SB Nation - Mickey Turner

Wednesday Camp Update

Adam Hoge — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:11:20 -0000

The bad news is that camp is now officially closed to the media. The good news is that in the next 24 hours we will find out who will be named captains for the 2009 season and we will get a glimpse at the first official two-deep depth chart.

Bret Bielema is expected to name the captains tonight via Twitter. The depth chart will be released by Noon on Thursday.

Who do you think will be the captains and starters?? Leave your comments below and let us know.

I'm going with senior tight ends Garrett Graham and Mickey Turner as the offensive captains, and Jaevery McFadden and O'Brien Schofield as the defensive captains.

As far as the starters go, be prepared for a shocker! I think Scott Tolzien and Zach Brown will be your starting quarterback and running back, respectively, against Northern Illinois.

We had a great conversation/debate about the starters on The 5th Quarter Radio Show Monday and our Badger Insider Ben Worgull chimed in with his predictions. Check it out here!

An early guess at the offensive depth chart

Adam Hoge — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:21:17 -0000

Catch the The 5th Quarter Radio Show Monday night at 7 PM CT right here. We will wrap up the 2009 Schedule Tour by breaking down the Northwestern Wildcats and the Hawaii Warriors. Jay from Lake the Posts and Mark Carman from WGN Radio 720 in Chicago will join us to talk about the Kitty Cats.

Eric and I will also have the latest from Fall Camp and we'll check in with our Badger Insider, Ben Worgull from BadgerNation.com.

Don't miss it. 7 PM!!

The official two-deep for the Northern Illinois game will be announced Wednesday, but so much information about the offense has come out of camp in the last week that we can make an educational guess at what it will look like.

Here's an early stab at it:

Quarterback
Curt Phillips, Fr.
Scott Tolzien, Jr.

We still don't know who the starter will be, but we know senior Dustin Sherer has fallen behind Phillips and Tolzien. Phillips didn't exactly end the week on a high note. He struggled in Saturday's scrimmage and didn't look good when I was at practice Thursday. Tolzien still has a realistic chance at winning the job, but I'm sticking with Phillips.

Running back
Zach Brown, Jr.
John Clay, So.
Montee Ball, Fr.

Brown leapfrogged Clay in practice last week, which is by far the biggest shocker of fall camp. But it's important to realize that this happened because Brown has worked incredibly hard all summer and simply wants the job more than any of the other backs. Clay still looks like a star and the fact that Brown passed him only means that UW is packing the best backfield in the conference. Ball looks like a future star too and he will play this season.

Wide receiver - Z
Issac Anderson, Jr.
Kraig Appleton, Fr.
Kyle Jefferson, Jr.

Wide receiver - X
Nick Toon, So.
David Gilreath, Jr.

I'm going out on a limb a little bit by saying Appleton will be the back-up, but when I saw him last week in person he played great and he just looks like a receiver out there. The bottom line here is that a lot of receivers are going to get a lot of reps. Don't forget about Maurice Moore and T.J. Theus. Freshman Jeff Duckworth will likely redshirt.

Tight end
Garrett Graham, Sr.
Lance Kendricks, Jr.

Mickey Turner is still a tight end, but he will lineup as a fullback most of the time.

Left tackle
Gabe Carimi, Jr.
Ricky Wagner, Fr.

Carimi is still nursing an injury, but he should be ready for the opener and no one is unseating UW's best offensive lineman.

Left guard
Jake Bscherer, Jr.
Jake Current, So.

Center
Travis Frederick, Fr.
John Moffitt, Jr.

No one has had a better inaugural camp than Travis Frederick who has had to do a little bit of everything since coming on campus early in the spring. The true freshman's ability has been more reliable than the status of Moffitt who has missed all of camp with a shoulder injury. It's a stretch, but he could start.

Right guard
Bill Nagy, Jr.
Kevin Zeitler, So.

Nagy's status is still questionable right now as well. Like Moffitt, Nagy has missed all of camp as well. Still Zeitler hasn't impressed like Frederick and Nagy should be back in time for the opener.

Right tackle
Josh Oglesby, So.
Peter Konz, Fr.

