SBNation.com User Blog: Ian McCue

2013 Wisconsin Spring Football: Chris Borland Anchors Transitioning Linebackers

Ian McCue — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:02:21 -0000

After an unbelievably productive 2011 campaign, Chris Borland and Mike Taylor entered 2012 as one of the best linebacker duos in all of college football. Together, they accounted for 293 tackles, 28 of them for a loss, and were counted on to act as the cohesive force for the Wisconsin defense last season.

And for the most part, they delivered. Joined by the oft-overlooked third wheel in Ethan Armstrong -- a former walk-on who did not earn a scholarship until last fall -- the unit often served as the most reliable group on the defensive side of the ball. For every wheel route that Taylor blew, the hyper-energetic Borland clawed through the trenches to make a how-did-he-get-there-so-quickly tackle in the backfield.

Neither could match their 2011 totals, but each grabbed at least 100 tackles as Borland finished with 4 1/2 sacks and Taylor lead Wisconsin with 15 tackles for a loss. Equally important was Borland's role directing the entire defense from his middle linebacker post, the man responsible for making on-the-fly adjustments to help the Badgers finish third in the Big Ten in total defense.

More Spring Previews: QB RB WR TE OL DL

While the defensive line received significant praise for a surprisingly strong season, the linebackers stood at the core of UW's defensive success. Facing an array of dual-threat quarterbacks in a spread-happy Big Ten, the linebackers kept the entire defense from unraveling. After Nebraska's Taylor Martinez burned the Badgers for 107 rushing yards in the conference opener, they learned and adjusted. Ohio State's Braxton Miller managed just 2.1 yards per carry and Martinez tossed two interceptions in the Big Ten championship game, both a product of stellar play from Wisconsin's linebackers.

In 2013, Wisconsin returns two-thirds of that starting group, only now that two-thirds has become one-half as the Badgers move to a 3-4 defense. Borland, who will enter the season as a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year candidate, will remain the lead general on the oncoming tour of duty, because he makes plays like this. But how do the others under his command play around him?

Depth Chart

LOLB1 - Brendan Kelly, 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, RS senior
LILB1 - Chris Borland, 5-foot-11, 248 pounds, RS senior
RILB1 - Ethan Armstrong, 6-foot-2, 216 pounds, RS senior
ROLB1 - Vince Biegel, 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, RS freshman

LOLB2 - Tyler Dippel, 6-foot-4, 267 pounds, RS senior
LILB2 - Conor O'Neill, 6-foot, 222 pounds, RS senior
RILB2 - Derek Landisch, 5-foot-11, 227 pounds, junior
ROLB2 - Jesse Hayes, 6-foot-3, 238 pounds, RS sophomore

Strengths

Despite the fairly steep learning curve that comes with transitioning to a new base defensive scheme, the Badgers appear to have the ideal personnel for defensive coordinator Dave Aranda's 3-4. The inside linebackers -- especially Borland -- are slightly undersized but exceptionally quick and should thrive with two bigger linebackers bookending them on the edges. Borland is a capable pass-rusher and the confusing looks possible in a four-linebacker set may create more opportunities for him to blitz.

On the left edge, the 6-foot-6 Kelly looks to have the right physical tools to be a stand-up rusher who can drop into pass coverage as necessary. Though he is a bit big for a linebacker, the Minnesota native showed spurts of tremendous athleticism last year, maybe the most important attribute for any 3-4 linebacker.

Just a few weeks ago, the outside linebacker spot opposite Kelly -- the predicted home of former defensive end David Gilbert -- was the most intriguing spot on the defense. But after Gilbert's sudden departure, it may be redshirt freshman Vince Biegel's time to shine. Biegel was the top-rated player in Wisconsin in the class of 2012 and should be ready for the starting gig. He's an inch shorter and 20 pounds lighter than Gilbert, but still has enough size to play on the outside edge.

The unifying strengths among UW's linebackers are the group's experience and depth. As noted above, Borland and Armstrong anchored this defense last year and Kelly is the veteran's veteran as he begins his sixth year of eligibility. All three have seen the field in at least 12 games for each of the last two seasons. So aside from that second outside spot, the boneheaded mistakes expected of younger players should be few and far between.

A less exciting commonality between Borland, Kelly and Armstrong is that all three are injury-prone. But fear not, because Dippel, O'Neill and Landisch are very capable backups. O'Neill and Landisch both filled in for an injured Borland in UW's final two regular-season games in 2012 and are proven special teams players ready to throw on a helmet and take the place of a fallen teammate.

Weaknesses

As exciting as it is to let your imagination run wild with the convoluted, quarterback-befuddling sets Aranda is drawing up on his office whiteboard, such a transformation is not without its roadblocks. What if Borland simply is not the same ball-chasing bloodhound when he shares the middle spot with Armstrong? What if Kelly has a tough time finding his groove a few yards back from the line of scrimmage?

Even if the transition goes as planned, such a large overhaul likely means mental mistakes that will grow much less frequent after a few years of seeing how this whole thing plays out in a live game. This should not be too much of a crippling issue in 2013, but it deserves consideration. It's more than the usual challenge of developing chemistry with a fresh face who just slid in to the spot of a graduated senior.

Losing Gilbert was also a serious blow to this linebacking corps. He had arguably the highest ceiling of any member of the Badgers' defense and even expressed his excitement at moving off the defensive line to an outside linebacker spot. Gilbert's speed and athleticism indeed made him someone that looked poised to thrive as a stand-up defender, but now we are forced to sit and ponder what could have been.

Aside from those issues, there are no heart-pounding questions surrounding Wisconsin's linebackers. Laden with experience and hyper-efficient players, the largest remaining barrier will be how much ground they can cover to help out a young secondary once the aerial attacks begin.

