Wisconsin Badgers
Preview 2009 - Offense
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2009 CFN Wisconsin Preview |
2009 Wisconsin Offense
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2009 Wisconsin
Defense |
2009 Wisconsin Depth
Chart
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2008 UW Preview |
2007 UW Preview |
2006 CFN UW Preview
What you need to know:
As always, the Badgers will have one of the
nation’s best running games thanks to John Clay and Zach Brown
running behind the typical big, beefy line. Now there needs to
be some semblance of consistency in a passing game that
struggled through lousy quarterback play and little from the
wide receivers last season. Dustin Sherer has the quarterback
experience after starting throughout the second half of last
year, but Curt Phillips has the mobility and the talent. The
tight ends, led by Garrett Graham, will be the stars of the
passing game, and now it’ll be up to wide receivers David
Gilreath, Isaac Anderson and Nick Toon to do more. The starting
five on the line will be fantastic, but it’ll be a disaster if
the backups have to step in early on.
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Returning Leaders
Passing: Dustin Sherer
104-191, 1,389 yds, 6 TD, 5 INT
Rushing: John Clay
155
carries, 884 yds, 9 TD
Receiving: Garrett Graham
40
catches, 540 yds, 5 TD
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Star of the offense:
Sophomore RB John Clay
Player who has to step up and
become a star: Senior QB Dustin Sherer
Unsung star on
the rise: Junior TE/H-Back Lance Hendricks
Best pro
prospect: Clay
Top three all-star candidates: 1)
Clay, 2) TE Garrett Graham, 3) WR/RB/KR David Gilreath
Strength of the offense: Running Back, Tight End
Weakness of the offense:
Quarterback, O Line Depth
Quarterbacks
Projected Starter:
Senior Dustin Sherer had been a good practice player who was
this close to winning
the starting job at the beginning of 2007. He was beaten out by
Allan Evridge, but he took over midway through the season to
finish with 1,389 yards and six touchdowns along with five
interceptions. He completed 55% of his throws and was decent
within the hashmarks, but he struggled any time he had to get on
the move or if he had to drive a throw outside. At 6-4 and 217
pounds he has the size to go along with a decent arm, but the
big recruit out of Indiana isn’t going to run too often and will
have to work to get the starting job.
Projected Top
Reserve: Redshirt freshman
Curt Phillips was the Tennessee Player of the Year throwing for
5,418 passing yards along with 3,788 rushing yards and 64 scores
in his high school career. Now the 6-3, 215-pounder is pushing
hard for the starting job with the team’s best combination of
size, athleticism, and talent. The only thing keeping him from
being the unquestioned No. 1 is his consistency. Still a young
player, he has to prove to the coaching staff that he can take
care of the ball and not make plays to get beat.
Junior
Scott Tolzien is
technically in the hunt for the No. 2 job, but he’ll likely have
to wait until next year unless there’s a major meltdown. The
6-3, 202-pounder hasn’t shown enough in practices to stand out,
but he has a little bit of experience completing 5-of-8 passes
for 107 yards with an interception, and running for 13 yards and
a score in mop-up time.
True freshman
Jake Budmayr is a
6-1, 200-pound passer who got to school early to be a part of
the quarterback derby, but he suffered a groin injury and was
limited. He missed his entire senior year of high school because
he was hurt and will likely redshirt to get his timing back. He
doesn’t have a big arm, but it’s good enough to get by and he
has the upside to develop into a starter three years from now.
Watch Out For ... Curt Phillips to be the
starting quarterback sooner than later. The coaching staff will
go with Sherer early on because of his experience, but Phillips
is the one who could make the offense sing. Any inconsistency or
any big mistakes from Sherer will mean a quick hook.
Strength: Pro-style passers. There aren’t any
lightweights in this group with tall passers with good arms and
just enough mobility to get by. There might not be any huge arms
in the bunch, but getting the ball down the field isn’t an
issue.
