Badgers Players that Might Make it in the 2016 NFL

The 2016 NFL draft has come and gone. How did the Badgers prospects fare? A number of Badgers found their way into the NFL this time, either by the draft, or just getting picked up by a team.  Here is the list of Badgers are close to making it into the NFL for 2016.

Joe Schobert/OLB- The most prominent Badgers draft prospect entering was the Badgers outside linebacker. For his 2015 performance, Schobert was named first team all Big Ten and first team All American as well. The Browns made Schobert the first Badger off the board when they drafted him with the first selection in round four. Schobert is not only expected to make the 53-man roster, but he is expected to start as well.

Derek Watt- The other big “high profile” Badgers draft prospect was fullback Derek Watt, who is the brother of J.J. Watt, possibly the best football player in the world at the moment, and older brother of Badgers linebacker T.J. Watt who is expected to replace Joe Schobert. The Chargers drafted Watt in the 6^th round, 198^th overall, and he is expected to be the starting fullback week one.

Joel Stave/QB- The Badgers quarterback from the last few seasons, Joel Stave, was highly publicized and polarized during his time in Madison. Many, including myself, believed the Badgers should have bailed on Stave a long time ago. Despite all of that, Stave ignored the noise, kept plugging along, and finds himself in Minnesota on a priority un drafted free agent deal. Stave is expected to make the Vikings practice squad.

Alex Erickson/WR- The Badgers top senior wide receiver from a year ago is one of two Badgers signed by the Cincinnati Bengals after the draft. Erickson has average measurable and an extremely low ceiling. He has an outside chance of making the Bengals practice squad.

Tyler Marz- The Badgers have been known for putting big boys on both sides of the line in the NFL. Well, this was their lone big buy for this draft and he was signed by the Tennessee Titans. He has an outside chance of making the practice squad in Tennessee.

Tanner McEvoy/WR/S- Originally a quarterback, McEvoy transferred to the Badgers to be the quarterback. After losing the competition to Stave, he moved around, eventually finding a home at both wide receiver and safety. He should make the Seahawks practice squad, and has a high ceiling.

Michael Caputo/SS- The Badgers safety from a year ago signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Saints. He is not expected to make either the 52-man or practice squad, and may not even make it to training camp.

Darius Hillary/CB- The other of the two Badgers signed by the Bengals was cornerback Darius Hillary. The Bengals really like Hillary and he will at least make the practice squad and might even make the 53 man roster.

Isaiah Cage/OG- Not a Badgers, but rather a product of the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds, Cage signed a three year contract with the Colts after the draft was over and could be the first player from that school to play in the NFL since 1987.

Wisconsin Badgers Need a New Quarter Back As Soon As Possible

For his career, current Badgers starting quarterback Joel Stave has a record of 23-8. He has a completion percentage of 59.7, 5,614 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions. Just for the record, that is a very poor touchdown to interception ratio. At the core, other than the interceptions, the numbers aren't exactly the worst out there. However, in the world of collegiate athletics, it is a known fact that you need to look underneath the numbers in order to get the truth. By looking both underneath and past the numbers, we find the ugly truth here, Joel Stave is just, plain, terrible.

There are many throws that Stave can't make. I know, I know, at the collegiate level that is to be expected, as most quarterbacks will never play a down in the NFL much less start at the next level, so you can't expect them to be able to make “all the throws”. But still, your quarterback should contribute to your win, or at the very least not get in the way. That is where we have a problem with Stave. Joel Stave doesn't really contribute much to Badgers wins. In fact, the Badgers usually win in spite of Stave getting in the way many times of their attempt to win the game with his poor decisions, and inability to make throws. At this point, you could even ask the question, is Joel Stave improving? Well, not only is he not improving, he seems to be getting worse and worse.

Last year the Badgers tried to switch quarterbacks to TannerMcEvoy, but that didn't work. McEvoy was even worse than Stave. By the way, McEvoy is no longer a quarterback. He is now playing wide receiver and safety. Still, the Badgers have other quarterbacks who deserve a shot with as bad as Stave has been. Last Saturday Stave got hurt with a strange head injury, and Bart Houston entered the game. He played perhaps better than Stave has in quite some time. He should be the starter now. If he falters, there is mega talented redshirt freshman D.J. Gillins from Jacksonville, FL, who is too talented to ignore. They could also try Thad Armstrong, a junior from Ottawa, Illinois, if they wanted to.

The bottom line is there is no reason Stave shouldn't be anywhere other than buried on the depth chart at this point. He has had plenty of chances and has done nothing but play poorly.