2013 Wisconsin Spring Football: Offensive Line Promising, But Thin

Ian McCue — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:13:32 -0000

The news came late on a Sunday night, the day after a crushing loss to Oregon State. Newly hired offensive line coach Mike Markuson's career at Wisconsin had come to an abrupt close before the ink of his signature could dry. Taking the veteran assistant's place was a young, unproven assistant by the name of Bart Miller.

Bret Bielema's bold move to dump Markuson two weeks into the 2012 season turned into a rallying cry for an offensive line fresh off a beatdown at the hands of the Beavers' defense. That OSU unit turned out to be a solid group, finishing third in the Pac-12 in total defense, but at the time it sent shockwaves through the very foundations of the Badgers' program. This was, after all, Offensive Line U, where 230-pound freshman turn into 310-pound beasts who thrive in the NFL.

The O-line showed remarkable under improvement under Miller, a Bob Bostad protégé, and helped tailback Montee Ball claw his way to 1,830 yards and 22 touchdowns in his senior campaign. With Ricky Wagner and Ryan Groy anchoring the left side and Travis Frederick tapping into that expansive brain of his to make off-the-cuff adjustments, Wisconsin bullied its way to 467 rushing yards against Purdue and 564 more against Indiana.

More Spring Previews:: No excuses despite injuries, OL says Running backs Tight ends

Despite those absurd rushing numbers against the Big Ten's underlings, the Badgers' line failed to match the remarkable consistency of the 2010 and 2011 squads. Gabe Carimi, John Moffitt, Peter Konz and Kevin Zeitler (each selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft), they were not.

But drawn together by their young, personable position coach - no better signified than the "Miller Time" shirts his pupils rocked late in the season - they did not let the stellar reputation of Wisconsin offensive linemen crumble. Right tackle Rob Havenstein remained a liability, but Kyle Costigan eventually locked up the right guard spot over Zac Matthias, who was the plug-in-as-needed guy off the bench.

Now under the guidance of T.J. Woods -- their fourth position coach in the last 16 months -- the Badgers resume play without two of the strongholds from the 2012 line. Frederick made a somewhat surprising decision to skip his senior year and enter the NFL Draft while Wagner graduated, leaving a group with intriguing talent, but nothing more.

Spring Depth Chart

LT1 -- Dallas Lewallan, 6-foot-6, 318 pounds, RS junior
LG 1 -- Ryan Groy, 6-foot-5, 317 pounds, RS senior
C1 -- Dan Voltz, 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, RS freshman
RG1 -- Kyle Costigan, 6-foot-4, 304 pounds, RS junior
RT1 -- Rob Havenstein, 6-foot-8, 338 pounds, RS junior

LT2 -- Tyler Marz, 6-foot-7, 318 pounds, RS sophomore
LG2 -- Ray Ball, 6-foot-7, 327 pounds, RS sophomore
C2 -- Jacob Ninneman, 6-foot-1, 280 pounds, RS junior
RG2 -- Zac Matthias, 6-foot-5, 323 pounds, RS senior
RT2 -- Walker Williams, 6-foot-7, 318 pounds, RS freshman

Strengths

Unsettling as it may sound, the greatest strength of the 2013 offensive line may simply be its potential. There is no shortage of size among the offensive line and, aside from Voltz, all of the above projected starters appeared in at least four games last year.

Though naturally a guard, Groy has been sliding over to left tackle in recent practices and will be counted on to hold this line together wherever he ends up. The Middleton, Wis., native has appeared in all 41 of UW's games over the past three years (20 starts) and will need to use his experience to help the two most inexperienced linemen, Voltz and Lewallen.

Havenstein certainly has all the physical tools to be a dominant right tackle, yet he remains an unproven talent. It was Haveinstein who let Michigan State defensive end William Gholston break through the line and put the season-ending blow on quarterback Joel Stave just as things were getting interesting back in October.

Voltz drew rave reviews from Frederick last year and, beard and all, almost seems like a clone of his predecessor. He faces a steep learning curve if he does become a starter in his first year seeing live game action, but Voltz appears to be UW's long-term option in the middle of the line. The most pressing question comes at left tackle, likely the most important position on the line for a team stocked with right-handed quarterbacks.

Lewallen, one of the favorites for that spot, only saw limited playing time in 2012 and most of it came early in the season. The tools appear to be there, but he has large shoes to fill if he steps in for Wagner, a three-year starter.

Weaknesses

Every time a downed linemen is slow to get up this year, it will provoke more than a brief moment of agony for Badger fans.

The O-line has already been decimated by injuries in spring ball, with as few as eight players fully healthy for the five-man rotation and the spring game less than two weeks away. Though most of those players will be healthy by the season opener, it's not exactly a promising sign of durability for 2013. And it's not as if UW is stocked with capable reserves who have proven they can handle a heavy workload for a team so dedicated to the power run game.

Outside of Groy, Havenstein and Costigan, Matthias is the only other offensive linemen with any starting experience. As pointed out above, there is no shortage of future promise among this group. But how quickly can they learn and how ready will they be to jump in during the midst of a scoring drive when a teammate hobbles to the sideline nursing his right knee?

It ultimately becomes a question of how efficiently Woods can develop his crew into powerful and quick-footed blockers capable of trotting down the field to throw a block for a streaking James White or Melvin Gordon. That, along with some lucky breaks on the injury front, could put Wisconsin back atop its perch as an offensive linemen factory.

The pieces are there, but no one is sure exactly how each individual fits into the puzzle.

White, Gordon Begin Task of Replacing Ball

Ian McCue — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:38:09 -0000

When Melvin Gordon talked about the post-Montee Ball era on Saturday, he spoke with a sense of understated confidence, as if he knew everything would be fine.

