Robert Wheelwright
After recording just three catches for 26 yards in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Wheelwright was thrust into a feature role in the Badgers’ offense last year. With Melvin Gordon gone and Corey Clement often injured, UW was forced to turn to the passing game more often than it would have liked. Wheelwright looked great at the start of the season: sticky hands, long arms, the works. But against Illinois in late October, he suffered a broken fibula and nearly missed the rest of the year, barely making it back onto the field for the Badgers’ bowl game against Southern California. Now fully healthy, Wheelwright is expected to have a big impact on the UW offense.
Jazz Peavy
As his name would suggest, Peavy is one of the smoother members of the Badgers’ offense. Tight routes and quick cuts have allowed him to work his way onto the field as a starting wide receiver this year following the departure of Alex Erickson. In a backup role last season, Peavy solidified himself as a solid contributor with 20 catches for 268 yards. Those numbers might have been a little higher, too, had he not fallen victim to the “Calvin Johnson rule” in Wisconsin’s homecoming game against Northwestern in 2015. Peavy made the game-winning catch with just over 20 seconds remaining, but after much deliberation, the officials overturned the call and wiped the play from the record books. Now a starter, he’ll play a huge role on third down situations and in the flat, where he thrives.
Reggie Love
Love’s biggest play in his four-year career with the Badgers was a 45-yard end-around touchdown to open the scoring against LSU in 2014. He has rare speed, but isn’t an especially consistent receiver. He’ll likely stay in his role as a change-of-pace player, taking the occasional handoff on the outside to try to catch the defense sleeping.
George Rushing
Rushing fell off the Badgers’ radar almost entirely last year, recording just one reception for 10 yards. With two years of experience with the team under his belt, his veteran leadership will be beneficial to the young crop of receivers the Badgers now have on the team. His effect on the field, however, could possibly be minimal.
Troy Fumagalli
The Badgers’ two-headed monster of Fumagalli and Austin Traylor was a huge asset last season until Traylor broke his arm and remained injured for the majority of the year. Fumagalli stepped up big-time to fill that void, and the players and coaches are confident that he can be their guy in 2016. Although most passes last year went the way of Erickson, Fumagalli managed a respectable 28 catches and 313 yards. Tight ends have played an integral role in Wisconsin’s offense over the past decade, and in order to find success with a new quarterback, it will need Fumagalli to continue that tradition.
Eric Steffes
In four years with the Badgers, Steffes has recorded just three catches for 50 yards. He is a student of the game, however, and knows the Wisconsin offense like the back of his hand. That knowledge should help him prepare for the limelight should Fumagalli go down.