Badgers New Uniform Designs | Bucky Gets A Makeover

Adidas Version of Bucky's Uniform

Big news in the Wisconsin Badgers fashion department this week. The football team revealed that designers were working on over 20 possible alternate uniform combinations this off-season, even releasing pictures from a recent photo-shoot highlighting some of the options. The pictures showed linebacker Sherard Cadougan donning a red jersey-red pants combination that had never been seen before, topped-off with one of two alternate helmets the team released last year. Another picture from the photo-shoot featured sophomore corner Sojourn Shelton in a rare appearance of the white jersey-red pants combination that has been used before.

The Badgers history over the past few years with alternate jersey designs has been ill-received. For a game against Nebraska in 2013, Adidas designed a special-addition alternate uniform that was mocked by fans and critics, despite paying homage to the team's jerseys of the late 1960s.

Badger opener was a close call

A win is a win. Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema and numerous Badger players echoed this cliché following Wisconsin’s (1-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) 26-21 victory over FCS opponent Northern Iowa (0-1 overall, 0-0 Missouri Valley Conference) Saturday afternoon in the first game of the 2012 season.
However, the Camp Randall crowd wasn’t necessarily pleased with that type of mentality. The usually raucous crowd essentially stood in disbelief when UNI pulled within five points midway through the fourth quarter. Fans appeared lifeless when the Wisconsin offense responded to UNI’s surge with a three-and-out, giving the Panthers the ball back with 5:17 left to play, still only behind by five.
The anxiety was felt in the crowd most when UNI went for a fourth-and-one on Wisconsin’s 41-yard line with just under three minutes remaining. The Panthers had converted on their two previous fourth down attempts, but redshirt junior defensive lineman Ethan Hemer deflected Northern Iowa redshirt freshman quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen’s pass across the middle, ridding the crowd of its unexpected restlessness.
“There’s a lot of credit that should go to UNI,” Bielema said. “I thought they were probably the best FCS team we’ve ever faced. I could see that before we even played them.”
Senior running back Montee Ball capped things off for Wisconsin following Hemer’s play, as he rushed for 24 yards during the last drive to run the clock out.
“I don’t care if that was UNI or Nebraska, or anyone else that’s left on our schedule,” Bielema said. “[Ball] was going to secure that win and you could tell that.”
Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Rob Havenstein felt the Wisconsin offense brought a bit more life and intensity during that drive.
“We definitely picked it up a bit,” he said of the drive. “[But] the intensity has got to be there every play, every snap, every down.”
The Badgers’ defense looked like an almost entirely different squad in the second half, as Kollmorgen completed clutch passes at will. After holding the Panthers to just three first downs and 47 yards in the first half, Wisconsin gave up 10 first downs in the second. All 13 Panthers’ first downs came off passes.
Let's hope this week isn't so close.

Montee Ball looking for the Heisman

University of Wisconsin senior running back Montee Ball is one of five players clustered near the top of a wide-open Heisman Trophy race entering the college football season, according to the largest poll of Heisman voters.
StiffArmTrophy.com had 51 Heisman voters list their top 15 Heisman candidates entering the season.
Ball, the only returning Heisman finalist, is one of four players who were named on 50 of the 51 ballots. The others are South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones and Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley, considered by many people as the top Heisman candidate, came next after being named on 49 ballots.
One indication of the struggle Ball faces to make it back to New York as a finalist this year: seven of the top 10 vote-getters are quarterbacks. Oregon running back De'Anthony Thomas ranks seventh, with 36 votes, to join Ball and Lattimore in the top 10.
In 2011, Robert Griffin III started the season ranked No. 11 on this watch list and in 2010, Cam Newton didn't appear in the preseason poll. Those two quarterbacks are the last two Heisman winners.
Let's hope Ball can win it. 

Montee Ball gets beat up

University of Wisconsin running back Montee Ball suffered a concussion and facial injuries after five men jumped him early Wednesday in an area near campus that has been plagued by violence. Police are investigating whether the Heisman Trophy contender was targeted because of who he is.
Ball suffered blows to the head and is being treated by the UW sports medicine staff, according to the UW Athletic Department. He was treated and released from a local hospital after the attack, which occurred about 2:15 a.m. in the 500 block of University Avenue.
"We will continue to evaluate him as we approach the start of fall camp this weekend," UW coach Bret Bielema said in a statement. "I do expect Montee to make a full recovery."
The Badgers report for preseason camp on Sunday and begin practice on Monday. UW's season opener is Sept. 1 against Northern Iowa at Camp Randall Stadium.
Efforts to contact Ball or his family Wednesday were unsuccessful. But on his Twitter account, Ball wrote: "I appreciate the support and thank you for the concerns. I will be OK! See you guys in September!"
The senior is considered to be one of the top preseason Heisman Trophy contenders in the nation. UW coaches raved about the work he put in during the summer, and Ball tweeted on Tuesday, "You have no idea how ready I am for this fall."
Let's hope this does not happen again.