Day 4 recap: Valai says health a 'major concern'

Adam Hoge — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:38:05 -0000

Here's a quick cruise around the web with the latest news from Day 4 of training camp:

Fall practice report No. 4 - UWBadgers.com
"An official depth chart has not been released yet but Gabe Carimi (left tackle), Jake Bscherer (left guard), Travis Frederick (center), Kevin Zeitler (right guard) and Josh Oglesby (right tackle) have had the most reps with the first unit offensive line. Today’s first-unit defensive line that worked in the 11-on-11 drills consisted of Jeff Stehle, J. J. Watt, Dan Moore and O’Brien Schofield, though between seven and eight Badgers rotated through the D-line."

Health a 'major concern' for Valai - BadgerBeat.com

Welch named to Lou Groza Award watch list - UWBadgers.com

McClain Center tour with Nick Toon - UWBadgers.com

Ranking UW's positions among the nation (and more stuff) - JSOnline
UW's runningbacks are ranked No. 5 in the country by Collegefootballnews.com.

Sherer knows what it takes to start - BadgerBeat.com

Weight not an issue with Clay - BadgerBeat.com

Bret Bielema Twitter Update: "I am meeting this morning with all freshman about Badger expectations on and off the field. Its a good group and expect a number 2 play.."

Player of the day: Tight end Mickey Turner

According to UWBadgers.com, Turner has the best catch of the day. It was a touchdown where he just barely snuck inside the pylon.

Quarterback update: Jon Budmayr was the only one mentioned in the team's official practice report. He's 4-for-4 in being mentioned positively in the UWBadgers.com practice report.

Practice Schedule:
Thursday (Day 4) - The Badgers practiced in shoulder pads and shorts at 3:50 PM CT.
Friday (Day 5) - First day in full pads. "Now we’ll see who wants to be football players," Bielema told the team after practice, according to UWBadgers.com. Practice starts at 3:50 PM CT.
Saturday (Day 6) - Two-a-days begin with practice at 9:30 a.m. The night practice starts at 7:40 p.m.

Campfire Stories - Is Strength And Conditioning Wisconsin's True Achilles Heel?

Law Buckeye — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:43:08 -0000

Yesterday I wrote that Bret Bielema blamed injuries for Wisconsin's surprising misfortunes last season. I also wrote that for the Badgers to find success in 2009 all three tight ends (Garrett Graham, Lance Kendricks, and Mickey Turner) must stay healthy.

Surprise, surprise. UWBadgers.com reports that Junior offensive linemen John Moffitt and Bill Nagy are both being held out of practice due to injury and that Garrett Graham and freshman wide receiver Jeff Duckworth are both sporting green limited contact jerseys.

Despite Bielema's insistence that all four will be healthy for the opener, another plague of infirmity for the Badgers begs the question: are these guys getting conditioned correctly?

You don't have to dig too deep to see that something's going on in Madison. In January, Bielema tapped Ben Herbert, a former undersized Wisconsin nose guard, to take over the strength and conditioning regiment from 19 year veteran John Dettmann. Dettmann, a lifer of the Alverez era, was polite, but noticeably restrained about his move from the front lines to an administrative position. BadgerBeat reports that when Dettmann told the news to the team he admitted that it would have been "harder to deliver" if he didn't have such faith in Herbert.

Faith aside, that doesn't sound like a man that's ready to leave. It sounds like an old timer getting pushed out in exchange for someone with a little more modern panache.

Will the move do the trick? It's simply too early to tell.

One thing that is clear: if Wisky can't shake the injury bug, it's going to be another dreadfully long winter in Madison.

Team Barometer:

Campfire Stories - Out of the Gate

Law Buckeye — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:01:26 -0000

Yesterday afternoon, the remaining eight conference members kicked off fall camp regiments. That means 2009 is officially in stride. Here's a look at how a few teams have fared out of the gate.

Ohio State:

Team Barometer:

The Buckeyes checked in Sunday short three potential impact players: Outside Linebacker Tyler Moeller will likely sit on the entire 2009 season, after a sucker punch in a Florida bar resulted in persistent head trauma. Moeller's departure robs the Buckeyes of solid speed on the strongside, something they'll miss badly on September 12th. Scouts should play close attention to Brian Rolle, Tony Jackson, and Etienne Sabino (all featured on the second team depth in the spring) to see who emerges as Moeller's replacement.