Weakness: Production. The quarterback
play was a disaster last season with 11 touchdown and 11
interceptions, but the biggest problem was the lack of big
plays. Sherer and Allan Evridge never stepped into the moment to
come up with the key throw to turn the season around. Now that
Evridge is out of the picture, Phillips has to show that he
might be able to be the guy who can make things happen.
Outlook: Get ready for yet another Wisconsin song and
dance about the starting quarterback job. For the third straight
year there will be a controversy for the top spot with Dustin
Sherer the safe choice and Curt Phillips the obvious one.
Phillips brings more to the table because of his mobility, but
the coaching staff doesn’t want to deal with the down moments a
redshirt freshman would bring. However, it’s not like Sherer is
Sam Bradford.
Rating: 6.5
Running Backs
Projected Starters:
It took about a half a season, and then
John Clay showed why
he was one of the nation’s top running back recruits two years
ago. The 6-2, 247-pound sophomore has the look of the next great
Badger back with size and stunning speed; he was a star high
school sprinter who was good enough to be a part of the 4x100
Wisconsin state finals two years in a row. He had three 100-yard
games in the final four in the regular season finishing second
on the team with 884 yards and nine touchdowns with a
5.7-yard-per-carry average, highlighted by a 111-yard, one
touchdown day on just 14 carries against Michigan State. Not
used as a receiver, he only caught one pass for two yards, but
that will change with his increased role in the offense. He
hasn’t had to be a workhorse yet, carrying the ball more than 20
times just once, and he had a problem with an ankle injury this
spring, but he’ll play through the little stuff and should be a
lock for at least 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Fullback
will be a problem early on unless walk-on
Bradie Ewing is ready. The 6-1, 215-pound sophomore has mostly been
a special teamer and ran four times for 15 yards with a
touchdown. He’s a better runner than a blocker, and at his size
he’ll have to be a jack-of-all trades.
Projected
Top Reserves: Junior
Zach Brown might be one of the best No. 2 backs in America. He’s not
a typical Wisconsin thumper, but he’s a physical 5-11 and 208
pounds with tremendous quickness and burst. After running for
568 yards and four touchdowns in a season-saving 2007 campaign
he ran for 305 yards and three scores in a much limited role
last year. That’ll all change now that P.J. Hill is gone with
Brown able to use his breakaway speed and moves as a bit of a
change of pace from John Clay. With two years of experience,
he’s a smarter runner with more patience this spring.
Redshirt freshman Erik
Smith is the flash of lightning in the backfield. The 5-11,
200-pound redshirt freshman can be used as a receiver or a
running back with nice hands and fantastic wheels. He might not
power over too many defenders, but he’ll outrun almost everyone.
Watch Out For ... the combination of Clay
and Brown to combine for over 2,000 yards. The two backs will
break out now that P.J. Hill is gone, and the ground game should
be more consistent. Hill was a punishing runner who dominated
when everything was going well, but he was hurt too much to be
reliable. Clay and Brown will dominate at times.
Strength: Speed. Hill might have been quick, but he
didn’t have the wheels. Hill, Clay, and Smith could be the
fastest trio of backs in the Big Ten.
Weakness:
Fullback. A major positive last year with Chris Pressley and
Brent Rentmeester now becomes a big issue. Bradie Ewing will be
fine, but he’s not the typical Badger destroyer the running game
usually employs. Tight end Mickey Turner could end up in the
backfield.
Outlook: It’s Wisconsin, so the
running game was solid with a Big Ten-leading 211 yards per
game, but it didn’t control games as much as it should have.
With P.J. Hill’s ill-advised early jump to the NFL, the time is
now for Zach Brown to be an even bigger part of the attack while
John Clay will go from being a strong No. 2 to one of the
nation’s leading rushers. A top-blocking fullback needs to
emerge and the line has to undergo some changes, but Clay and
Brown will be the stars of the show.
