UW’s Cone embraces his move to safety
MADISON – Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard was a ballhawking safety during his four seasons at UW.
He believes junior Madison Cone, UW’s nickel cornerback last season, possesses similar ball skills.
As a result, Cone is set to open camp Thursday competing for playing time at safety.
“He has a unique skill set,” Leonhard said Wednesday during the team’s annual media day. “He has a really good understanding of the nickel position. What he does well is…his patience, his timing and his tempo in there.
“By playing safety, that will help him there. Because a lot of the coaching points are very similar in your weekly prep.
“And safety, some of these offenses we play…you like having more of that corner athleticism and body type."
After getting work on special teams and defense as a freshman in 2017, Cone started two games and played in all 12 regular-season games in ‘18. He sat out the Pinstripe Bowl because of injury and finished seventh among the defensive backs in tackles with 19. Cone intercepted two passes, tied for the No. 2 mark on the team.
“One of the main reasons he brought me up here is that he likes the way I play the ball,” the 5-foot-9, 182-pound Cone said. “He likes my ball skills so he was talking to me about trying to get me in the post more so I can read the quarterback. He wants to put me in a position to make more plays.
“It was something I was definitely interested in.”
Leonhard last season used 10 different starters in the secondary in the last eight games.
As a result, he enters camp with five cornerbacks who have at least one college start. They are: sophomore Faion Hicks (11 starts), redshirt junior Caesar Williams (five), sophomore Rachad Wildgoose (five), redshirt junior Deron Harrell (five) and redshirt freshman Donte Burton (one).
By contrast, Leonhard enters camp with just three players who have started at safety for UW. They are: redshirt sophomore Scott Nelson (eight), redshirt junior Eric Burrell (six), and redshirt freshman Reggie Pearson (one).
“A lot of guys through interviews are asking me who I think is going to start here or start here,” Cone said. “It is honestly wide open. We had so many guys play last year.”
Freshman playing catch-up
Tailback Julius Davis’ quest to earn playing time in the UW backfield as a freshman this season is off to a bit of a rocky start, though the coaching staff continues to gush about his talent.
Davis, a graduate of Menomonee Falls High School who chose UW over Notre Dame, LSU and USC, missed most of his senior season because of a sports hernia.
“Right now he is a little behind,” running backs coach John Settle said Wednesday. “He had that injury and then he was sick.
"So he has missed some meeting time, missed some lifting time. So he will start out in a controlled environment. The first couple days will just be indy (individual work) just to see how things are.”
UW’s top two tailbacks entering camp are Jonathan Taylor and Garrett Groshek.
The pool of candidates vying for playing time behind that duo includes Bradrick Shaw, who hasn’t played since suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the 2017 regular-season finale; Nakia Watson; Isaac Guerendo; and Davis.
“We’ll start him out in a limited role,” Settle said of Davis. “But as he gets better, we’ll cut him loose. He is a young man that is talented and we want to see what he can do.
“We’ll give him every chance to play and he will determine whether he plays or not.”
Extra points
Freshmen Keeanu Benton of Janesville Craig High School and Gio Paez of William A. Hough in North Carolina will start out at nose tackle, according to defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield. Sophomore Bryson Williams opens camp as the starter, with walk-on Gunnar Roberge No. 2 on the depth chart. Benton, 6-4 and 315, and Paez, 6-3 and 305, will be given every opportunity to earn a spot in the rotation...
Redshirt junior tight end Luke Benzschawel is listed at 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds. He was listed at 269 pounds in the spring and 247 at the start of the 2018 season…
Linebacker Griffin Grady, who battled injuries during his three years in the program, has given up football. He plans to remain enrolled at UW, however.