Also conspicuously absent from camp: Wide Receiver Ray Small, and Defensive End Rob Rose, both of who are sidelined with academic woes. Rose was listed behind Cameron Heyward on the spring depth chart -- so his presence shouldn't be immediately missed. Small, on the other hand, is the scarlet's second-most experienced receiver (behind Dane Sanzenbacher) netting 18 receptions for 149 yards in 2008. Small's father insists he's working on the grade discrepancy and will be plugged in soon. I'm not holding my breath.

Wisconsin:

Team Barometer:

In Madison no news is good news. Fresh off a season of inconsistent pass results, Bret Bielema points to injuries as the chief cause of the impotence. For the Badgers to find success in 2009 all three tight ends, including senior Garrett Graham, junior Lance Kendricks and senior Mickey Turner must stay healthy. Last season, only Turner was active in all 13 games. The Big Ten Network tracked down tight ends coach Joe Rudolph after yesterday's practice:

"You try to always figure out a way to get your best players on the field and right now I feel comfortable with any one of those three being put in any role. They realize the roles they can have on the team, and the number of opportunities they have is dependent on their mental capacity to be able to absorb it and then go out and perform."

Bielema is also committed to making strides on special teams, a unit that has been underwhelming under his watch. As the Big Ten Network reports, UW worked on a new formation in the spring, which features three blockers on each side of the long snapper and three blockers in front of sophomore punter Brad Nortman. The goal is to get tacklers down the field more aggressively.

Football is here! Our 10 questions for Fall Camp

Adam Hoge — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:55:09 -0000

The 2009 football season officially starts today at 3:50 p.m. when the Wisconsin Badgers open their first practice of the season at Camp Randall Stadium.

Finally! Trust me, eeking out content on this site all summer long has been no easy task. From today until late March we're going to have plenty to talk about on Bucky's 5th Quarter.

What's on tap for camp

As camp opens, here's what you can expect:

After completely closing the media's access to practice last season, Bret Bielema has graciously opened up practice from Aug. 17 to Aug. 25. That is going to give us all a better idea of what's going on as Bielema sets up his final two-deep depth chart 10 days before the opener (Aug. 26).

I will personally be attending a few of those open practices, although when is yet to be determined.

For the first week, we are going to have to go strictly off post-practice interviews from coaches and players and every day we will have all the links to the stories that come out of camp.

Questions, questions, questions

Every camp opens with questions. The difference between a good football team and a bad football team depends on how many of those questions get answered before the season opener.

In Wisconsin's case, the following questions need to be answered before Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. when UW hosts Northern Illinois:

1) Has Dustin Sherer developed into a Big Ten-caliber quarterback capable of leading the Badgers back to a New Year's Day bowl game? If not, are freshmen Curt Phillips or Jon Budmayr good enough to take over the reigns this season?

2) Who will fill the void left by the departed Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy at linebacker? Are Blake Sorensen and Mike Taylor ready?

3) Are there any young guys capable of fixing the serious depth issue apparent on the defensive line?

4) Who starts opposite of Aaron Henry at the other cornerback position?

5) Are any of the veteran members of the secondary (Aubrey Pleasant, Shane Carter, Jay Valai, Chris Maragos) ready to put together an all-conference season?

6) Is Josh Oglesby the real deal or a bust?

7) Can Jake Bscherer cut it at guard?

8) Who will start at fullback? Will Mickey Turner have to become a make-shift fullback?

9) Which formerly young wide receiver (David Gilreath, Issac Anderson, Kyle Jefferson) becomes a dependable go-to veteran? Will Nick Toon be that guy as a sophomore?

10) Which incoming freshmen earn playing time with a solid camp?

What questions do you want to see answered in the coming weeks? Leave them here and we will see if they get answered as we break down camp on a daily basis.

'Badgering' Garrett Graham: Up close with UW's star tight end

Adam Hoge — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:40:32 -0000

Senior tight end Garrett Graham is one of 30 tight ends in the country to be named to the John Mackey Award Watch List, an award former UW tight end Travis Beckum nearly won in 2007. Tuesday I had a chance to catch up with Graham and here is our conversation:

B5Q: With the talent Wisconsin has had at the tight end position in recent years has a brotherhood developed there?

