One more week of fall training camp remains before the Wisconsin Badgers begin the first official game-week preparation of the 2024 season.
That preparation, which is guaranteed to have already started, is for Friday, Aug. 30’s kickoff against the Western Michigan Broncos. Once that date arrives, the season sprint will be officially underway.
Related: Wisconsin Badgers game-by-game picks entering 2024 from ESPN FPI matchup predictor
For now, the Badgers have seven more days to put the finishing touches on their 2024 training camp. Those finishing touches include work to improve on both sides of the football — specifically adapting to Phil Longo’s and Mike Tressel’s respective offensive and defensive schemes. They will also include the finalization of a two-deep depth chart entering game week.
Many positions are already decided, including the starting quarterback just recently. But snaps remain up for grabs at several key positions, including outside linebacker, wide receiver, running back, defensive line and cornerback.
Big Ten Position Rankings: Quarterbacks — Running Backs — Wide Receivers — Offensive Lines — Tight Ends — Defensive Line — Linebackers — Cornerbacks — Safeties
After the recent training camp rumblings that several true freshmen could see the field in 2024, here is our updated two-deep depth chart projection for the Wisconsin Badgers entering the final week of fall training camp:
Quarterback
Starter: Tyler Van Dyke (transfer, Miami)
Backup: Braedyn Locke
Analysis: Van Dyke was officially named the starter on Wednesday. The news was a predictable end to his training camp battle with Locke. The veteran was brought in from Miami to start in 2024, and he’ll do just that.
Locke is a strong player to have as the backup, and he remains the program’s projected starter for 2025 and 2026.
Running Back
Starter (1a): Chez Mellusi
Backup (1b): Tawee Walker (transfer, Oklahoma)
Other Names to Know: Darrion Dupree (true freshman), Dilin Jones (true freshman), Jackson Acker, Cade Yacamelli
Analysis: Mellusi and Walker are the clear 1-2 tandem entering the season. I’d project Walker to eventually win the majority of the snaps as the season continues.
The training camp headline is the emergence of true freshmen Dupree and Jones. The former may be too talented to keep off the field this season, which is somewhat comparable to the 2017 training camp breakout of future superstar Jonathan Taylor.
Look out for Dupree as the season progresses. He’s the program’s future at the position.
Wide Receiver (X)
Starter: Bryson Green
Backup: Joseph Griffin Jr. (transfer, Boston College)
Analysis: Green is somehow becoming underrated entering the 2024 season. The veteran caught 32 passes for 480 yards and two touchdowns in a reserve role in 2023. His 7-catch, 105-yard, 1-touchdown bowl breakout gave a better glimpse at the things to come. He will lead the Badgers on the outside, with 6’4″ Boston College transfer Joseph Griffin Jr. also playing a big role.
Wide Receiver (Y)
Starter: C.J. Williams
Backup: Vinny Anthony, Quincy Burroughs
Analysis: This position is challenging to predict. It could be any combination of Griffin Jr., Williams (former top-100 recruit), Burroughs, Anthony, or Tyrell Henry (Michigan State transfer).
Wisconsin will rotate seven or eight receivers regularly. That will lead to many of the listed players seeing the field regularly, regardless of whether they’re the technical starter or backup.
Wide Receiver (slot)
Starter: Will Pauling
Backup: Trech Kekahuna
Analysis: This position can be written in pen. Pauling is arguably the offense’s best player and could lead the team in every receiving category. Wisconsin is hoping that Kekahuna is Pauling 2.0.
Both will play a big role in the offense this season.
Tight End
Starter: Tucker Ashcraft
Backup: Riley Nowakowski
Analysis: There hasn’t been much talk about Wisconsin’s tight end room during training camp. That is likely due to 2023 starters Ashcraft and Nowakowski again leading the room, and due to neither figuring to bring a game-breaking dimension to the offense.
LSU transfer Jackson McGohan and true freshman Grant Stec are players to watch entering 2025 and beyond.
