Almost seven months have elapsed since the Wisconsin Badgers emerged victorious in the Pinstripe Bowl. Although the odds of a third straight bowl matchup against the Miami Hurricanes aren’t particularly favorable, the Badgers are still favored to extend one of the nation’s longest bowl streaks in 2019.
The Badgers were predicted to finish third in the Big Ten West by members of the media at the conference’s annual media event. Nebraska and Iowa were voted first and second place in the division, respectively. Michigan was selected as the favorite to win the conference championship.
Naturally, Wisconsin likely feels as though they have something to prove. Despite preseason College Football Playoff aspirations last year, the team dropped an early-season home game to BYU and never fully regained their footing.
The 2019 schedule features a tough stretch of matchups starting on September 21st with preseason favorite Michigan Wolverines and culminating five weeks later in Columbus, Ohio with a matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes in The Horseshoe. The next two games after the ensuing bye week? Consecutive matchups with Big Ten West Division favorites Iowa in Madison and a road trip to Lincoln to face the upstart Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Heading into fall camp, the team will look to build some continuity while returning numerous contributors from last season. Chief among them is All-American running back Jonathan Taylor, who is entering his junior season. Taylor is undoubtedly one of the nation’s premier running backs and will have an opportunity to repeat as the Doak Walker Award winner, at the very least.
Taylor led the nation in carries last year and was one of only three running backs to amass over 300 carries for the season. Wisconsin would be well-served to utilize Taylor as a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield to capitalize on defensive schemes designed to contain him. Taylor is a physical specimen and will be coveted at the next level and becoming a more viable receiving option will boost his draft stock after his time in Madison is over.
Former starting quarterback Alex Hornibrook was a graduate transfer to Florida State and Jack Coan should be considered the favorite to land the starting quarterback job heading into fall camp considering his collegiate experience.
Highly-touted true freshman Graham Mertz will look to win the job in fall camp and prove that he is the future at the signal-caller position for the Badgers. As an early enrollee, he showed flashes of brilliance which will undoubtedly lead to a faction of the fan base insisting he is named the day one starter. However, the coaching staff should be patient as it may take him some time to become acclimated to college football, but he is an extremely talented player capable of leading the team in the future.
The passing game was a notable problem for the program last year and Coan or Mertz will look to turn that into a strength this year.
Despite having a lackluster passing game in 2018, the pass catchers, themselves, were a bright spot on the unit. Wide receivers Danny Davis and A.J. Taylor will return to partner tight end Jake Ferguson. Davis and Taylor will look to improve on solid campaigns from a year ago. Jake Ferguson appears ready to take the next step and cement his place among the nation’s best tight ends. The issue with the receiving corps is depth.
The offensive line for Wisconsin is a strength for the team year in and year out. Although the team lost a significant amount of experience on the line, the program has no problem replenishing bodies in the trenches. Center Tyler Biadasz returns as the centerpiece of a deep unit featuring other talented and experienced players.
In direct contrast to the offensive line, the defensive counterpart enters 2019 with far more questions than answers. Depth was a concern last year and while that has been addressed, for the most part, presumed starters at defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk and Garrett Rand along with nose guard Bryson Williams will need to stay healthy if this team is to achieve its full potential.
Much like the defensive line, the linebacking corps is comprised of high-level talent and unproven depth. The unit features redshirt seniors at both outside linebacker and inside linebacker in Zack Baun and Chris Orr, respectively. The entire group has loads of potential and will need the veteran leadership these two present.
The secondary will likely be a strength of the Badgers this year as there is considerable talent at both cornerback and safety. Faion Hicks and Caesar Williams head into fall camp as the likely starters at corner while Eric Burrell and Scott Nelson will head up a talented safety contingent.
The special teams will likely be led by Collin Larsh at placekicker and Anthony Lotti at punter. Wide receiver Aron Cruickshank will look to reprise his role as a dynamic kick returner.
How far the team progresses will be determined during that arduous nine-week stretch during the middle of the season. Although Kent State and Illinois fail to appear as formidable opponents, Wisconsin has to approach the season one game at a time if they are to maximize their performances this year. The team has a nice balance of youth and experience that should allow them to be competitive in, what some may call, a transition year for the program.
2019 Wisconsin Badgers Football Schedule
8/30 (Friday) – at USF
9/7 – Central Michigan
9/21 – Michigan
9/28 – Northwestern
10/5 – Kent State
10/12 – Michigan State
10/19 – at Illinois
10/26 – at Ohio State
11/9 – Iowa
11/16 – at Nebraska
11/23 – Purdue
11/30 – at Minnesota
Written by Greg Atkins