Graham: You might say that. Going back to Owen Daniels and Jason Pociask -- they were seniors when I came in -- I got to know them fairly well and I see them every once in a while when they come back. Posciak especially kind of helped me out when I was younger. And then with Travis [Beckum] -- he and I are great friends. I just saw him about a week ago. He was here getting ready for camp [with the New York Giants] and whatever they are doing out there. So you could say there is a brotherhood, somewhat. We're all pretty close and a tight knit group.

B5Q: So you still talk to Owen Daniels and Jason Posciak from time-to-time?

Graham: Yeah, whenever they are in Madison I usually talk to them. Pociask actually came to our bowl game and I spoke to him. He was on the sideline. He's a really good guy. So yeah, I keep in touch with them as much as I can.

B5Q: What's it like to have three former tight end teammates in the NFL? It has to be something to look up to as far as your personal goals are concerned.

Graham: Yeah I mean I love watching Owen on T.V. and following him and seeing how he is doing. I think it will definitely help me out later when I can give those guys a call for suggestions and advice and things like that.

B5Q: Do you have Owen on your fantasy team?

Graham: I don't have a fantasy team. I've never played, but if I did I'd be taking him.

B5Q: Where's your blocking at going into this season?

Graham: I'd say as good as it's been. I've really worked on it hard and at our school you really have to be a blocker. I've kind of focused on being a complete tight end -- being able to run routes and catch balls but then being able to block on a power play. I'm happy where it's at now. There's always room for improvement, but I feel like it's the best it has been so far.

B5Q: There's been talk that fellow tight end Mickey Turner could be used as a fullback this year. Can you tell us anything more about that?

Graham: Occasionally both of us kind of pop back into that fullback position through a motion or a shift, but yeah, Mickey is more of a guy to do that. He enjoys it and he's good at it. So you might see him in the backfield more now that we lost Chris Pressley and Bill Rentmeester to the NFL. But when he does do it, I think he'll do a great job.

B5Q: Which freshmen are you excited about going into this season?

Graham: I'm not really sure what the freshmen on the defense can do yet. I haven't really seen their skills yet. But [quarterback] Jon Budmayr came in early and I saw what we can do. He really impressed a lot of us. Also, [offensive lineman] Travis Frederick. He's a really strong kid in the weight room. We call him "Big Thunder" just because of the amount of weight he can lift. On the squat rack he's a real beast in the weight room.

B5Q: In what ways will Lance Kendricks fill in the shoes of Travis Beckum and are you guys going to even skip a beat even though you lost him to the NFL?

Graham: Well Travis is a great talent and hopefully Lance can fill his shoes, but Lance is really focused and matured and kind of come into his own. He watches a lot of film, he studies the game and he knows what to expect. His route running is great and he's got great hands. You know, last year I think he struggled in a couple games because it was his first time and he was a little flustered, but this year I expect nothing but good things from him so I'm excited to see him play.

Badger Bloggers Roundtable: Discussing the Offense

Adam Hoge — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:48:23 -0000

A handful of Badger Bloggers got together to discuss the upcoming football season. Joining me in the roundtable are Duff Beach from On Wisconsin!, Scott Tappa of Badgercentric, and Phil Mitten of Hoops Marinara. We started with the easier task, making sense of the offense:

What's your take on the WR's? Is Gilreath really the #1? Where does Jefferson fit in post multiple concussions?

Bucky’s Fifth Quarter: Gilreath is No. 1 right now, but I'm convinced Nick Toon will be a starter by the opener. Whether that means he takes Isaac Anderson's spot or Gilreath's, we shall see, but Toon has great size and he proved last year he could make some big catches. As for Jefferson, I think it is all up to him. I didn't really like his attitude last season after a pretty good freshman year and I think that had a lot to do with his sub-par season. Attitude plays a big part in getting over concussions as well. Jefferson has the tools to make the UW receivers a scary group, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will make it happen.

