Separating the Badgers' Fall Camp Roster Into 5 Groups

BadgerNotes separates the UW roster into five groups: Guaranteed starters, meaningful contributors, in the two-deep, on the cusp, and still developing...

With Big Ten Media Days in the rearview and fall camp just around the corner, the Wisconsin Badgers are eager to get back on the field and atone themselves after a 9-4 season that fell short of preseason expectations in 2021.

UW enters camp with several new faces on the coaching staff, including new offensive coordinator Bobby Engram, the former Baltimore Ravens tight ends coach.

He’ll attempt to reinvigorate a stagnant Badgers offense that averaged fewer than 26 points per game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1991.

The Badgers will also need to replace six preferred starters on offense and eight off Jim Leonhard’s top-ranked defense. Yet, the media picked Wisconsin as the favorite to win the Big Ten West and return to Indianapolis for the first time in three seasons.

To better grasp where the Badgers stand as of early August, let’s separate the UW roster into five groups: Guaranteed starters, meaningful contributors, in the two-deep, on the cusp, and still developing…

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Guaranteed Starters:

This grouping consists of core players guaranteed to be starting for UW come Week 1…

• Graham Mertz, QB

• Braelon Allen, RB

• Chimere Dike, WR

• Tyler Beach, OL

• Joe Tippmann, OL

• Jack Nelson, OL

• Keeanu Benton, NT

• Isaiah Mullens, DE

• Jordan Turner, ILB

• Nick Herbig, OLB

• Jay Shaw, CB

• Alexander Smith, CB

• John Torchio, S

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Meaningful Contributors:

This grouping of players is either likely to start, going to play meaningful snaps, or pushing to become starters…

• Chez Mellusi, RB

• Jackson Acker, FB

• Keontez Lewis, WR

• Skyler Bell, WR

• Jack Eschenbach, TE

• Clay Cundiff, TE

• Logan Brown, OL

• Tanor Bortolini, OL

• Riley Mahlman, OL

• Michael Furtney, OL

• Rodas Johnson, DE

• James Thompson, DE

• Tatum Grass, ILB

• Maema Njongmeta, ILB

• Darryl Peterson, OLB

• C.J. Goetz, OLB

• Justin Clark, CB

• Hunter Wohler, S

• Travian Blaylock, S (Injured – ACL)

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In the Two-Deep:

This grouping of players is already in Wisconsin’s two-deep or has a legitimate chance to be if they produce a strong fall camp: 

• Chase Wolf, QB

• Isaac Guerendo, RB

• Riley Nowakowski, FB

• Markus Allen, WR

• Dean Engram, WR

• Hayden Rucci, TE

• Dylan Barrett, OL

• Nolan Rucci, OL

• JP Benzschawel, OL

• Trey Wedig, OL

• Isaac Townsend, DE

• Gio Paez, NT

• Ben Barten, NT

• Spencer Lytle, ILB

• Jake Ratzlaff, ILB

• Jake Chaney, ILB

• T.J. Bollers, OLB

• Kaden Johnson, OLB

• Ricardo Hallman, CB

• Cedrick Dort, CB

• Preston Zachman, S

• Kamo’i Latu, S

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On the Cusp:

This grouping of players either has a niche role on the team or is on the cusp of breaking through: 

• Julius Davis, RB

• Brady Schipper, RB (3rd down back)

• Stephan Bracey, WR (Kick-Returner)

• Jack Pugh, TE

• Cole Dakovich, TE

• Jaylan Franklin, TE

• Cam Large, TE

• Aaron Witt, OLB (Returning from injury)

• Cade McDonald, DE

• Amaun Williams, CB

• Max Lofy, CB

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Still Developing:

This grouping of players is either new to the program, still developing, or considered roster depth in 2022 and would require an impressive fall camp to make it out of this group:

• Deacon Hill, QB

• Myles Burkett, QB

• Grover Bortolotti, RB

• Garrison Solliday, FB

• Haakon Anderson, WR

• Mike Gregoire, WR

• Alex Moeller, WR

• Jordan Dibenedetto, WR

• Vinny Anthony, WR

• Tommy McIntosh, WR

• Christopher Brooks, WR

• JT Seagreaves, TE

• Joe Brunner, OL

• Sean Timmis, OL

• Barrett Nelson, OL

• Kerry Kodanko, OL

• Tommy Brunner, DE

• Tristan Monday, DE

• Mike Jarvis, DE

• Curt Neal, NT

• Aidan Vaughan, ILB

• Bryan Sanborn, ILB

• Isaac Hamm, OLB

• Marty Strey, OLB

• Ross Gengler, OLB

• A’Khoury Lyde, CB

• Avyonne Jones, CB

• Semar Melvin, CB

• Al Ashford, CB

• Bryce Carey, S

• Owen Arnett, S

• Austin Brown, S

• Cade Yacamelli, S

• Titus Toler, S

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