It was not as if he didn't recognize how Ball, owner of 5,140 career rushing yards, had often single-handedly carried the Wisconsin offense in 2012, the follow-up act to a historic 2011 campaign that earned him a spot as a Heisman Trophy finalist. It was rather that Gordon knew what he and senior tailback James White were capable of. Both were confident there would be no reduction in the Badgers' backfield production in the near future.

"We know Wisconsin runs the ball and we don't want it to drop when we're that guy," Gordon said. "We don't want it to fall out on us, so we hold that with pride, our coach holds that with pride and the way we work, we won't drop the ball. We got it."

Music blaring from a rolling box of speakers on the sideline for all two hours of the year's first spring practice, their optimism coalesced with the light-hearted energy that seemed to fill the McClain Center. And that kind of confidence in the future may be warranted for an offense that has two proven backs, with redshirt junior Jeff Lewis keeping his legs fresh as Wisconsin's third option.

As dangerous as it is to make snap judgments from a practice with limited contact and no pads, White and Gordon flashed through holes and showed promising speed in the 11-on-11 drills that closed out practice. Both made it deep into defensive territory with regularity before a tackler -- who was not allowed to initiate any real contact -- could lay a hand on them.

So what exactly is the rivalry like between the ripened veteran and the flashy new star of the Wisconsin backfield? It may be best compared to the rivalry between White and Ball before the 2011 season, the two close friends off the field and respectfully competitive on it.

"[We're] like best friends, I bonded with him and Montee real well and we're staying in the same apartment building, so I'm always up there playing video games or whatnot," Gordon said. "So we're real cool, but we know on the field it does get competitive. James wants the starting spot, feels like it's his time and I want to make a name for myself."

Andersen has made it clear he will keep the foundation of UW's pro-style offense intact, but White and Gordon have the speed around the edge to escape the hands of diving defenders. If White's word holds true, the Badgers will continue to pound the ball up the middle. But as Gordon proved with the incredibly effective jet sweeps Wisconsin experimented with last year, it would almost be a crime to not let him use his speed on the edge.

The senior tailback said he added quickness through agility drills this weekend, while Gordon focused his post-Rose Bowl effort on his one-step cutbacks and lowering his pad level to be a more powerful runner when he breaks through the hole. White, who stands two inches shorter than his backfield companion, has also shown he can be a receiving threat with 32 career receptions and has served as a valuable return man for Wisconsin.

Gordon lacks similar credentials, but White sees such potential in the sophomore.

"I think they're pretty similar," White said of how the tandem's running styles compare. "We both can do a little bit of everything -- catch the ball in the backfield, we could block, we could run with power, run with speed. I think we have a lot more speed in the backfield for me, [Gordon] and Jeff, as well."

As crazy as it may sound, together the two have a solid chance at equaling if not surpassing the production of Ball, who compiled 1,800-plus rushing yards in each of his final two years. Long the backup and never the feature back in Wisconsin's offense, White still has more than 2,500 career yards and averaged a solid 6.4 yards per carry in 2012.

Gordon has ridiculous speed for a man who stands at 6-foot-1, and his performance in the Big Ten Championship Game (nine carries for 216 yards) left every Badger fan's mind racing to comprehend the kinds of numbers he could post with additional experience. With the rest of a spring season and fall camp still ahead, one of the two may begin to separate himself from the other, a la Ball in 2011.

Still, Andersen was more than impressed with what he saw from his backs in his first practice.

"I'm excited to be able to see them grow throughout spring and put them in a position to build the offense around them, and get the offensive line and the tight ends and fullbacks all firing on the same cylinder to get some creases for them," Andersen said. "Because I know one thing, I'm standing back there today, when those two kids hit that hole and there's a crease, it's pretty quick coming there."

Even quarterback Joel Stave assured reporters there would not be hangover from Ball's departure. Wisconsin's reign as a factory of backfield talent that acts as the offensive centerpiece is in no threat of disappearing, despite the fact that a fresh face has taken over the program.

If only Ball could somehow get a sixth year of eligibility. Only then could Andersen be completely confident he had another stable of backs ready to guide the Badgers to a fourth consecutive Big Ten title.

"I wish they were all three here," he said. "That'd be perfect."

Bo Ryan: Big Ten Coach of the Year?

Ian McCue — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:54:13 -0000

Understanding the success of Wisconsin men's basketball starts with one underlying principle: Bo Ryan doesn't change.

As the world surrounding him gets caught up in the Twitterverse, as coaches toss out playbooks and start anew in search of the best system for today's game, Ryan remains a beacon of consistency in college basketball.

The critics -- and there are more than a handful -- say he wins through his system. They say he wins ugly. They say his glacially paced squads are nothing but painful to watch. But Ryan doesn't care; he'll flash his soon-to-be 12 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances as evidence that he may be stubborn, but damned if it doesn't work.

In his 12 years in Madison, he may never have produced so much from such few resources as he has with a Badgers unit that is making a last-second charge for the Big Ten title with three games remaining in conference play. The same Big Ten that has earned universal recognition as the nation's most competitive conference in 2012.

Ryan's guiding a team with not a single player averaging over 11.6 points per game to the brink of a Big Ten title, a team the media selected to finish fifth in the preseason polls -- and that was before starting point guard Josh Gasser was lost for the year with a torn ACL.

Many have said this may be Ryan's most masterful work of a career replete with surprisingly strong finishes, and they are right. It is just that body of work that should peg him not just as the front-runner, but indeed the clear victor for Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.

Ryan's earned that honor twice, in his first year with the Badgers in 2002 and again in 2003. He is even more deserving of this one. The only other season that compares to his body of work in 2012-13 came back in 2001-02, when UW earned a share of the Big Ten title despite the sizable hurdles of a new staff and a fresh (though still defensively-minded) system.

Though his 19-win campaign in his first season with Wisconsin was certainly impressive, the Big Ten was not stacked with the depth it boasts this year. In 2002, the conference sent five teams to the NCAA tournament, none of them higher than a fourth seed, though Indiana (a fifth seed) did make a run to the national title game.

If ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi's latest predictions hold true, seven Big Ten squads will take part in March Madness this year and three of them will be either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. The top-to-bottom strength of basketball in the Midwest is nothing less than stunning, and it provides a massive jolt to Ryan's coach of the year resume.

So just who, exactly, are his competitors to win the award for the first time in a decade?

The most compelling case comes from Indiana's Tom Crean, who has restored the glory to the Cream and Crimson in his fifth season with the Hoosiers. Crean deserves considerable praise for reversing the fortunes of a program that was in absolute shambles when he arrived in Bloomington in 2008. But Indiana was supposed to be an elite power this year.

With Cody Zeller returning after a star freshman campaign, highly regarded freshman Yogi Ferrell manning the point and an even better-than-expected Victor Oladipo emerging as a National Player of the Year candidate, Crean's roster is loaded with talent. At least two of his current players will likely be top-15 picks in June's NBA Draft, and Indiana has lived up to the tremendous hype it faced as the nation's top-ranked team in preseason polls.

Ryan, on the other hand, has relied on three players who spent the bulk of their careers as role players (Jared Berggren, Mike Bruesewitz and Ryan Evans), a streaky shooter previously regarded as a defensive liability (Ben Brust), a sophomore who had seen sparse minutes forced to play out of position and man the point (Traevon Jackson) and an immensely talented freshman still learning the intricacies of the college game (Sam Dekker). That Wisconsin has lost only one more conference game than Indiana despite a massive talent gap is a tribute to Ryan's ability to shape his gameplans around his available pool of players.

The only other serious competitor for the award is Michigan State's Tom Izzo. Izzo has composed another marvelous year for the Spartans, a team also firmly planted in the conference title race, but he still had more to work with than Ryan. And he just won the award in 2012 for the third time, and as we all learned in kindergarten, sharing is a good thing, right?

When woeful shooting plagued the Badgers earlier this year, Ryan responded by convincing his players to fully buy in to his defensive principles, gradually sculpting them into one of the top defenses not just in the Big Ten, but the nation. In the words of that one freshman who's been an invaluable cog in the most unlikely of runs for the conference crown, Ryan's way has become the Badger way.

"We're just playing better Badger basketball, and that's what we're built [for] and that's what we've worked on to this point to get at," Dekker said Sunday. "We think we can win every game, no matter where we're playing, no matter who we're playing."

They have worked for this moment, and that moment has arrived. It's only fair to hand the hardware to the conductor of an orchestra that has grown all the more harmonious with time. Because some things -- like Wisconsin being in the mix for a Big Ten title come late-February -- will never change.

The Enticing Future of Wisconsin's Defense

Ian McCue — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:56:33 -0000

MADISON, Wis. -- The minute rumors broke that Dave Aranda would follow Gary Andersen to Madison, Wisconsin fans couldn't help themselves from dreaming of exciting 3-4 schemes and blitzes sending safeties and linebackers darting every which way.

If Aranda's comments on the nine scholarship players projected to play defense hold any merit, then such intrigue around the Badgers' defense should only grow stronger. Under Chris Ash and Charlie Partridge in 2012, the defense was certainly effective but also rather vanilla, the kind of group that often went unrecognized despite finishing third in the Big Ten in total defense.

On Wednesday, National Signing Day, one of the new defensive coordinator's most interesting comments was how much of a premium he places on speed and athleticism when recruiting.

"I would say toughness and being a smart kid, being tough, and then being fast," Aranda said of the most important traits he looks for in a recruit. "I think the speed is the equalizer. When I look around the conference and I look at us, and ... to do some of the things that we're aiming to do, we need speed."

In fact, the two new defensive recruits reeled in since Andersen took over -- Leon Jacobs and Donnell Vercher -- indicate a fresh approach for UW. Aranda spoke of watching Jacobs playing basketball and throwing down dunks over opponents, shooting a thumbs up at the onlooking recruiter as he dropped from the rim. Jacobs also won a dunk contest one time.

National Signing Day StoryStream | Wisconsin's 2013 class and 2014-15 offers

Jacobs could line up at inside or outside linebacker or even defensive end, according to Aranda, perhaps the type of versatile athletes that will form the foundation of Wisconsin's reconstructed defense.

Though Bret Bielema's staff picked out nearly every other defensive recruit in the 2013 class, Aranda said players like Alec James, Chikwe Obasih, Garret Dooley and Matt Hubley are exactly the types of athletes he usually targets. As Andersen and the rest of the staff reviewed tape of recruits at the Rose Bowl, they were struck by the number of what Aranda described as "hyper players" that had already been picked out and praised the work of his predecessors.

"When I look at the defense, I see long, rangy athletes, I see front-seven guys that are long," he said. "When I look at the seniors here at Wisconsin, I see what we needed was skill with speed. So that's what we're able to go after and get."

Both Obasih and James appear to have the right build and athleticism to fit into a scheme that will clearly emphasize speed over power, somewhat of a fundamental change for this program.

Aranda found much success at Utah State using a 3-4 setup and the Aggies finished the season ranked 14th nationally in total defense, one spot ahead of Wisconsin under then-defensive coordinator Chris Ash. If Aranda found that much success with players that most football powers either overlooked or ignored, it's hard not to think about how far he could take this unit with more elite athletes who don't need the development period required of many WAC recruits.

Aranda even mentioned that he's noticed a major difference on the recruiting trail when he steps into living rooms and tries to sell high school stars on the Badgers.