BadgerCentric: Don't think Gilreath is the #1, not strong enough. Think it's gotta be Toon. Jefferson is the deep threat, can't see sending him over the middle any more. I have faith in Gilreath and Anderson to find openings in coverage, Brandon Williams types.

Hoops Marinara: Gilreath may be our best, but he's certainly not a #1. Honestly, I wish the best for Jefferson to contribute, but at this point I am hoping for Toon and/or Anderson to pass him by, preferrably Toon so we can have a steady option on the outside to go with Graham on the inside. Gilreath is slightly overrated as a return man (still waiting for that first TD!), but he does have the ability to break a big play. Maybe Jefferson could develop into our jump ball specialist in the red zone. Work on those hands son!

On Wisconsin: I think Gilreath was #1 last season by default -- Anderson had been hurt and Toon and Jefferson were far less experienced. I think he starts this season #3, as the slot receiver. Toon probably has the most talent, although I sometimes think we all get distracted by his last name. Anderson is a better pure receiver than Gilreath. Maybe not as fast, but better hands and better size. Anderson and Toon are your starting two. Gilreath is dangerous in space, but I think he’s #3 based on his size and hands. Jefferson? He’s a good kid, but I worry a lot about his head. I can’t seem him starting over any of those three, so he spells Toon and Anderson. I think this is the best group of receivers – especially when you factor in the tight ends – in more than five years (with the depth, better than Williams, Orr, and Daniels). I’m excited about our passing game . . . IF . . .

The Running Backs? Anyone else think Brown may take more than 1/3 of the snaps this season? Worried about depth?

Hoops Marinara: What me, worry? No, I think the depth is fine at RB. Wisconsin has always done well with the next man in philosophy, so the Badgers can handle a minor injury here and there and use a Ewing or an Erik Smith as needed. I am okay with Brown taking a full 3rd of the snaps if it means keeping JC the Messiah fresh.

Bucky’s Fifth Quarter: I don't think Brown gets a third of the snaps unless John Clay has to battle some injuries. Still, a fourth of the carries seems realistic because of Brown's talent. I'm not worried about depth because Montee Ball provides some emergency insurance much like Brown did during his freshman season. The difference is that UW needed Brown because Lance Smith couldn't play in road games, but if Wisconsin needs to use Ball this season because of injuries then they could pull the red-shirt early.

BadgerCentric: Hadn't thought of it, but I agree Brown might take more than a third of the snaps, a combination of his being pretty good, Clay being in his first season as the main guy, and probably more third downs than we'd like.

On Wisconsin: I’m still not sold on Clay as the every-down back. The position takes more than just running the ball hard and I think Chryst’s offense looks for more flexibility with the back (see, e.g., Calhoun, Brian). Brown provides a lot more of that. I think Brown could see as many as 40% of the snaps, though probably only about 1/4 of the carries. Regardless, if they stay healthy, I honestly think this is the best 1-2 combination in the Big Ten this year.

Tight Ends? So Graham is a beast, how dangerous is Kendricks? Will Turner really just be a fullback already at the line? Will we ever even see a true fullback with this offense?

On Wisconsin: Kendricks is dangerous enough to line up wide as a receiver every now and again, which makes sending in the right personnel tough for the defensive coordinator. I like that flexibility and with him and Graham out there you see a great 2-tight end set. That said, Mickey Turner played very well last season as a traditional tight end and several times proved he could make the catches we need that #2 tight end to make. Remember in 2006 when we went the whole season without a fullback? Worked out ok. I suspect Turner will play a fullback-ish role, but I think it will most often come after he lines up as a second tight end. I think we see very little of a traditional fullback this season. At least that’s my hope – our personnel are built for the 2-tight end set.

Hoops Marinara: I anticipate the Graham/Kendricks combo to surpass the Beckum/Graham combo ... of last season. That means accumulating more than 2008's 60+ catches, 800+ yards and 5 TDs. Very doable as long as they are both healthy.

Bucky’s Fifth Quarter: Lance Kendricks is very dangerous and we've seen in past years how much better UW's offense is when they have two tight ends that can catch the ball. As far as Turner goes, I think he gets a good amount of snaps at the traditional fullback position. The fullback has been pretty important in recent years and if they need to use him there they will.

