Mid-season stock report for Wisconsin football: Risers and fallers
Here are the risers and fallers from the Badgers' first half of the season.
Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football team currently sit at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play at the midway point of the 2024 season and appear to have bounced back and turned a corner after what many fans initially viewed as an underwhelming start.
"This is a team that's getting better... but it's exciting to see things continue to grow in front of our own face, and that's where I'm as happy and as proud as anything," Fickell said. "I think that's where we're starting to see this culture continue to form in front of our face."
Here are the risers and fallers from the Badgers' first half of the season.
Riser: WR Vinny Anthony
One of the biggest stock risers on the Wisconsin football team's offense has been junior wide receiver Vinny Anthony, who is emerging as the Badgers' top downfield threat.
Through six games, the Kentucky native has caught 11 passes for a team-high 287 yards and two touchdowns.
Albeit a small sample size, Anthony currently leads the country in yards per catch (26.1) among receivers who have registered at least 10 catches. Additionally, Anthony has accounted for six explosive plays, which are defined as plays of 15+ yards.
"I would say where he was when we walked in the door just physically to where he is now is a far cry, and that happens because guys mature," Fickell said of Anthony. “He's gotten bigger, he's gotten stronger, he has gotten faster, I think he's quicker, I think he's more explosive… and now we're giving him some more opportunities.”
With injuries hampering Bryson Green, Anthony has stepped up and given Wisconsin a viable — and much-needed field-stretcher on the boundary in the passing game. The 6-foot wideout has 4.3 speed on the outside and has been a pleasant surprise thus far.
Faller: LB Jake Chaney
The Badgers coaching staff talked up senior inside linebacker Jake Chaney quite a bit for the ways he grew both physically and as a leader during the offseason. Unfortunately, it hasn't materialized into impactful production.