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Badgers could be down to fourth string quarterback

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Danny Vanden Boom: PHOTO Courtesy of Kelli Steffes / UW Athletics

The Wisconsin Badgers are busy preparing for Saturday’s Big Ten matchup at Nebraska and they could be down to their fourth quarterback for the matchup.

Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week that quarterbacks Graham Mertz and Chase Wolf have both tested positive for coronavirus.  Wolf wasn’t at the teams workout on Monday.

Both quarterbacks will require a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to confirm the first positive result.  If that test turns up negative for either player, then they could be available for Saturday’s game.  A second positive test would mean they would have to miss 21 days, according to the Big Ten Conference’s protocol.

Starter Jack Coan is already sidelined after foot surgery and Mertz replaced him with a five touchdown performance against Illinois last Friday.  If Mertz and Wolf are not available, then the next in line is redshirt junior Danny Vanden Boom.

Vanden Boom is the son of former Badger defensive back Matt Vanden Boom, who was an All-American back in 1981. [Read more…]

Wisconsin’s Coan out indefinitely with foot injury

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Jack Coan

The Wisconsin Badgers expect to be without senior quarterback Jack Coan for their October 24th opener against Illinois and likely beyond.

Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported that Coan injured his right foot during practice Saturday and is expected to be out at least several weeks.

Coan took over as the Badgers full-time starter last season after starting four games in 2018.  He started all 14 games last season, completing 69.6% of his passes, finishing with 2,802 yards.

With Coan sidelined, UW’s top three quarterbacks likely are Graham Mertz, Chase Wolf and Danny Vanden Boom.

Mertz played in two games as a freshman last season and completed 9 of 10 passes for 73 yards.  He had offers from Ohio [Read more…]

Dietzen returns to Badgers

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Offensive lineman Jon Dietzen started 32 games for the Wisconsin Badgers, but stepped away from the program after the 2018 season because of a number of injuries.  The time away has given Dietzen new life.  He’s returned to the program and is one of 113 players on the Badgers preseason training camp roster with practice kicking off on Wednesday.

Dietzen was prepared to return to the program last spring but the NCAA closed down all on-campus workouts because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Dietzen (Seymour, Wisconsin) started 20 games at left guard and 12 at left tackle before leaving the program after a number of lower-body injuries.

UW has to replace center Tyler Biadasz, David Moorman and Jason Erdmann from last season and Dietzen’s return gives the Badgers more depth as well as a veteran presence on the offensive line.

Not on the training camp roster is starting safety Reggie Pearson.  He started 13 of 14 games last season as a redshirt freshman and finished fourth on the team in tackles with 60.

Head coach Paul Chryst told reporters on Wednesday that Pearson is dealing with a medical condition that was discovered in the off-season.  He remains enrolled in school but hasn’t been cleared to practice or play.

Pearson took over as a starter in week two last season, replacing Scott Nelson who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener against South Florida.

The Badgers will open the Big Ten season Oct. 24 against Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium.

Big Ten set to return to football

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Camp Randall Stadium (Photo by David Stluka)

The Big Ten Conference is going to have football after all.

Less than five weeks after pushing fall sports into the spring with player safety concerns in the middle of a pandemic, the conference changed its mind with University Presidents and Chancellors voting unanimously to open its football season the weekend of Oct. 23-24.

All 14 teams will play eight games over eight weeks before Big Ten Championship weekend December 19th.  At that time, the first place team in the West will play the first place team in the East for the Big Ten title.  The second place teams will face each other, the third place teams will square off and so on, giving each team a ninth game.  The new schedule is expected to be released by the end of the week.

The emergence of daily rapid-response testing that wasn’t available last month helped trigger the re-vote, as did recent [Read more…]

Big Ten moving fall sports to the second semester of 2020-21 (AUDIO)

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Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez

The Big Ten Conference pulled the plug on the fall sports season on Tuesday, making the decision to move football and all other fall sports to the second semester due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said they just believe collectively there is too much uncertainty at this point in time in our country to really encourage student-athletes to participate in fall sports.

“One of the things we promised ourselves was that this was going to be a fluid situation, a day-to-day situation,” Warren said.  “And we would be in a perpetual state of observing, gathering information and we could do everything we possibly could to have fall sports.

“And I’ve said it from the first day that I started at the Big Ten, that the health and wellness, both physical and mental, of our student-athletes was going to be at the top of my list.”

