|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
The running game will be among the most effective in the nation with Heisman-candidate Anthony Davis healthy again operating behind a line with all five starters returning. The receiving corps will be fine even with the loss of Lee Evans, but QB John Stocco has to prove he can consistently get them the ball.
Star of the offense: Senior RB Anthony Davis
Player that has to step up and become a star: Sophomore QB John Stocco
Unsung star on the rise: Stocco
Best pro prospect: Senior G Dan Buenning
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Davis, 2) Buenning, 3) C Donovan
Raiola
Strength of the offense: Offensive line, running back
Weakness of the offense: Quarterback
Quarterbacks
Projected Starter
- John Stocco, Soph. - Stocco proved this spring to be the clear number
one finishing up with a with a great performance in the spring game hitting
12 of 18 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in only a half of work.
He has a very good arm and is accurate. When Jim Sorgi went down and Matt
Schabert was ineffective, Stocco came in and looked like a seasoned veteran
completing 10 of 17 passes for 123 yards on the year almost leading the
team to a late win against Iowa.
Projected Backups
- Tyler Donovan, RFr. - A good all-around athlete more in the mold of past
mobile Badger quarterbacks, Donovan showed that he could be an effective
number two quarterback this spring. He was a bit erratic, but he also made
some big plays.
- Matt Schabert, Sr. - Schabert threw one amazing 79-yard pass to Lee Evans
to beat defending national champion Ohio State, but that was about it proving
to be completely ineffective whenever he had to come in for Jim Sorgi. He
completed 33 of 65 pass for 441 yards and four interceptions and will now
transfer to D-IAA Eastern Illinois.
The Skinny: It's up to John Stocco as there's a huge drop-off between
him and the backups. He's a bit more mobile than Jim Sorgi and is a good
decision maker, so he should be more effective against pass rushers. Incoming
freshman Marcus Randle El will get a chance to be in the mix this fall.
Player to keep an eye on: Tyler Donovan ... Quarterback Rating: 5
Running Backs
Projected Starters
- Anthony Davis, Sr. - Last year was a frustrating one for Davis suffering
ankle injuries that never got quite right. He still ran for 682 yards and
seven touchdowns showing a speed burst and quickness that makes him a Heisman
candidate, but he was never himself. Now that he's healthy, he should have
a huge season behind the experienced offensive line. He's only seven yards
away from being the UW's all-time number two rusher.
- Matt Bernstein, Jr. - A fan favorite, the 264-pound Bernstein is a hard
nosed player as both a rusher and blocker. He ran for 120 yards as a short-yardage
back and caught eight passes for 79 yards, but he's in the lineup for his
sledgehammer blocking skills.
Projected Backups
- Booker Stanley, Soph. - Stanley was effective at times rushing for 523
yards and five touchdowns, but he lacks the speed burst of Davis and the
power of Smith.
- Greg Root, Jr. - The 262-pound Root has gotten bigger and will be a pure
blocking backup to Matt Bernstein at fullback. The former linebacker won't
see any carries.
- Dwayne Smith, Jr. - Smith proved to be an adequate fill-in for Anthony
Davis last year leading the Badgers with 857 yards and nine touchdowns highlighted
by a 207-yard day against Michigan State. He was a bigger more powerful
back than Davis, but he was nowhere near as talented. Unfortunately he.
was forced to give up football after being diagnosed with a heart disorder.
The Skinny: Anthony Davis has a legitimate shot at 2,000 yards if
he can stay healthy. The loss of Dwayne Smith hurts so it'll be up to Booker
Stanley to play an even bigger role along with sophomore Phillip Fuller.
Fortunately Davis is so good that the rushing attack will roll as well as
ever.
Player to keep an eye on: Booker Stanley ... Running Back Rating: 9.5
Receivers
Projected Starters
- Jonathan Orr, Jr. - Orr set a UW freshman record with 842 receiving yards
and eight touchdowns on 47 catches, but he fell off the map last year with
the return of Lee Evans only catching seven passes for 117 yards. It's his
job again now that Evans is gone, and the 6-3 junior should be one of the
top deep threats in the conference.