Ball selected to the Walter Camp watch list

The preseason honors continue for Wisconsin's Montee Ball as the Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list was announced today.
Ball, a 2011 Walter Camp All-American, highlights a list of 50 players to watch for the Walter Camp Football Foundation's 2012 Player of the Year award.
The list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in November and the winner will be announced live on ESPN on Dec. 6. The winner will be honored on Jan. 12 at the Foundation's annual national awards banquet in New Haven, Conn.
A 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist, Ball is the top returning rusher in the nation with 3,310 career rushing yards. He needs 17 total touchdowns and 18 rushing touchdowns to tie the NCAA career records in each category.
He was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award last season and was a consensus first-team All-American. A unanimous, consensus first-team All-Big Ten pick, Ball claimed the Graham-George Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Award and was also named the inaugural winner of the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year Award.
Ball tied Barry Sanders' NCAA record with 39 touchdowns last season and led the nation in rushing with 1,923 yards -- averaging 6.26 yards per carry. Adding in his 306 receiving yards, Ball's 2,229 yards from scrimmage also led the nation.
In five games against ranked teams last season, Ball averaged 164.0 all-purpose yards and scored 15 touchdowns.
The senior has also been named to the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award watch lists.
Wisconsin placed eight different athletes on 15 preseason watch lists, the third-most in the Big Ten. Michigan State led the league with 10, while Ohio State was second with nine.
Let's hope Ball can win the award. 

Top Badger football game this year

Football: Wisconsin visits Penn State
The Wisconsin football team closes out its 2012 season with a trip to central Pennsylvania November 24 to take on Penn State, which will be led by new head coach Bill O’Brien.
With Ohio State ineligible for postseason play in 2012, the Nittany Lions look to be the Badgers’ biggest competition in the Big Ten’s Leaders division. If Wisconsin is able to hold off Penn State on the road, they will likely be making their second-straight appearance in Indianapolis and the Big Ten Championship game.
Wisconsin’s defense will hope to repeat their performance against Penn State from last season, when the Badgers held PSU to just 233 total yards and seven points in a 45-7 throttling at Camp Randall.
This game will also be the first time since 1966 that UW has made the trip to Happy Valley and not faced off against Joe Paterno. The much-maligned program will try to distance itself from its recent controversy and turn over a new page for Penn State football in a statement game.  Let's hope that Bucky can have a repeat performance.

Bielema likes the new playoff system

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema sounded excited to be a part of college football history with the advent of a four-team playoff that will replace the BCS model beginning with the 2014 season.

Doing the simple math, though, he expressed the one obvious concern that is shared by all of his fraternity brothers in the coaching profession. There is a concern, you ask?

"Yeah, if I'm No. 5,'' he said, grinning. "Everybody used to talk about the No. 3 and No. 4 teams that didn't get to play for the championship. Now they're going to be talking about No. 5 and No. 6.

"I think it's probably legit to say that every year you're going to have teams that can play the excuse game on why they should be there.

"But to have four teams that will have a shot to win it all now is really cool.''

The Rose Bowl will not only be part of the six-bowl rotation for the two semifinal games, but it will be locked into a 4 p.m. (CST) kickoff on Jan. 1 through 2026 (Jan. 2 if New Year's Day is a Sunday).

The Tournament of Roses also announced Thursday that the Rose Bowl would continue to honor a Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup in those years that it's not playing host to a national semifinal.

That type of stability and/or continuity is priceless, Bielema pointed out.

"Of course, we're all a little biased,'' he conceded. "I've been there as a player and a coach. I know the Rose Bowl is a sacred, hallowed ground for college football, especially for the Big Ten.''

The new system will render polls virtually meaningless in their current form, thereby eliminating what has always been a healthy source of debate and controversy for fans, players and coaches alike.

The preseason polls, in particular, were problematic; especially from Bielema's viewpoint. The Badgers were off the radar in 2006, his first season; yet fought all the way back to a No. 5 final ranking.

"I was a new head coach with a new team and people had questions,'' he recalled. "But we finished 12-1 and I felt like we were a BCS (bowl) level team (that had to settle for something less).

