After Wisconsin beat the University of Miami in the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl, you got the feeling the program had something special developing. The players and coaches looked calm and confident; the defense was relentless and the offense methodical.
In 2010, the Badgers returned most of their starters and began the year ranked No. 12. After a shaky start in the non-conference portion of their schedule and a loss at No. 21 Michigan State, the Badgers hit their stride, winning their final seven games of the regular season and turning into an offensive juggernaut. Even though they fell to TCU in the Rose Bowl, Wisconsin played well enough to win the game.
Since then, DE J.J. Watt and RB John Clay have announced their eligibility for the NFL draft and the Badgers lost defensive coordinator Dave Doeren, who left to become the head coach at Northern Illinois, and a couple position coaches as well. Including Watt and Clay, the Badgers will lose six starters on offense and five on defense. While the loss of 11 starters is by no means crippling, a lot of young players will have to step up if the Badgers plan to continue the success they had last season. Let’s break down Wisconsin’s roster position by position to see what kind of team Badger fans can expect in 2011. I’ll discuss the offense this week and focus on the defense and special teams for next Friday’s column.
Quarterback
The loss of starter Scott Tolzien to graduation could be a huge problem for the Badgers in 2011. Wisconsin’s 2008 campaign was unsuccessful largely because of poor quarterback play. Tolzien telegraphed throws every once in awhile and didn’t have the strongest arm, but for the most part he was smart, accurate and reliable.
The coaches seem to really like redshirt freshmanJon Budmayr, who was successful in limited opportunities backing up Tolzien as a freshman. Redshirt sophomore Curt Phillips was a highly regarded recruit and almost beat out Tolzien for the starting job in 2009 before tearing his ACL last spring. Freshman Joe Brennan will also get a look, but Budmayr is the early favorite.
2010 grade: B-
2011 outlook: weaker
Running Back
The Badgers haven’t had a poor running game since the early 90s, and last year was no exception. Clay, sophomore Montee Ball and freshman James White gave the Badgers three effective options in the backfield. Wisconsin was the only team in the country to have three 900 yard rushers. They had so much depth at the position that long-time third down back Zach Brown had to redshirt. He’ll return for his senior year in 2011.
Even without Clay, it’s tough to imagine this unit regressing. Ball was arguably Wisconsin’s best back during the second half of the season and White gives defenses fits with his outside speed. Brown should also be a reliable option. Junior fullback Bradie Ewing will also be back.
2010 grade: A
2011 outlook: same
Wide Receiver
If there was a disappointing unit on the 2010 Badger offense, it was this group. That said, they were by no means bad. Junior Nick Toon led the team in receptions and receiving yards in 2009, but missed three games and was slowed in several others in 2010 by a toe injury. He still finished second on the team in those categories in 2010. Opposite Toon, the Badgers rotated between redshirt freshman Jared Abbrederis and seniors Isaac Anderson and David Gilreath. Senior Kyle Jefferson was the team’s fifth receiver, but saw minimal playing time.
Toon and Abbrederis are the only returning receivers who saw the field with any consistency, so Badger fans should expect big things from them in 2011. No other receiver on the roster caught more than three passes in 2010, so the third and fourth receiver spots are wide open. The Badgers have a ton of young receivers on the roster, but the one that intrigues me the most is freshman Marquis Mason. Mason was recruited as a tight end, but his athleticism allowed the coaches to convert him to wide receiver. He’ll still be a bit raw come fall, but expect some eye-popping plays from Mason if he improves enough to see the field.
The Badgers will miss Gilreath’s kick returning abilities and Anderson’s reliability, but if Toon stays healthy he can be dynamic. Abbrederis should be a solid No. 2.
2010 grade: C
2011 outlook: marginally stronger
Tight End
Senior Lance Kendricks was the latest in a long string of playmaking Badger tight ends. He was easily Tolzien’s most reliable target throughout the season and led the Badgers in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. His blocking was noticibly better towards the end of the season. Kendricks was named a second team All-American and will probably end up playing a significant role in the NFL next fall.
Junior Jake Byrne and redshirt freshman Jacob Pederson both saw the field in 2010 and will be expected to carry the load in 2011. Byrne seemed like the better blocker, but Pederson was more active in the passing game. While neither is likely to replace Kendricks’ playmaking ability, they certainly won’t hurt the team in 2011.
2010 grade: B+
2011 outlook: weaker
Offensive Line
This unit was one of the nation’s best in 2010. Led by All-American seniors Gabe Carimi (LT) and John Moffit (LG), the Wisconsin offensive line absolutely mauled defenses during the second half of the regular season and were arguably the main reason why Wisconsin had a record-breaking year on offense. They struggled with TCU’s speed in the Rose Bowl, but still opened up plenty of holes for Ball and company.
It’s tough to replace pro calibur players like Carimi and Moffit, but the Badgers do return their other three lineman. Sophomore Peter Konz (center), junior Kevin Zeitler (right guard) and redshirt sophomore Ricky Wagner (played right tackle in 2010, but may switch to the left side in 2011) all had solid seasons and could find themselves in the NFL someday as well.
Sophomore Travis Frederick has the inside track to claiming the other starting guard spot, but the starting right tackle position seems to be up for grabs. Redshirt junior Josh Oglesby was a five-star recruit and has started at right tackle in the past, but character issues and injuries have sent him spiraling down the depth chart. If Oglesby can’t get it together, the Badgers have several gargantuan young tackles who might win the job, including redshirt freshman Casey Dehn (6-6, 317), freshman Rob Havenstein (6-8, 350) and redshirt sophomore Robert Burge (6-7, 316).
2010 grade: A+
2011 outlook: marginally weaker
Coaching
Offensive coordinator Paul Chryst had a fantastic season calling plays. He garnered some attention from bigger programs and the NFL in the offseason, but he’ll be back in 2011. Chryst made a couple of questionable calls in the Rose Bowl, but I’m sure he’ll learn from his mistakes and get better, as he always seems to do. The Badgers will be without running backs coach John Settle, who recently took the same position with the Seattle Seahawks.
2010 grade: A-
2011 outlook: same
