UW football: Deal looks quicker in camp.

MADISON – Wisconsin’s Taiwan Deal demonstrated, on one play against the No. 1 defense in the first week of camp, that he should be a more explosive runner in 2017 than he was at any point in his first two seasons.

Working on the No. 2 offense, Deal took a handoff and started left. Seeing a hole, he accelerated quickly and was through the line of scrimmage and past the linebackers before a defender could get a hand on him.

Deal rarely showed that ability in 2015 and ’16.

“He looks faster and quicker than any time I have been with him,” said Paul Chryst, entering his third season as UW’s head coach. “He is feeling good just to be healthy.”

Deal battled ankle injuries in each of his first two seasons but they reached the point that he needed to have surgery after the Cotton Bowl.

Deal had a solid redshirt freshman season in 2015 when he played in 10 games and averaged 4.3 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns.

He played in only six games last season, however. His per-carry average improved to 5.2 but he finished with just 32 carries and no touchdowns.

The coaches understood that by undergoing surgery in January, Deal would miss all of spring practice. They believed the benefit of being fully recovered in time for camp was more important. So far, so good. “He is better than he has been since I’ve been around,” running backs coach John Settle said. “And I think he is playing with a lot of confidence. That is what I was hoping to see. He did a great job rehabbing and it allows him to go out and play faster. I have been impressed.”

Deal’s play through the first week of camp comes with a caveat:

UW has yet to practice in full pads so Deal will have to show he can run with speed and power when defenders have the green light to knock him on his keister.

“He is a little quicker to the hole, better at the second level,” Settle said. “We’ve got a ways to go but I like what I’ve seen so far.”

In addition to being pain-free, Deal weighs just 219 pounds, a drop of 5 pounds from last season.

That change was intentional.

“Right or wrong, when a guy is coming off a surgery I like for him to be a little lighter,” Settle explained. “I think that is smarter for him to be carrying less weight.

“You’re a little quicker and we’ll see where he is. And then if he chooses to go back up he can put on as much as he feels like he can carry.”

Deal was the No. 3 tailback in the first week, behind Chris James and Bradrick Shaw. That doesn’t mean he won’t have the opportunity to get playing time, however.

Settle has shown he is willing to ride two or three tailbacks during the season.

“I like competition; competition breeds excellence,” Settle said. “We want to try to push those guys.”