Rating:
9.5
Receivers
Projected Starters:
It was a bit of a shocker when Travis Beckum chose to return for
his senior season, and while the top pro prospect (who was
drafted by the New York Giants in the third round) was a
disappointment because he was always hurt, his absence allowed
Garrett Graham to
shine through as a top tight end. Arguably a better pro prospect
than Beckum, the 6-4, 258-pound Graham has soft hands, great
route running ability, and unlike Beckum, he can block. Graham
led the team with 40 catches for 540 yards and five touchdowns,
but he was taken away by defenses late in the year when it
became apparent that the receivers weren’t going to do much on
the outside.
Junior
David Gilreath is a
tremendous return man who had a few big moments as a receiver.
While he averaged 16.8 yards per catch and was second on the
team with 31 grabs for 520 yards and three touchdowns, he wasn’t
consistent coming up with just one 100-yard day, catching four
passes for 125 yards against Cal Poly. More dangerous as a
runner than a receiver, he averaged 11.4 yards per carry with
285 yards and two scores highlighted by a dominant 168-yard,
two-touchdown performance against Indiana. He’s only 5-11 and
162 pounds, but he’s tremendously quick and tough for his size.
5-11, 180-pound junior
Isaac Anderson came on late last year to finish with 21
catches for 286 yards with 12 of the grabs coming in the final
three games and 114 yards coming against Minnesota. Injuries
have been an issue, missing the entire 2007 season hurt, and he
has yet to blow up into a top playmaker, but he has the speed to
do it. He's a decent-sized speedster who set the Minnesota state
record with a 10.94 100 meter dash.
Projected Top
Reserves: Sophomore Nick Toon, son of former UW
great, Al Toon, was never quite right with a hamstring problem
early on, but he came on late to catch 16 of his 17 passes in
the final five games. He averaged 15.1 yards per grab with a
touchdown catch against Cal Poly, and now he’s due for a huge
year after a monster offseason. At 6-3 and 215 pounds with good
speed he has the talent, and while he's not his father, he could
be this year’s breakout star.
There’s no questioning the
talent or the ability of junior
Kyle Jefferson, but the 6-5, 180-pounder, who caught 14 passes for
189 yards, has been the victim of two kill shots over the last
two seasons getting blasted in the 2007 Michigan State game and
nailed in last year’s win over Minnesota. He’s a tall, tough
target who hasn’t been afraid in the past to go across the
middle, but after two major concussions he, understandably,
might have problems being the same player.
The Badgers love
to go with a two-tight end system, and while
Lance Kendricks might
not be Travis Beckum, he’s a deep threat who should have a big
year. He only caught six passes for 141 yards, but he averaged
23.5 yards per catch with the speed to get deep and the wide
receiver ability to adjust to the ball. The 6-4, 248-pound
junior should be a big part of the offense at the H-Back.
Working along with Kendricks will be
Mickey Turner, an
H-Back who’ll spend time at fullback to use his blocking
talents. The 6-4, 250-pound senior only caught four passes for
46 yards and a touchdown, used mostly as a blocker, and now
he’ll see more time in a variety of areas.
Once he’s
healthy, after missing time this off-season, speedy
Daven Jones could
start to add more of a deep threat to the equation. The 6-1,
177-pound junior spent most of his time on special teams last
year but didn’t do anything on offense. Part of a two-time Ohio
state high school champion 4.x100 relay team, wheels aren’t an
issue.
Watch Out For ... Kendricks. The
offense loves to throw the ball to the tight end, and with every
defense focusing on stopping Graham, Kendricks should be one of
the team’s leading receivers.
Strength: Tight
end. It’s possible that the tight end situation won’t drop off a
lick despite losing Beckum. Graham and Kendricks are that good
and will be more than just safety valves.
Weakness:
Wide receivers. Gilreath is fine, but he’s better at running
than he is as a receiver. Toon could be the one who finally
gives the Badgers a wide receiver threat to make defenses worry,
but with Jefferson struggling to get his game back, and with
Anderson failing to break out, there’s not a lot to get excited
about.