"I think Wisconsin is a national brand, so it sold itself a little bit," Aranda said. "Just when you walk into the school, you're noticed, and so it gives you a platform to really get in-depth with recruits and really talk about the football program, talk about the academic programs here."

With the likes of Beau Allen and Ethan Hemer returning for their senior seasons in 2013, Aranda has said he will not immediately jump to a three-man front but will experiment with some fresh, creative looks. Give him a few years, however, and "vanilla" may be the last word that comes to mind describing the Wisconsin defense.

National Signing Day 2013: Which Wisconsin Recruits Could Play Early?

Ian McCue — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:06:27 -0000

QB Tanner McEvoy, Hillsdale, N.J.

The commotion for the starting job only grew louder when coach Gary Andersen reeled in the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in junior college football, Tanner McEvoy. McEvoy, an elusive runner despite his 6-foot-6 frame, was a three-star prospect out of high school and spent a year at South Carolina before heading for junior college.

Andersen said in his Wednesday press conference that the latest quarterback will ensure that the Badgers are never short on options if the injury bug hits UW again. The head coach also said the addition of McEvoy will only fuel the competition, thus putting Wisconsin in top shape come September.

"From an athletic standpoint, Tanner can hurt you with his arm, his legs, and his mind. How good he is at that at this level remains to be seen," Andersen said. "But there are a lot of quarterbacks in this program that are excited about having the opportunity to compete at the starting job. He's just one of them that will have an opportunity to compete."

National Signing Day StoryStream | Wisconsin's 2013 class and 2014-15 offers

S Donnell Vercher, Clovis, Calif.

First-year defensive coordinator Dave Aranda says safety Donnell Vercher simply has a keen eye for the ball.

Displaying what Aranda called a "wow" factor at Fresno City College. Major colleges bypassed him in high school because of academic issues, according to Aranda, and he could make for a dangerous companion alongside the established free safety, Dezmen Southward.

"We felt like we needed, again, to put ourselves in a position to up the numbers [in the secondary]," Andersen said. "He's a tremendous, tremendous athlete. He led the junior college in interceptions, if I'm not mistaken. He moves around very well."

CB Jakkarie Washington, Everett, Mass.

A late pickup and one of the less-heralded members of the Badgers' 2013 recruiting class, Jakkarie Washington was discovered by secondary coach Bill Busch.

He will likely have a hard time earning a spot ahead of fellow 2013 recruit Sojourn Shelton, but the UW head coach still sees potential in Washington.

"We wanted to evaluate the corners and get a young corner here, another one," Andersen said. "Sojourn (Shelton) is here, Keelon (Brookins) is here; they've done a tremendous job thus far in the program ... for two young corners. Wanted to get another one in Jakkarie. He's very fast and very quick, another tough-minded young man."

LB Leon Jacobs, Santa Clarita, Calif.

The consensus on linebacker Leon Jacobs is he's nothing less than an athletic freak.

A star basketball player in Southern California, Jacobs has only played two years of competitive football but appears to have near-limitless potential. He initially committed to Fresno State before backing out and Aranda immediately jumped at the opportunity to lure him to Madison.

"He's a man among boys, and so athletically, he's everything you look for," Aranda said. "[In terms of football] he's raw, it's been two years of football, so the plays that he made last year are natural plays and raw plays. He's a smart kid, so it's going to come to him."

DE Alec James, Brookfield, Wis.

The second-best recruit in the state according to Rivals, defensive end Alec James appears to have all the physical tools to become an explosive pass rusher on the edge.

Big-name programs like Oregon and Notre Dame courted James, and he may be one of the players Andersen referred to having a chance to prove themselves in spring ball. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, James is also a track athlete, which speaks to his dangerous combination of size and speed.

"It was a big process for him in a whole bunch of schools," Andersen said. "He stayed true with us and hung in there and did a nice job. He's a very talented young man. As big as he is, as tall as he is, as physical as he is and the way he runs is very, very impressive."

OL Hayden Biegel, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

Hayden Biegel is exactly the kind of Wisconsin-bred player the Badgers have turned into standout offensive linemen for years.

He will have plenty of work to do to in the weight room to fill out his 6-foot-5 frame (he's currently listed at 245 pounds). But Andersen sees how Biegel could one day become a more recognized names that can keep O-Line U in top form.

"Another one of the expected to-be great offensive linemen at the University of Wisconsin," Andersen said. "I feel very good about him and the direction that he's headed; the way he's changed his body really over the last year is very impressive."

S/RB Matt Hubley, Waukesha, Wis.

Instead of joining a stable of running backs clogging up the Wisconsin roster, Matt Hubley -- a standout running back in high school -- will likely move over to safety instead.

Another in-state recruit, Hubley's background compares favorably to that of Chris Maragos and Jim Leonhard, two underrated players who developed into stars.

"His football mind is very impressive," Andersen said. "When I walked in the home, [secondary coach Ben Strickland] was with me. I looked at Ben and I said, ‘Ben, you're recruiting yourself here. ‘"

Andersen also already sees a way for the two-star recruit to potentially make an immediate impact as a freshman.

"You look at him and think, ‘Is this a young man that could help you initially right out of the gate with special teams?'" he said. "It will be interesting to see how he handles it because I know mentally how tough he is and how he carries himself."

DE Chikwe Obasih, Brookfield, Wis.

If James and fellow defensive end Chikwe Obasih both develop as planned, they could develop into a ferocious pair of pass-rushers and run-stoppers.

Obasih is Rivals' top-ranked player in Wisconsin, and like James, has sky-high potential thanks to his athleticism and physical gifts. Obasih could likely line up in a 3-4 scheme if Aranda starts to implement that system and seems like an ideal candidate for some of the more unconventional blitzes Aranda will likely try out.

