Badgers CB Nelson suffers torn meniscus
MADISON - Nick Nelson, a consensus first-team all-Big Ten cornerback in his lone season at Wisconsin, recently suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during a private workout with an NFL team and will have surgery next week.
The injury, which occurred inside UW's McClain Center, was first reported by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Rapoport noted Nelson is expected to be out three to four months.
The NFL draft is set for April 26-28. Nelson has been projected to be selected anywhere from the second to fourth round.
Nelson appeared upbeat while watching UW's practice on Friday said the injury wasn't severe and that he expected to be available to participate in training camp this summer.
The 5-foot-11, 208-pound Nelson sat out the 2016 season after transferring to UW from Hawaii, where he started 21 games in two seasons. He started all 14 games last season and set a UW singleseason mark for passes broken up with 21. He added 35 tackles, including 26 solos, and helped UW finished fifth nationally in passing yards allowed (163.6 per game).
Nelson also returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown in UW's 24-10 victory over Michigan.
Although it is difficult to assess how the news will affect Nelson’s draft stock, his injury doesn’t appear to be as serious as the one suffered by former UW defensive end O’Brien Schofield.
Schofield left UW after the 2009 season and was the defensive MVP of the 2010 East-West Shrine Game.
He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on Jan. 30 during Senior Bowl practice, however.
Despite the injury, Schofield was taken in the fourth round of the draft, No. 130 overall, by the Atlanta Falcons. "You feel terrible," UW coach Paul
Chryst said when asked about Nelson's injury. "And yet I was proud of Nick's response. He said 'I'd rather have it happen now than later.' "
Baun suffers foot injury: Outside linebacker Zack Baun, who missed last season after suffering a broken left foot in August, left practice Friday after injuring the foot.
Baun was examined by a trainer and eventually limped to the locker room. He returned to the field wearing sweats and a protective boot.
According to a UW official, the training staff will need to further evaluate the foot to determine the severity of the injury.
"I thought he was doing some really good things," Chryst said. Former player dies: Richard Garner, a high-school defensive end who signed with UW in 2006 and went on to become a Madison firefighter/paramedic, died April 1. He was 29.
Garner, a native of Pasadena, Calif., redshirted in 2006. He missed the 2007 season after suffering a knee injury in camp and did not letter in 2008. He left the program in the spring of 2009.
Ben Strickland, who was a senior defensive back in 2006 and later served as an assistant at UW, saluted Garner on Friday on Twitter:
"For those fellow Badgers out there who hadn't heard ... lost one of our brothers. Keep him and his family and friends in your prayers." Recruiting update: Marcus Graham, a dual-threat quarterback from Mount Holly, N.C., has given UW an oral commitment for its 2019 freshman class.
Graham, 6-0 and 175, is being recruited as an “athlete” at UW. He could play on either offense or defense.
UW was the first Power Five school to offer Graham a scholarship. He had offers from Air Force, Cornell, Dartmouth and East Carolina.
Graham is UW's ninth known commitment for the 2019 class.