Outlook: The Badger passing game doesn’t
have to be outstanding, but it has to be efficient and it has to
keep the chains moving. The tight ends, Garrett Graham and Lance
Kendricks, are fantastic, and there’s upside to the receiving
corps. However, there has to be more production from the outside
and more big plays. There’s speed with David Gilreath, Isaac
Anderson and Nick Toon all athletic, and it has to be used.
Rating: 7
Offensive Linemen
Projected Starters:
The biggest question going into last year was at center, where
all-star Marcus Coleman had to be replaced. Junior
John Moffitt stepped
in and was more than fine starting every game after working at
left guard for six games in 2007. At 6-4 and 313 pounds, he’s a
big blocker who is still improving and should be better with a
year of experience at the position.
The star of the line
is Gabe Carimi, a
6-8, 313-pound junior who has started 19 games over the last two
years at left tackle after filling in for Joe Thomas. A great
athlete for his size, he should be better in pass protection
than he was and was starting to grow into the job before
suffering a knee injury against Ohio State. After getting bigger
over the last year he should be stronger against the run, and
now he has to do more to keep the quarterbacks upright.
Needing to play up to his hype is
Josh Oglesby, a 6-7,
329-pound sophomore who was considered to be one of the nation’s
top recruits three years ago. It took him roughly two years to
get 100% healthy after suffering a knee injury in high school,
and he had a non-descript redshirt freshman campaign with three
starts. He has the size, the talent, and the athleticism to
become an all-star blocker. This has to be the year he breaks
through.
Stepping in for Andy Kemp at left guard will be
Jake Bscherer a former tackle who redshirted last year and now will
move inside. The 6-7, 310-pound junior was neck-and-neck for a
starting left tackle job before last year, but now he’ll be a
tall, athletic guard who has the experience and the talent from
a top prep résumé to be special in his new spot.
Junior
Bill Nagy had a solid
offseason and appears ready to be a steady cog up front at right
guard. At 6-4 and 307 pounds, he has the requisite size for a
Badger lineman and he got a start against Iowa when Eric Vanden
Heuvel was hurt. Versatile, he could step in at center if
needed.
Projected Top Reserves: Sophomore
Jake Current wasn’t a top recruit, but he was a good one who is one
of the team’s better reserves. Versatile enough to play guard or
center, the 6-4 and 290 pounder will back up John Moffitt in the
middle after spending the last year adding weight.
Working as the understudy behind Gabe Carimi at left tackle is
Ricky Wagner, a
redshirt freshman who came to Madison as a tight end and bulked
up to become an athletic tackle. While he needs a lot of work
and needs a ton of polish, the 6-7, 308-pounder will get a lot
of chances to show what he can do on the outside.
Watch Out For ... Oglesby. It’s impossible to overstate
just how tremendous a recruit he was for the Badgers a few years
ago. There’s no questioning his potential and his size, but now
he has to be back to the same player he was before his high
school knee injury.
Strength: Size. As always,
Wisconsin has a monster line with more mega-sized players
replacing other mega-sized players. Anyone hovering under 300
pounds need not apply.
Weakness: Depth. The
pass protection has been a disaster over the last three years,
but the biggest problem going into this year is the backup
situation with nothing to count on right away. There are good
prospects and a lot of young players who should eventually be
solid, but there’s a lot of developing to be done.
Outlook: The Wisconsin O line has been getting by more
on reputation than on production over the last several years.
Yeah it’s big and yeah it’ll steamroll over most mediocre
defensive fronts, but it needs to be a lot better in pass
protection, a lot
better, it needs to be more consistent. Josh Oglesby needs to be
a new star at right tackle and Gabe Carimi will need to be more
consistent at left tackle, but the starting five will be more
than fine. However, it’ll be disaster time if there are any
injuries.
Rating: 7
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