"The good thing about both those young men, speaking of Alec and of Chikwe in the same note, they're both athletic enough to be able to get involved into the zone blitz scheme," Andersen said. "When we do get into the odd front versus the even front, they're that defensive end that can play with his hand on the ground if need be. He can also get back and drop out in coverage."

WR Robert Wheelwright, Columbus, Ohio

Robert Wheelwright was one player Andersen identified who will have the chance to earn playing time immediately.

Wheelwright boasts decent speed and, although Andersen declined to peg him as someone he's counting on to make a difference next year, he seems as poised as any freshman to do so. Andersen acknowledged the Badgers are thin at receiver, and the Columbus native may be just the man to help.

"We need to put ourselves in a situation of productivity, that's not something we're going to turn around and hide from," Andersen said. "We all want Jared [Abbrederis] to be a tremendous football player -- he's going to be a lot better football player if when you sit back and you scheme our offense, you don't just look at him and try to do everything you can to take him away."

WR Jazz Peavy, Kenosha, Wis.

Although he boasts 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash, Andersen lauded Peavy's ability to win aerial battles for contested passes thrown his way.

Peavy may not have the credentials of fellow wideout Robert Wheelwright, but could be another option to draw pressure away from Jared Abbrederis.

"They used him a lot on fly sweeps if you use the tape," Andersen said. "I thought he did a very nice job of putting himself in a position to make big plays, whether the ball was up in the air and contested or out in the open field. He's a big receiver. Also has very good speed."

TE T.J. Watt, Pewaukee, Wis.

The Watt pipeline continues to feed directly to Madison, as J.J. Watt's youngest brother becomes the third in the family to don a Badgers uniform.

Watt played quarterback and doubled as a linebacker his senior year, and Andersen said he could grow into either a tight end or a defensive end. Watt will have plenty to live up to thanks to his surname, and Andersen said Watt reminded him of another well-known puil.

"T.J. tells me that he wants to be the best Watt boy," he said. "If that's the case, we're in a pretty good spot. ... He reminds me a lot of [former Utah State player] Paul Kruger, the defensive end for the [Baltimore] Ravens. Paul was a quarterback in high school when I recruited him and watched him grow and develop."

CB Sojourn Shelton, Plantation, Fla.

Sojourn Shelton may be the most college-ready defensive back in the Badgers' class, and he's only helped his case by enrolling early at Wisconsin this spring.

Those two things add up to a freshman that can make an immediate impact in a secondary that lost three of its four starters from last year. Andersen did note that Johnson needs to bulk up from his current weight of 174 pounds, but noted he has already gained eight pounds since arriving on campus.

"We're trying to get the weight on him," Andersen said. "He's done a good job of adjusting to school, as well. It's really a great advantage, really as much football as being a college student."

CB Keelon Brookins, St. Paul, Minn.

As the No. 2 player in Minnesota according to Rivals, Keelon Brookins comes in with a fair amount of hype and could see game time in a secondary short on experience.

But Brookins is still nursing a knee injury, something that could sink him into an early hole as he battles for playing time this year.

"He's not full speed and will still be somewhat limited in spring, although he'll want to go," Andersen said. "We'll just definitely stay off on that a little bit and let him continue to rehab and get better before we turn him loose."

National Signing Day 2013: Gary Andersen Introduces Wisconsin Class of 2013

Ian McCue — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 22:41:20 -0000

MADISON, Wis. -- After about six weeks on the job, Wisconsin football coach Gary Andersen's personal footprint on the program grows stronger every day.

Never was that more clear than when he offered his own take on Wisconsin's 19 commits from National Signing Day at a press conference (full transcript) Wednesday afternoon.

With a pair of junior college transfers and several other top-level talents who turned down the overtures of other elite college football programs, Andersen is ready to offer first-year players a shot at seeing significant time on the field. It is rare to find a player on the current Wisconsin roster who did not redshirt after arriving on campus, but that may change with the new face of the program.

National Signing Day StoryStream | Wisconsin's 2013 class and 2014-15 offers

Andersen said he will focus on getting the new players as many reps as possible during spring ball, even if that means keeping more established talent on the sideline.

"My philosophy on that is once we get through these conditioning times and we get through spring ball and we get through fall practice that the junior college kids are here, they deserve the opportunity to show us who they are very early," Andersen said. "You're going to see those young men in practice right away.

"They'll be given that opportunity early, but so will the freshman as much as we can. Get them in there and see if they can handle it."

Relying on the preseason to evaluate fresh talent and figure out how the pieces slide together on the depth chart is a practice Andersen said he borrowed form legendary Kansas State coach Bill Snyder. While evaluating talent in spring ball is hardly anything new, Andersen appears more open to giving youngsters a chance to actually earn playing time in their first year on campus.

He said that recruits including cornerback Sojourn Shelton and wide receiver Robert Wheelwright will have a fair opportunity to earn immediate playing time. So just how big of a role will freshmen play in 2013?

"A lot of them will probably be able to handle it physically," Andersen said of the incoming class. "But the fact of the matter is can you handle big time Division I football from a mentality standpoint, day-in and day-out?"

McEvoy adds another layer to quarterback battle

Perhaps the most surprising addition to the Badgers' class of 2013 was junior college transfer quarterback Tanner McEvoy.

McEvoy, who started his career at South Carolina before taking a detour to Arizona Western College in 2012, is one of six quarterbacks who will battle it out for the starting spot under center this spring. Many perceived McEvoy to arrive with an inherent advantage since he is Andersen's recruit, but the UW coach denied such claims.

"We just want to create competition; he adds another dimension to the quarterback position," Andersen explained. "His ability to be able to run is a positive. Does that mean he's the starting quarterback? No, [the] best guy will be whoever performs and leads the team the best way."

But he also talked about the potential of the 6-foot-6 passer, the top-rated dual-threat quarterback to emerge from the junior college ranks this year. Andersen said McEvoy can "hurt you with his arms, his legs and his mind," and also said he liked the resolve of a player who still has three years of eligibility remaining.

"Another thing I like about Tanner is he's kind of had to fight his way back," he said. "He has a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, he's got a lot of want-to in him, he has high expectations of himself, his family has high expectations of himself as he moves through the rest of his career."

Dipping into the junior college ranks

Junior college transfers like McEvoy often arrive with the stigma of having some kind of checkered past, that they must own a troubling history with an initial stint at a major college football program.

But Andersen said that stigma is often false, explaining along the way why he brought in two recruits from junior college -- McEvoy and safety Donnell Vercher. Himself a former junior college player at Utah's Ricks College, Andersen sees an upside to bringing in these the oft-overlooked or embattled players.

"I like that chip on kids' shoulders," Andersen said. "If you look back at the history of the University of Wisconsin, that's how this program was built, with tough kids that ... have a little bit of a ‘I told you so, but I'm going to show you.' As they go through their career, they tend to blossom when they get into this environment."

While such recruits will likely continue to be a resource for the program, the Badgers' head coach assured fans he will not use them as a recruiting crutch in the future.

"We're never going to wholesale junior college kids," he said. "We're not going to go out and sign 12 junior college players. That's never going to happen."

Strickland already a "superstar"

With an energetic and engaging personality, it's easy to understand why Wisconsin secondary coach Ben Strickland has already established himself as an ace recruiter.

So just how important was he to securing the likes of Brookfield East's Alec James and Brookfield Central's Chikwe Obasih, two of the top players in the state? According to Andersen -- who said he got to know the young coach on a five-day recruiting trip through the Midwest -- his ability to calm the waters after Bielema's departure was invaluable.

Just five years after Strickland last suited up for the Badgers, Andersen already sees a bright future for the second-year position coach.

"Ben has done a tremendous job of saying, 'yes' when it's 'yes' and saying, ‘Maybe, we'll see when it's maybe we'll see,' Andersen said. "And then say, ‘Coach, you know what, it's just now the right fit for us right now.' Because of that, he has tremendous relationships with high school coaches throughout the state.

"He just continues to show me that he's a superstar in this profession at a very, very young age."

Once Again, Badgers Fall Short in Pasadena

Ian McCue — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:14:47 -0000

Pasadena, Calif. — All it took for the Wisconsin football team’s third straight Rose Bowl to slip away was one misguided pass from the hands of quarterback Curt Phillips, a pass that sealed a 20-14 victory for Stanford Tuesday evening.

The fateful throw came as the Badgers drove down the field behind bruising runs as the clock trickled closer to the two-minute mark in the fourth quarter. All that momentum evaporated when Stanford defensive end Josh Mauro tipped a pass from Phillips intended for tight end Jacob Pedersen that instead landed in the hands of nickelback Usua Amanam.

"You’re at midfield or close to midfield with a chance to win the Rose Bowl," interim head coach Barry Alvarez said. "I just felt like maybe we were a team of destiny.

"So I just felt like somehow we were going to find a way to score."

The fifth-year senior signal caller said Stanford defenders shut off his first two targets on the play, making Pedersen — who had the option to curl inside or head toward the sideline — his man. But according to Phillips a miscommunication and a poor throw on his part ended the potential game-winning drive a yard into Stanford territory.

"It’s extremely frustrating, there’s no doubt in my mind we were going to win that game," Phillips said postgame as he fought back tears. "So it’s tough, but it’s been a hell of a ride the whole time, I’ve really enjoyed it."

Phillips’ final drive marked one of the only signs of offensive success for the Badgers in the second half, as their 14 points all came in the opening 30 minutes.

With the Cardinal defense keeping a muzzle on any offensive production from the Badgers early, speedy tailback Melvin Gordon took a jet sweep 15 yards around the right edge to establish the foundation for the remainder of the drive. A tipped ball somehow found its way into the arms of Jared Abbrederis, and Ball finally found a path to the end zone to cut Stanford’s lead to 14-7.

After Stanford’s Jordan Williamson slid a 47-yard field goal through the uprights, Wisconsin looked set to take a 14-point deficit into halftime.

But Phillips sprinted 38 yards down the left to give his team renewed hope of a score before the break. With less than 30 seconds left in the first half, the fifth-year senior found a diving Jordan Fredrick in the front of the end zone to lower the deficit to three points.

Yet Phillips impressive drive proved for naught, the game marred by the electrifying comebacks that ended in heartbreaking defeat that defined Wisconsin’s 2012 campaign.

"It’s heartbreaking. You’d like to send out guys like Montee the right way, and we couldn’t get it done today," linebacker Chris Borland said. "Like Coach (Alvarez) said earlier, it’s kind of been a microcosm of our whole season. We’ve faced some adversity, fought back and came up short."

The surprising offensive fireworks of the first half transformed into a grind-it-out defensive battle where neither team scored in the third quarter.

The lone score of the second half for either team came on a chip shot field goal that capped a clock-draining 12-play, 66-yard drive that chugged along behind running back Stepfan Taylor’s 25 yards.

But the offense sputtered for much of the game with Phillips throwing for only 83 yards and the combined 155 yards of Montee Ball, James White and Melvin Gordon not enough to make up for it.

"It’s just been up and down, and we just weren’t able to produce what we needed to produce," redshirt junior Travis Frederick said. "As an offensive line we didn’t play the way we needed to in the second half … and I think that really hurt the team."

A steady rushing attack from the Badgers (151 yards) and an efficient two quarters from Cardinal quarterback Kevin Hogan (6-of-9, 90 yards) had the first half score sitting closer to what many expected for a full four quarters of play rather than a half.