"I've always been in favor of ranking teams later in the year because you have a chance then to truly find out who has good teams -- and it's not based on just good projections.''

College football is expected to adopt the NCAA's basketball model for a selection committee, which would include a collection of current athletic directors and league commissioners.

That would eliminate the importance of two BCS staples: the USA Today Coaches Poll and the Harris Poll. There have been reports, too, that the tweaked system will rank teams by tiers; another notable departure from the past.
Let's hope Bucky can make it in to the playoffs. 

Badgers get a 4 star defensive lineman

All it takes is one look at two-sport standout Darius Latham to figure out what is his best sport.
Latham, 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, is a four-star defensive tackle from Indianapolis North Central High School, who gave an oral commitment to the University of Wisconsin on Tuesday.
But he's also a good enough basketball player that he travels around the country on the AAU circuit, playing for the Eric Gordon All-Stars.
In fact, Latham believes his time on the basketball court benefits his football skills. Not only does it keep him in shape, he is considered to have excellent feet for somebody his size.
"It does really help a lot," Latham told the Indianapolis Star in the spring. "I don't know how well I'd be playing (football) if I didn't play basketball."
 "I'm officially a Wisconsin Badger," he posted on his account on Tuesday night.
Scout.com ranks Latham as the No. 22 defensive tackle in the 2013 class. rival.com has him ranked as the No. 14 defensive tackle.
Among the schools recruiting Latham were Notre Dame, Arkansas, Michigan and Ohio State.
Tight ends coach Eddie Faulkner was the primary UW recruiter for Latham, who is the 11th known commitment of the upcoming recruiting class.
Let's hope he can produce. 

Badgers looking forward to this season

Back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances go a long way in building a nationally recognized football brand. But in 2012, the wisconsin football program has the chance to take a final, long-awaited step forward.

After spending years adjacent to the circle that surrounds college football’s “elite” programs, Wisconsin has the opportunity next season to finally anchor itself among the upper echelon of not just the Big Ten conference, but all of college football.

And a Heisman frontrunner coupled with a remarkably deep and talented defense may be just enough to finally bring the Badgers much-deserved validation as one of the conference’s perennial contenders. Wisconsin’s pursuit of becoming an elite program (à la Ohio State) has been a reappearing topic for years — including a recent ESPN college football roundtable — but next season it has the opportunity to capitalize on recent success and establish a spot on the national scene.

Analysts are quick to point out potential issues arising from the exodus of UW coaches this offseason, most notably offensive coordinator Paul Chryst. But the talent returning on both sides of the ball puts Wisconsin in great position for a third-consecutive BCS bowl appearance that could place them firmly among the Big Ten’s best and no longer keep them looming a half-step behind.

This chance at claiming a spot among the country’s best programs begins with one of the most dangerous players lining up in the backfield in all of college football — running back Montee Ball. After piling up simply absurd numbers in 2011 — 1,923 yards and 39 total touchdowns — the senior running back will be the unquestioned centerpiece of the Badgers’ offense next season.

Ball is the rare, once-in-a-decade player who can single-handedly carry the offense as a one-man touchdown machine. Although he’ll have a tough time surpassing the stats he managed in 2011, the senior’s speed and vision out of the backfield alone could earn Wisconsin a couple of victories. Beyond that, Ball’s name staying in the Heisman discussion all season will continue to elevate the image of wisconsin football. Even if Danny O’Brien fails to exhibit the skills through the air he showed as a Maryland freshman in 2010, Ball will be ready to take a starring role in the Badgers’ offensive attack.

Badgers sign a legacy

The Panos legacy lives on at the University of Wisconsin.
George Panos, the son of former captain Joe Panos, committed to the Badgers as the first member of the Class of 2014 on Saturday afternoon, announcing his intentions in a Twitter post.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive lineman from Hartland Arrowhead, who has been a varsity starter each of his first two seasons in high school, was offered a scholarship prior to the start of Saturday's spring intrasquad game and promptly accepted.
He posted his intentions on Twitter, a development reported by BadgerNation.com, a Scout.com site.
"I'm gonna be a Badger #livingthedream #OnWisconsin," George Panos tweeted.
Panos received an offer from Nebraska on Friday, but decided to follow in the footsteps of his father.
Joe Panos, a Brookfield East graduate, attended UW-Whitewater as a freshman but transferred to Wisconsin and became a starter at left tackle for the Badgers, and was influential in their run to the 1994 Rose Bowl title.
His statement, "Why not Wisconsin?" following a strong start to the 1993 campaign became a rallying cry for the Badgers, who snapped a 31-year drought as Big Ten champs and brought home UW's first-ever win in Pasadena.
Joe Panos, a third-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994 who played six seasons in the NFL, is a player agent — he represents two former Badgers in this year's class, Kevin Zeitler (who went to Cincinnati in the first round) and Josh Oglesby — and also coaches the offensive line at Hartland Arrowhead.
Let's hope he turns out to be better than his dad.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Badgers have to replace 3 lineman

Death and taxes might be the only things more consistent than the Wisconsin football team’s offensive line in the last 20-plus years.

 The faces of the players and the coaches change, but still these five very large men, no matter who they are, continue to open holes and protect the quarterback better than any other group in the nation. This notion may be tested this year, though, as the Badgers have lost three starters from last season: center Peter Konz, guard Kevin Zeitler and tackle Josh Oglesby.

Losing three starters is never good for an offensive line and can cause problems in the following year, but so far, that conventional thinking has not applied to the Badgers’ offensive line.

Last year’s offensive line is an example of that. Despite losing three members to the NFL the year before, new players stepped in and Wisconsin made a repeat appearance in the Rose Bowl. If past experience is any indicator, the Badgers might be in for another berth in Pasadena.

One thing that is different from last year, however, is the man molding these gargantuan men. Offensive line coach Bob Bostad left Madison with former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst to become the offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh, but then took off for the offensive line job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this February.

The man that UW selected to succeed Bostad is former Ole Miss offensive line coach Mike Markuson. Markuson is very experienced, having spent the last 14 years in the SEC under Houston Nutt. Markuson, who was born in Farmington, Minn., said that he was glad to once again be back in the Midwest and working under head coach Bret Bielema.

Let's hope it is a flawless transition.  

Badgers start spring practice

As the season changes from winter to spring the unseasonal sounds of football pads are beginning to fill the air.

The unique month-long period of football practices starting in late March and ending in late April granted by the NCAA gives college programs a chance to develop their team’s talent and cohesion. For Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema and the rest of the Badgers spring has been long awaited since a crushing 45-42 loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl to end the 2010-’11 season.  But despite the loss there has been no hangover for the Badgers as they begin spring practices.

“The way the guys have practiced the first two days has been exceptional,” Bielema said. “For as many new coaches as we have here, different terminology, other things being different, this is the best two days we’ve had here since I’ve been coach.”

Spring practice allows teams to develop players that will fill the roles that last year’s starters fulfilled. For Wisconsin it will be critical to find a replacement for departed quarterback Russell Wilson.

Expected to compete for the quarterback job in spring practice are redshirt freshmen Joel Stave, redshirt junior Jon Budmayr and redshirt senior Curt Philips. All have had questions trailing including Stave’s lack of leadership experience as a freshmen and Budmayr’s plague of injuries throughout his career. Despite the doubts, Bielema is confident that his quarterbacks can develop.

“I believe we are looking at a 70-percent completion percentage through two practices, which we’ve never been at that level before with those kind of quarterbacks,” Bielema said.

Also expected to compete once fall practice starts is incoming freshmen and highly touted four-star prospect Bart Houston from Concord, Calif.

Houston played his high school ball at nationally renowned De La Salle High School and won multiple section and state championships in the golden state. Houston is just one of an incoming recruiting class—a class that has continued a tradition of strong recruiting efforts during the Bielema era.

“One of the hardest things for me right now is we’ve come off two Big Ten championship seasons, and we can really do some nice things in recruiting,” Bielema said. “But I only have nine scholarships this year, so you really have to be detailed about who you’re offering, how you prioritize and where you prioritize guys.”

In the upcoming season, the high school football talent of Wisconsin that has led to the rise of the Badgers’ program will be tested by out of state programs this year. The limited number of scholarships that the Badgers have available to offer recruits will force Wisconsin to be more aggressive in targeting and getting the prospects they want.

“Here at Wisconsin, in-state recruiting is the heart and soul of what we do in our program,” Bielema said.

On the injury front, Badger fans have nothing to worry about at the all important running back position, as Heisman trophy finalist Montee Ball is as healthy as ever heading into this spring. Staying on the offensive side of the ball, redshirt junior Jared Abbrederis was described by Bielema as being “restricted” due to injury. On defense, the defensive front goes into spring healthy with the exception of redshirt junior Chris Borland, who tweaked a hamstring during winter workout.

Let's hope bucky can have another successful season.   GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!