- Brandon Williams, Jr. - The former running back has grown into a fantastic
midrange receiver catching 49 passes for 649 yards and a touchdown last
year and has 101 career grabs. He isn't all that big at 5-11 and 175 pounds,
but he always gets open and is great on third downs.
- Tight end Tony Paciotti, Sr. - The 264-pound tackle/tight end is a physical,
experienced player used primarily for his run blocking only catching one
pass for 18 yards last year.
Projected Backups
- Darrin Charles, Sr. - A fantastic reserve player to have, the 6-6 senior
has made 45 catches over the last two years and should play an even bigger
role this season. He's a good route runner, but he's not the playmaker that
Brandon Williams and Jonathan Orr are.
- Brandon White, Jr. - The 6-3 White will try and work his way into the
rotation as one of the few backups with a catch. He made one grab for 17
yards last year, but has the athleticism and speed to become a factor.
- Brandon Tobias, RFr. - An intriguing prospect, Tobias was a top recruit
for the Badgers two years ago and has the skills to be a star. He's 6-5,
232 pounds and has good speed.
- Owen Daniels, Jr. - The former quarterback has grown into a good receiving
tight end finishing third on the team with 15 catches for 193 yards and
two touchdowns. Even though he's always able to get open, he's not much
of a blocker, so Jason Pociask will be the main reserve on running plays.
The Skinny: The loss of Lee Evans and his 1,213 yards and 12 touchdowns
won't hurt as much if Jonathan Orr becomes the player he was as a freshman.
Brandon Williams doesn't get much publicity, but he's the type possession
receiver coaches of running teams love to have. After Darrin Charles, the
depth is sketchy at best.
Player to keep an eye on: Brandon White ... Receiver Rating: 7
Offensive Line
Projected Starters
- Tackle Morgan Davis, Sr. - Davis learned on the fly last year at the all
important left tackle position and did a good job starting every game. He's
a 319-pound road grater in the traditional Wisconsin tradition and grew
into a more dominant player by the end of last year.
- Guard Dan Buenning, Sr. - Buenning has bulked up to 313 pounds and should
be on the short list for first-team All-Big Ten honors. He was a second
teamer last year starting every game for the second straight year. He's
among the best run blocking guards in the country and as tough as they come
with 37 career starts.
- Center Donovan Raiola, Jr. - Raiola, brother of former Nebraska star and
current Detroit Lion, Dominic, is the vocal leader of the line and the emotional
tone setter. He's also extremely talented earning honorable mention All-Big
Ten honors in his sophomore year. At 280 pounds he's a lightweight by Badger
standards, but he's among the strongest players on the line.
- Guard Jonathan Clinkscale, Sr. - Sort of the unsung member of the now
star-studded line, the 304 pound Clinkscale has been a steady performer
for the last three years and the starter for the last two. He could play
center if needed, but he'll stay at home at right guard.
- Tackle Mike Lorenz, Sr. - The Academic All-Big Ten performer has also
grown into an athletic tackle. After playing as a tight end, which is sometimes
the equivalent of a third tackle for Wisconsin, Lorenz took over the full-time
job at right tackle. His pass blocking improved as last year went on.
Projected Backups
- OT Joe Thomas, Soph. - He's not huge like other Badger tackles at "only"
283 pounds, but he's 6-8 and able to use his long arms and feet to pass
block far better than Mike Lorenz.
- OG Randy Gyllin, Soph. - He has yet to see any game action, but at 313
pounds he's one of the biggest of the reserve linemen and will be groomed
to take over the right guard spot for next year.
- C Jason Palermo, Jr. - The son of defensive line coach John Palermo, Jason
earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and proved to be a reliable reserve behind
Donovan Raiola.
The Skinny: This could be the best line in the Big Ten with all
five starters returning and a slew of decent backups. There are three legitimate
All-Big Ten candidates. With that said, this group has to be far better
in pass protection after allowing a whopping 37 sacks last year. Some of
that was the fault of the relatively immobile quarterbacks, but mostly,
they had generally had a hard time blocking anyone who wanted to blitz.
That should change this year with more experience.
Player to keep an eye on: Jake Wood ... Offensive Line Rating: 9
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The Trusted Name in Gaming | |||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |