As the Wisconsin Badgers football team roll their way through spring practice, they find themselves firmly cemented in the second year of the Luke Fickell era.
Gone are the inevitable distractions that come with the arrival of a high-profile head coach. With Fickell embarking on the second year of his Wisconsin experiment, the Badgers got back to business with a sense of familiarity and added experience.
After an underwhelming first year, Fickell is embracing the idea of making changes while growing on the foundations already built.
“We’ve done a great job embracing everything since we’ve been here, and you know there's a reality that we’re going to shake some things up,” Fickell said after the first spring practice on March 22. “We’re going to continue to do the things we need to do, but we’re going to create some more competitive situations and competitive spirit.”
Now 11 practices into Fickell’s second spring, it seems like a good time to assess what we’ve learned thus far.
The most followed storyline coming out of spring practice has been the quarterback battle between senior transfer Tyler Van Dyke and redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke. With Tanner Mordecai out of eligibility, Wisconsin will enter the season with a new quarterback.
Last spring, Mordecai, also a senior transfer, was the presumed starting QB during spring ball. But this year, Van Dyke has had to battle for his position as the transfer.
Van Dyke brings three years of experience from Miami, while Locke has only started three games in his career. Nevertheless, the two have engaged in an even battle for the starting role.
Van Dyke and Locke have rotated first-team duties at spring practices thus far. Both seem to have flashes of progress and playmaking, though inconsistency has mired both campaigns. It is believed that it will take all of spring practice to determine the starter.
But while uncertainty at such an important position could cause concern, Fickell seemed to be reveling in the competition.
“The best thing for us is to have a legitimate competitive battle. Some would say it’s better if you could name a starter at whatever position, in particular the quarterback,” Fickell said on Tuesday. “But I think it’s much better if you can continue to have a competitive battle because you’re going to find out what you’ve got because like last year, you’re probably going to need them both."
Staying on the offensive side of the ball, the slot receiver position has emerged as a group to keep an eye on. Trech Kekahuna has continued his steady climb to becoming a true slot receiver. Alongside Will Pauling, who is looking to build on his fantastic 2023 performance, Kekahuna’s speed and instincts will give Wisconsin a formidable slot team.
Offensive coordinator Phil Longo has talked extensively about his love for slot receivers, going as far as joking “the thing I love the most after my wife and my kids are slot receivers.” In an offense partly designed around the slot, Longo will have extensive weapons in Kekahuna and Pauling.
A cause for concern offensively would be Wisconsin’s relative lack of offensive line depth. While the first team of Jack Nelson, Joe Brunner, Jake Renfro, Joe Huber and Riley Mahlman is a very strong group, Wisconsin’s once-deep offensive line group seems to be a microcosm of its past.
With Trey Wedig and Nolan Rucci both hitting the transfer portal, Michael Furtney using the last of his eligibility and Tanor Bortolini leaving early to declare for the NFL Draft, new offensive line coach AJ Blazek has been left to experiment with its backup rotation. In a second team full of inexperience, JP Benzschawel is the most experienced backup, logging only 27 snaps. Benzshawel has emerged as a leader of the second team and has found time working with the first team as the spring has gone on.
As Wisconsin trudges on, they must build confidence in the rest of their backups, including Barrett Nelson, Kevin Heywood, James Durand, Kerry Kodanko and Peyton Lange. Wisconsin still has plenty of time before the season to gain confidence in its offensive line depth, but as it currently stands, the situation is more dicey than anyone would like to admit.
Defensively, coordinator Mike Tressel has used spring practices to familiarize recent transfers to his system. Over the offseason, Wisconsin took to the transfer portal to add immediate athleticism, bringing in linebackers John Pius, Jaheim Thomas and Leon Lowery.
Working with the outside linebacker group, Pius and Lowery have added an instant boost to the defense, applying constant pressure throughout the spring. Along with Darryl Peterson and Aaron Witt, Wisconsin’s outside linebackers have impressed.
Meanwhile, transfer cornerback RJ Delancey III has consistently boosted his stock as the spring goes on. His physicality and peskiness earned him time with the first unit. Delancey has been working on the outside, matching up with longer receivers.
With four spring practices remaining and 131 days until the regular season begins, Fickell has plenty of time to continue getting to know his squad.