BadgerCentric: I can see fullbacks still playing a part of this offense, seems like we're still recruiting that type of kid. Turner's a blocker, not much more. With Graham and a solid group of wide receivers, I don't see Kendricks catching more than 35 or 40 passes, max, even if he's a lot better.

And the biggie . . . who's it going to be? Who should it be? And why?

BadgerCentric: It's going to be Sherer, at least at the start. It should be ... Budmayr if he's even close to being ready. A reach? Maybe. But my sense is he's the best passer of this group, he probably wouldn't be much worse than the other guys this year, and we could have him start for four years.

On Wisconsin: I guess I just don’t trust inexperienced players and I think Sherer got a bad wrap. He played very well after his first start (Iowa; that can hardly be blamed on him). He also got the ball to his WRs more than either Evridge or Donovan did, which is a positive. Did he look bad against FSU? In the second half, but he had little time to throw the ball and the offense was predictable at that point. I think we’ll see pretty solid (not spectacular) play from Dustin this year and the real battle will be redshirt Freshman Budmayr vs. Sophomore Phillips in 2010.

Hoops Marinara: Scherer to start. But it should be Phillips from Day 1. He's put a year in on the scout team already. Phillips has the running instincts that has brought Wisconsin success in the past (ie: Samuels, Bollinger) but a better arm.

Bucky’s Fifth Quarter: As of today it is going to be Dustin Sherer and should be Dustin Sherer because Curt Phillips and Jon Budmayr haven't shown enough yet to be considered a starter. Still, I find it slightly peculiar that Sherer isn't one of the three players representing the Badgers at Big Ten Media Days this year. We know -- and I think the coaches know -- that this is still Dustin Sherer we are talking about. He has never shown us anything spectacular and if Curt Phillips comes on strong during camp then it wouldn't surprise me at all if Sherer didn't start the season at quarterback. At the very least, I doubt Sherer starts all 12 regular season games.

I guess on offense all that leaves is the line: How will it be with three new starters? Was Bielema serious that Konz could push Oglesby out of the starter's spot, or was he just making a point to Josh? How will Bscherer be at guard? Anyone else worried about a lack of depth at guard? Will anything stop the rash of false starts and holding penalties?

Bucky’s Fifth Quarter: I think the Peter Konz chatter was a motivational ploy to get Oglesby going. We are getting close to that point where if Oglesby isn't starting now then he might never be starting. Bscherer will be fine at guard, but probably not spectacular. Fans should be worried about the depth right now, but I think guys like Travis Frederick and Jake Current will ease those worries by the end of the season. If the false starts and holding penalties don't stop then that reflects back on the coaching staff. I think that is one of a handful of improvements that we have to see this season or the hot seat will start scorching Bielema's rear end.

On Wisconsin: Oglesby was a 5-star because of his size, but Konz wasn’t a legit threat to his position; Josh will start. The fact that they moved Bscherer to guard, rather than demoting Oglesby, tells me Josh is doing ok, if maybe not living up to all the (probably unfair) hype. I see injuries at the guard position as a real concern. Freshman lineman aren’t something you like to see, and that’s where we are if Bscherer or Nagy goes down. Bielema and Chryst need to end the penalties. I’ve never coached football, so I don’t know how to do it, but it needs to happen. If it does, I think we’re looking at a solid line, maybe as good as last year (especially considering how many games Oglesby and Nagy played significant minutes in).

BadgerCentric: The line won't be as good as last year, but I'm not worried about it. Carimi is a stud, Moffitt's solid, and the other three starters have starting experience. I could see Konz beating out Oglesby, he struggled mightily at times last year. Bscherer I see being a Matt Lawrence type, someone who's not going to be a huge plus but isn't going to be a liability.

Hoops Marinara: I am looking for a hungrier group of lineman this year that could surprise some people. Bielema is not afraid to call guys out (remember P.J. Hill's "toughen-up pills"?), so Oglesby needs to get it together quickly. Everything looks if he finally gets it, even the depth. Unfortunately, I think as long as Bielema is the head coach some undisciplined play will be the norm. We know he's less of a cool collected guy than Barry, plus he's spread himself too thin.