The Big Ten wasn’t alone in making such a move.  The Pac-12 postponed fall sports through the end of the year. [Read more…]

Wisconsin football lands another top defensive recruit

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Paul Chryst

Paul Chryst’s Wisconsin football team has landed another top defensive recruit on Thursday.

T.J. Bollers, a four-star defensive end and the No. 147 overall player in the Class of 2021, committed to the Badgers over Nebraska, Iowa State and Alabama.

Bollers is from Clear Creek Amana High School in Tiffin, Iowa.  He is the eighth-ranked weak-side defensive end in the country and the second-ranked player in the state of Iowa.

Bollers is the 14th commitment and the second-highest ranked player in Wisconsin’s 2021 recruiting class.  The Badgers currently rank 16th nationally and sixth in the Big Ten in 247Sports team recruiting rankings.

Badgers secure commitment from standout pass rusher

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The Wisconsin Badger football team locked up one of their top defensive targets in their 2021 recruiting class, receiving a verbal commitment from Akron outside linebacker/defensive end Darryl Peterson.

This is a big get for Badgers coach Paul Chryst.  Peterson chose Wisconsin over Alabama, Michigan, Penn State and Minnesota among others.

Peterson recorded a school-record 21 sacks as a high school junior.  He gives the Badgers 12 known commitments for the 2021 class.

Shelton released by Cardinals

Former Badger defensive back Sojourn Shelton was waived by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday.

The 25-year-old Shelton originally signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin in 2017.  He also spent time with the Bengals and Eagles before returning to Arizona.

During his college career at UW, Shelton recorded 129 tackles, nine interceptions, tow forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 53 games.

 

Cephus declares for the NFL Draft

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Quintez Cephus

Wisconsin junior wide receiver Quintez Cephus announced Monday that he has declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.  Cephus made the announcement with a video posted to his Twitter and Instagram accounts @QoDeep 87.

Cephus had 93 receptions for 1,496 yards and 13 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Badgers.

“I’m excited to put my name in for the draft and to have a chance to play at the highest level,” Cephus said.  “I want to thank Coach (Paul) Chryst and Coach (Ted) Gilmore for everything they’ve done for me and for always having my back.  They’ve helped me grow as a football player and as a man.  The same for my teammates.  Their support has meant everything.  They’re brothers to me, and to be able to play this season with them and for them has been a blessing.”

Returning to the field after not playing in 2018, Cephus made 59 catches for 901 yards and seven touchdowns this season, setting career highs and leading the Badgers in all three categories.

“Q has meant a lot to this team,” UW head coach Paul Chryst said.  “He is incredibly selfless and truly cares about all of his teammates.  He has an infectious personality.  He loves playing the game of football and you can see that joy when he is on the field.  I am excited for his future and wish him all the best as he takes this step.”

Cephus looks to become the first Wisconsin receiver drafted since Jared Abbrederis was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Turnovers and penalties lead to Badger defeat in Rose Bowl

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The Wisconsin Badgers got a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Aron Cruickshank and had the upper hand in the stat column as well as a 17-minute advantage in time of possession, yet found themselves falling to the Oregon Ducks 28-27 in the New Years Day Rose Bowl.

Four turnovers (three fumbles and one interception) and nine penalties allowed the Ducks to sneak out of Pasadena with a victory.  Oregon turned those turnovers into 21 points.

The Badgers suffered their fourth straight Rose Bowl defeat.  They couldn’t put together a late drive, nor could they get a late stop when they needed it most.

The Ducks captured their third straight Rose Bowl victory.

Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Danny Davis both lost fumbles and punter Anthony Lotti fumbled [Read more…]

Badgers climb in top 25 polls

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Paul Chryst

After blowing out then, 10th ranked Michigan 35-14 on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium, the Wisconsin Badgers cracked the top 10 in both Top 25 polls.

The Badgers (3-0, 1-0 BIG) moved up five spots in the A.P. Top 25 from 13 to 8.  They also moved up five spots from 14 to 9 in the Amway Coaches Poll.

The Wolverines (2-1, 0-1) dropped all the way from 11 to 20 in the A.P. Poll and from 10 to 20 in the Coaches Poll.

Ohio State climbed from sixth to fifth in the A.P. Poll and remained at number-six in the Coaches Poll.

Penn State moved from 13 to 12 in the A.P. Poll and from 12 to 11 in the Coaches Poll.

Iowa climbed from 18 to 14 in both Top 25 Polls, while Michigan State moved into the Top 25 A.P. Poll at number-25.

The Badgers will host Northwestern (1-2, 0-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.  The Wildcats beat UW 31-17 last season on the way to a Big Ten West Division title.