be ahead of the curve by arriving early next January. Talking with the four-star prospect, he has no problem with added competition.
Theo Anderson was supposed to commit earlier this month — likely to Pittsburgh — but bumped his decision back. We’re told he’s still in some contact with the staff after taking an unofficial visit this summer, but he’s likely not the prospect(s) John Settle is most seriously after. We’re told there’s a number of national options Settle is evaluating — both committed and uncommitted — and there’s a very good chance one or two names will surface for official visits after fall camp.
One player we’re told to keep an eye on is Chawntez Moss, a current Pitt commit. Moss makes sense for a few reasons: The 5-foot-11, 202-pound prospect from Ohio is from an area Wisconsin has had success in on the recruiting front. Secondly, Settle is familiar with Moss during his time on staff at Pitt. Again, he’s just one of a handful of potential candidates.
Schaffer names a top 3
Three-star defensive end Thomas Schaffer recently released a top three to Rivals.com of Wisconsin, Stanford and Oregon. From that group, Schaffer has only visited Madison unofficially, but we’re told the chance to play on the west coast, particularly at a school with an academic reputation like Stanford, could be tough to turn down.
"Wisconsin, being the only school (in the top three) that I have actually visited, I like the atmosphere and just everything about it. It is a great place," Schaffer told Rivals.com. "I got to spend the whole day and the campus is beautiful. The facilities are really great, and the same with the coaching staff. It just felt like a place I would feel comfortable being at.
"My only contact with Oregon and Stanford was with the coaches, however it was a really good interaction I had with the coaches. The coaches showed me the feeling at those places is more of a family and an environment I want to be in."
That said, Schaffer hasn't been shy about his love for former Badger J.J. Watt. The Badgers could sell that during his official visit, as well as how well he’d fit in a 3-4 scheme.
A look at official visitors
At this point, Wisconsin has secured official visits from uncommitted prospects Armunz Mathews, K.J. Sails, Ke'Shan Pennamon and Carlos Becker, in addition to committed prospects Dallas Jeanty, Kare’ Lyles and Williams.
The next official visitor to add his name to the list could very well be Eric Burrell, who is seriously looking at four schools. The Badgers are certainly trending in the right direction for the four-star defensive back, who is building a strong relationship with Lyles, Williams, Jeanty and Patrick Johnson.
Rumblings about Bo Ryan
I’ll start by saying the following piece of info has not been confirmed by anyone and is ONLY talk/speculation at this point. But we were told in July during the live evaluation period that Ryan, who has went out of his way to position Greg Gard as his successor, could back away from his head coaching duties right before the season starts in an attempt to force Barry Alvarez’s hand. Gard would then take over Ryan’s responsibilities and essentially be guaranteed a one-year trail run as head of the program.
This scenario is not something I would ever officially “report” because I don’t feel strongly about the sources. But in the context of this writing within the Den in a message board setting, I felt it’s an interesting twist and something to consider. That said, it certainly wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Ryan coach for another handful of years in Madison. The 67-year-old recently left the door open for a potential return past the 2015-16 season.
"Everybody kind of thinks they know when they're ready to retire, or step aside. I'm not totally sure, Barry said I could change my mind at any time,” said Ryan, according to Post-Crescent Media. “I haven't submitted any papers yet. I haven't submitted anything. As I was telling someone earlier, some of the offers these people made tonight, they made some offers I can't refuse. So I might stay for another four or five."
More from Garfield Heights
Last week wew talked about a potential package deal with 2016 high school teammates Willie Jackson and Frankie Hughes, who both have an offer from the Badgers. We noted that adding both to this class wasn't realistic because of Wisconsin's need for a point guard and the limited scholarships available for Ryan and his staff. Now we're told that Minnesota is also not in a position to take both, as Hughes is of much higher priority in comparison to Jackson.
At this point, Penn State could be the top option should the duo want to pursue that route. The Nittany Lions are in Hughes' top 10 and Jackson already has a visit set to Happy Valley.
Last edited:
