The Wisconsin Badgers concluded their seventh practice of the spring on Saturday, which was the longest thus session, stemming around three hours on an eventful day.
Here are three quick takeaways from Wisconsin’s spring practice No. 7.
Quarterbacks shine
Saturday’s practice was arguably the best collective effort from the quarterback room, as both Braedyn Locke and Tyler Van Dyke impressed, compiling one of their best days of the spring.
It began in 1-on-1s, where both quarterbacks delivered on-target throws consistently as the wideouts thrived in those situations over the secondary.
Then, in 11-on-11s, both quarterbacks started strong, as Tyler Van Dyke fit in a great ball to Will Pauling running a post corner from the slot on a great play design from Phil Longo.
Later, Van Dyke had a nice deep ball to Haakon Anderson running a go route on the sideline with good coverage, but the receiver was unable to fully track it down and come down with the ball. The transfer quarterback especially connected with slot receivers Will Pauling and Trech Kekahuna, but spread the ball across the field, making some impressive cross-body throws that displayed his arm strength.
Braedyn Locke, on the other hand, was as aggressive as we’ve seen him be, challenging the defense throughout the day with some tight-window throws, as well as balls in the intermediate and deep side of the field.
Locke’s first throw in the red zone period was one of his best, as he zipped a dart to a streaking Bryson Green in a tight window for a touchdown that got the offense fired up.
Locke also fit in sweet throws to Kyan Berry-Johnson for 25 yards near the sideline and Quincy Burroughs on a deep 1-on-1 route where the receiver made a nice adjustment for the catch.
Overall, the most impressive part was the lack of mistakes, as both quarterbacks didn't have many poorly-placed throws, with Locke throwing the only near-interception late in practice on a ball that Nyzier Fourqurean jumped in the flat.
Locke still arguably had the better day with more aggressive, but I thought Van Dyke compiled a really strong day of work as well, building on his best week of practice as he gets more comfortable with the offense.
Receivers shine
To begin spring ball, the Badgers have consistently rotated their receivers, so there haven’t really been many overall standouts, although several players have shined over the course of the spring.
As a result, I’ve been intrigued by the potential of the receiver room in 2024, with a number of pieces returning, both on the outside and in the slot.
Saturday was the best day of the spring for the receivers, who dominated from the beginning, with a number of players standing out.
Will Pauling had an extremely impressive day, winning both of his 1-on-1 reps, as he dusted by Max Lofy on a slot corner before drawing a pass interference on Michael Mack on the second chance.
In 11-on-11s, Pauling hauled in passes from both top quarterbacks, catching some deeper passes, while also operating with high volume in the short range of the field, displaying secure hands for the most part.
Additionally, fellow slot receiver Trech Kekahuna continues to impress, as the redshirt freshman just has a knack for getting open. Despite his age and inexperience, Kekahuna is arguably the team’s best route-runner and the explosiveness with his movements is very apparent.
Moreover, he’s a ball magnet, rarely, if ever, dropping passes, while serving as a quarterback’s safety blanket.
Bryson Green had another good day of work, starting things off with a good rep against Jonas Duclona in 1-on-1s before translating that to 11-on-11s, where he broke free for a touchdown in the red zone period, while making a really impressive catch on the sidelines, elevating high for the ball in a tight window, although he ultimately was out of bounds.
Green has been seen as a deep threat, as well as a player who could work in the shorter to intermediate ranges of the field, and Wisconsin is hoping for an improved year in 2024.
I also thought Quincy Burroughs had a good day of practice, winning both of his 1-on-1 reps with some good route-running against R.J. Delancy, while making a sweet catch on a go-ball from Tyler Van Dyke in team drills.
Those were my main standouts from the group, although I thought the collective effort from the receiver room was really there on Saturday.
Standouts
I’ve mentioned standouts in both the receiver and quarterback rooms on Saturday, but there were also some other players who shined for the Badgers during practice No. 7.
Offensively, tight end Jackson McGohan had his best day, getting some opportunities in the red zone on short play-action passes and making the most of those chances with some nice yards after the catch, playing physically near the endzone.
McGohan also had three targets in the early 7-on-7 period from Nick Evers, catching two of the passes on his most active day of spring ball.
The tight end position is still completely open, and McGohan is still learning the offense, but it was good to see him get some receiving opportunities, even if they were primarily shorter checkdown-like passes.
Elsewhere, I’m been fairly impressed by the tandem of Jack Nelson and Joe Brunner... in the run game.
As spring ball has gone on, I’ve noticed how the Badgers have started to see some good success running the football behind the left side, even against an aggressive and improved defense.
As I’ve hinted at multiple times this spring, it feels like the running game will be strong once again for the Badgers, and I could argue that it may be even better than in 2023 with the number of bodies up in the room, as well as improved blocking up front, with Brunner and even center Jake Renfro looking good in early action.
Defensively, Hunter Wohler was a clear standout, and it’s evident he can’t wait for games to start.
The safety is a hitting machine, showcasing energy and relentlessness throughout the day, as he was consistently one of the first players to get to the ball. Playing physically, Wohler, as expected, is setting the tone for the defense, and could be the leader of the defense once again in 2024.
On the other hand, I thought redshirt freshman Braedyn Moore looked good early in practice, displaying physicality in his reps during an Oklahoma-like drill, which has been a sight to see over the past few practices.
As I noted in my “15 observations” piece, Moore’s physicality could be the path for him to get some additional opportunities this season.
The safety was known for his athleticism and instincts coming out of high school, positioning him to be a deep safety at the next level, but his increased physicality is what the Badgers want from their safeties, and it was on display again Saturday.
On the defensive line, I took a closer look at true freshman Ernest Willor in individual drills today and came away impressed.
Willor, standing at 6’4, 273 pounds, is still building into his frame, as he projects as an interior defensive lineman for the Badgers. But, with the way he moved in drills, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that the true freshman is already the most explosive defensive lineman on the team.
I’ll be continuing to keep an eye on his development as the spring progresses.