Left Tackle
Starter: Jack Nelson
Backup: Kevin Heywood (true freshman)
Analysis: Heywood appears to have locked down the second-team left tackle job behind Nelson, which is an impressive feat for a true freshman.
The offensive line is one of the positions with the fewest positional questions entering the year. The only questions revolve around its effectiveness after a down season.
Left Guard
Starter: Joe Brunner
Backup: J.P. Benzschawel
Analysis: Brunner should be one of the breakout players of 2024. Benzschawel and redshirt freshman James Durand will be the primary backups.
Center
Starter: Jake Renfro
Backup: Joe Huber
Analysis: Again, no surprises here. Renfro is in line to start after transferring over from Cincinnati after the 2022 season. He was an All-AAC center for the Bearcats in 2021 but has dealt with injuries since.
Right Guard
Starter: Joe Huber
Backup: J.P. Benzschawel
Analysis: Huber had a strong 2023 season as Wisconsin’s starting right guard. Again, Benzschawel and Durand are the likely two primary backups.
Right Tackle
Starter: Riley Mahlman
Backup: Barrett Nelson
Analysis: Vanderbilt transfer Leyton Nelson was in line to win the backup right tackle job, or at least provide valuable depth at several positions. That is off the table after his injury, leaving the backup RT job to redshirt sophomore Barrett Nelson.
Defensive Line
Starters: Curt Neal, James Thompson Jr., Brandon Lane (transfer, Stephen F. Austin)
Backups: Cade McDonald, Elijah Hills (transfer, Albany), Ben Barten
Analysis: Wisconsin’s defensive line will rotate at least five or six players, so the starting trio isn’t as important as elsewhere.
Thompson Jr. and Neal are the two primary returning contributors, with Lane reportedly showing signs of dominance at fall camp. Hills should also play a big role after transferring from the FCS level.
The progression of the snaps for Hills and Lane is worth watching. The two are the position’s x-factors entering the year.
Outside Linebacker
Starters: Darryl Peterson, John Pius (transfer, William & Mary)
Backups: Leon Lowery (transfer, Syracuse), Aaron Witt
Analysis: True freshman Thomas Heiberger was reportedly competing for snaps until a knee injury halted his progress. Peterson, Pius and Lowery form the position’s top three, with Witt bringing mostly unrealized potential after years of injury issues.
OLBs coach Matt Mitchell recently said the group is still looking for a fifth contributor. That could be true freshman Anelu Lafaele, or Heiberger once he returns.
Inside Linebacker
Starters: Jake Chaney, Jaheim Thomas (transfer, Arkansas)
Backup: Christian Alliegro, Tackett Curtis (transfer, USC)
Analysis: There is still a position battle between Thomas and Alliegro for starting snaps next to Chaney. Thomas is likely to win the final job.
The room is still deep behind that top three. Both Curtis and UNC transfer Sebastian Cheeks could see the field at some point this season.
Cornerback
Starters: Ricardo Hallman, Nyzier Fourqurean, Austin Brown (nickel cornerback)
Backups: R.J. Delancy (transfer, Toledo), Xavier Lucas (true freshman), Jonas Duclona, Max Lofy
Analysis: Hallman, Fourqurean and Delancy form one of the best outside cornerback trios in the conference. It is between Brown and Lofy for the primary reps at slot cornerback.
The talk of training camp has been true freshman Xavier Lucas. He is reportedly already working with the second-team defense only weeks into his college career.
Safety
Starters: Hunter Wohler, Kamo’i Latu
Backups: Preston Zachman, Braedyn Moore
Analysis: Not much is changing at safety. Wohler, Latu and Zachman will all see the field as DC Mike Tressel creatively deploys his secondary.
Specialists
Kicker: Nathanial Vakos
Punter: Atticus Bertrams
Long Snapper: Cayson Pfeiffer (transfer, Cincinnati)
Punt Returner: Trech Kekahuna
Kick Returner: Vinny Anthony
Analysis: The only training camp development to note is Kekahuna returning punts. Otherwise, most starters return from 2023 except Pfeiffer, who transfers in with five years of starting experience.
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