Wisconsin’s offensive line kept Stanford’s vaunted defensive line and linebackers under control, as they never sacked Phillips and left enough space for him to run for 64 yards.

"They’re very difficult to block. I thought we had some success, Melvin had a great day on the edge," Alvarez said. "We made some plays, but they were jamming the middle up pretty good."

The Pac-12 champs wasted no time grabbing the early advantage, as running back Kelsey Young scampered around the left edge and into the end zone on a 16-yard run.

The Cardinal’s redshirt freshman signal caller then aired it out to tight end Zach Ertz for 43 yards before running back Stepfan Taylor rammed it past the goal line to hand Stanford the 14-0 lead early.

Twice the Badgers appeared to answer their first score, but the Stanford defense refused to make it that easy. Ball made it into the touchdown nearly untouched but a holding call on left tackle Ricky Wagner negated that score. Phillips then hit Pedersen — who appeared to crawl into the end zone — but a review overturned that call before the Cardinal denied White on fourth and goal.

The players realized the loss came as a result of more than a single errant throw. After chasing Stanford for four quarters, Wisconsin’s effort was too little, too late.

"It stings. It stings just as much because we fell short, extremely short when we had the opportunity to win," Ball said. "They did a great job of stopping a really good offense. But speaking for our offense, we had many opportunities to capitalize on big plays and we fell short."

Notebook: Ball Approaching Final Chapter; Phillips Finally Gets a Shot

Ian McCue — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 23:40:24 -0000

LOS ANGELES -- One of the most intriguing and important battles of the 2013 Rose Bowl will come in a part of the field that the casual fan often overlooks: the battle in the trenches.

Lining up across from a typically oversized Wisconsin offensive line on which the five linemen average 326 pounds will be the nation's third-ranked rushing defense. Heading into its third straight BCS Bowl game, Stanford has surrendered just 87.7 yards on the ground per game and leads the nation with 56 sacks this year.

"We like to compare them to Penn State because they play smart, they play with a lot of heart, and they play together, they play for each other, which is a very difficult defense to defeat," senior running back Montee Ball said. "They do a great job of attacking the run."

A trio of linebackers in Shayne Skov, Chase Thomas and Trent Murphy anchor the Pac-12 champions' 3-4 defense. Wisconsin native and Homestead High School graduate Ben Gardner -- who boasts 7.5 sacks on the year, tied for second on the team -- will likely be a constant nuisance for Wisconsin quarterback Curt Phillips.

What the Cardinal give up in size to Wisconsin's O-line they make up for in technique, using speedy footwork and block-shedding moves to quickly break through anyone in their path.

"They're very technique-sound and obviously fundamentally sound," left guard Ryan Groy said. "And it's something [where] we have to get great movement and have to get up to the second level."

On the opposite side of the ball, Stanford will face a difficult test in trying to temper Ball's bulldozing runs up the middle and the speed of James White and Melvin Gordon around the edge. Phillips has yet to prove he can be a consistent threat through the air, meaning just how much space the offensive line can open up for its three running backs could very well decide if Wisconsin can build an offensive rhythm.

"They definitely move guys off the ball and re-create the line of scrimmage, and it's a tough challenge for our guys up front," Thomas said at Saturday's Rose Bowl Media Day. "We have to dump blocks, we have to make sure we don't get pushed back and open up those creases for Ball and those other running backs. It's definitely going to be a big challenge for the defensive line."

As Director of Athletics and Rose Bowl head coach Barry Alvarez noted, the skill on both sides of the line of scrimmage may increase the importance of other areas of the game.

"I think the special teams could play a big part in this game," Alvarez said Saturday. "Watching Stanford, they're similar to us. They very physical, they're not going to make a lot of mistakes -- you have to beat them."

Ball approaches final chapter

When the final seconds tick off the play clock at the Rose Bowl Tuesday, the final chapter of Montee Ball's collegiate football career will be officially sealed.

The Doak Walker Award winner who ranks second in Wisconsin history (behind only Ron Dayne) with 5,040 career rushing yards said that he is starting to realize his name will soon be limited to record books rather than box scores. One of those moments came when Gordon mentioned they should record UW's recent trip to Disneyland since this is the senior's last call.

"This week it has [sunk in] because you start to realize this is the last time that you'll be around all these players at the same times," Ball said. "Coaches, as well, so it's starting to hit me, and I've made sure that I really cherish this a lot."

The one achievement missing from the senior tailback's resume is a Rose Bowl victory, as Ball has been a key component of back-to-back losses in Pasadena to TCU and Oregon over the last two years.

"Very, very excited, grateful for everything I've accomplished, very fortunate," he said. "But I want the Rose Bowl. I want the Rose Bowl victory more than anything because that's something I can share with everybody."

Another record will be up for grabs Saturday as Ball sits just 150 yards away from Dayne's Rose Bowl record of 446 career rushing yards.

Phillips will finally see field in Pasadena

The first two times Curt Phillips traveled to the Rose Bowl, he wasn't even dressed for the game.

After tearing his ACL three separate times, the oft-sidelined quarterback made a surprising surge into the starting role after Joel Stave's season-ending injury against Michigan State and Danny O'Brien's underwhelming performance filling in for the remainder of the overtime loss to the Spartans.

"I saw my parents ... they were joking around that, saying it's so much better not seeing you limping through this hotel," said Phillips, who will make just his fifth career start at the Rose Bowl. "So it does make it that much more fun.

"I'm just trying to live in the moment and have fun with it."

Alvarez also did not rule out the potential of Stave returning to the field Tuesday, as the redshirt freshman who made six starts earlier this season has been cleared to play.

"He's definitely in the gameplan," Alvarez said. "(Offensive coordinator) Matt Canada and I talked about that, Stave brings a little more to the table. He can throw the ball downfield; he brings a little more ammo."