Injuries sideline Wisconsin’s young tailbacks
MADISON – Wisconsin held its seventh of 15 scheduled spring football practices Tuesday.
The session was the second open to reporters.
Based on those two practices, as well as interviews with coaches and players, here are five areas to watch as Paul Chryst and his staff continue to prepare for the 2021 season.
Running back
By the end of practice on Tuesday Brady Schipper was the only healthy tailback.
The walk-on from Stoughton High School is going to need a month in an ice bath at the end of spring ball based on the number of carries he is getting.
Jalen Berger and Julius Davis, who really needs all the work he can get, are sidelined because of leg injuries.
Isaac Guerendo, who missed the final six games last season because of a hamstring injury, appeared to tweak his groin about one hour into practice Tuesday. Chryst and new running backs coach Gary Brown have been forced to rely on Schipper and fullbacks John Chenal and Quan Easterling.
“That's where you try to be as creative as you can and do as much as you can,” Chryst said recently.
“When one position is low on numbers it can affect others because one of the great things about spring practice is
that you want the ability for a lot of guys to get reps.”
UW's backs need the work. Berger played in four games as a freshman last season and carried 60 times for 301 yards. Schipper has a combined 12 carries for 30 yards at UW. Guerendo has a combined 12 carries for 37 yards and Davis has one carry for a yard.
“We've got to continue to do the best we can,” Chryst said, “and guys that are dinged up have got to try to get back as quick as they can.”
UW signed three backs in the 2021 class – Jackson Acker of Verona High School, Loyal Crawford of Eau Claire Memorial High School and Antwan Roberts of Nashville.
It will be interesting to see if one of the freshmen is good enough to contribute immediately.
Wide receiver
Chryst noted recently the top four players in the unit are Danny Davis, Kendric Pryor, Jack Dunn and Chimere Dike.
One player pushing hard this spring to make that quartet a quintet is A.J. Abbott.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Abbott had only two catches for 12 yards last season.
He appears to be more comfortable and confident this spring and is showing up more consistently in 11-on-11 segments.
Tight end
Opponents understood last season that Jake Ferguson was Wisconsin's lone consistent receiving threat at tight end.
Ferguson led UW in catches (30), receiving yards (305) and touchdown catches (four).
The only other tight end to catch a pass was Jack Eschenbach, a walk-on who played wide receiver in high school.
Eschenbach recorded two catches for 27 yards last season. He is listed at 247 pounds, up 23 pounds from last season, and appears stronger.
Eschenbach appears to be the best receiving threat at tight end behind Ferguson and a player capable of putting up better numbers in 2021.
Defensive line
Offering a fair evaluation of the depth is difficult at this point with Keeanu Benton, Bryson Williams, James Thompson Jr. and Cade McDonald out because of injury.
Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard noted recently UW played nickel (2-4-5) on 70% of the snaps last season so depth on the line isn't as critical as it once was.
The coaches believe the return from injury of Matt Henningsen, an improved
Isaiah Mullens, the flexibility of Benton and Williams and the emergence of Rodas Johnson should give the team enough bodies in the fall.
Kicker
The battle between Collin Larsh and Jack Van Dyke could be intriguing.
Larsh has more experience, having made a combined 17 of 25 field goal attempts (68.0%) in the last two seasons.
Larsh's weakness has been longer field goals. He is 2 of 7 from 40 yards or longer.
Van Dyke has the stronger leg and recorded 16 touchbacks on 34 kickoffs as a freshman last season. He missed his only field goal attempt, a 48-yarder against Wake Forest that was blocked.
UW needs a higher success rate from its kickers, as well as the ability to convert long attempts.
Whether that will be Larsh or Van Dyke, or perhaps a combination of the two, is to be determined.