BadgerBlitz.com mailbag: 2021 linebackers, in-state prospects, hoops talk

BadgerBlitz.com always loves to gauge the pulse of the Wisconsin fanbase, so we open up our mailbag to questions from our subscribers and social media followers. Below are a few that we received from our community this week.

Schuetzman -- We've seen a lot of visits from players in the 2021 class who appear to be LBs, or small DEs. I believe there are only three guys at LB who are seniors next year, and our LB class this year is large. What are your thoughts on why the staff is evaluating so many of these types of players for 2021?

Jon: As you said, there should be three senior linebackers on the roster next year: outside backers Noah Burks and Christian Bell, along with Mike Maskalunas on the inside. Additionally, the Badgers are set to sign five projected linebackers (I’m including Preston Zachman in this group) in December, and are still in pursuit of four-star Kaden Johnson.

Why is the staff evaluating so many linebackers in 2021? I think it’s a combination of need and the talent available in that cycle. With a 3-4 defense, Wisconsin needs to bring in a handful of players at the position in each class, with the ideal scholarship number being around 14 or 15 on the roster every year. And just because the staff is evaluating a ton of linebackers doesn’t mean they will sign a huge number next year. Finally, you can always bump a linebacker over to fullback down the road, if needed.

Right now, I think the Badgers feel very good about Illinois standouts Bryan Sanborn and Mac Uihlein, both of whom project to play on the inside. Ayo Adebogun, an in-state standout from Homestead High School, will likely eat up one scholarship on the outside, and I think Darryl Peterson is another realistic target at that spot as well. UW also has a commitment from in-state athlete Jackson Acker, who could very well grow into a linebacker before he arrives on campus. In the end, I think the Badgers take four or five in 2021, depending on the combination. Still a long way to go, though.

Ducki -- Jake and Jon, have you seen many Badger commits or prospects in WIAA playoffs? What in-state recruit impressed you the most this season?

Jon: I’ve seen quite a few of Wisconsin’s commits live over the last two years during the regular season, and I’ve streamed a few playoff games this month. The best player I saw this fall was Hunter Wohler, a four-star safety from Muskego. There’s a reason why Ohio State extended a scholarship, with LSU, Alabama and Stanford, among many others, also involved in his recruitment. Waukesha North’s Chimere Dike and Stoughton’s Jack Nelson are also up there. Nelson is set to get his fourth star when the new Rivals.com rankings are released.

Jake: I can’t speak too much about the playoffs, as I wasn’t able to make it to the games (either traveling to road games or basketball kicked up). However, for commits I saw this season -- Nelson, Ben Barten and Jackson Acker -- I think Nelson impressed me the most on the offensive side of the ball. It was against a Madison Edgewood program still working itself back, but he asserted himself well in that home win.

Barten looked good on offense, though I felt maybe he looked even better on the defensive side of the ball.

Lakemillsbadger -- With Bryson William's having injury concerns- does the staff make a push to add a true DT to this class? Also, a rundown on the last few remaining targets for 2020 football?

Jon: I don’t think Bryson Williams’ injuries this season will cause the staff to add a nose tackle in the 2020 class. A big part of that is Keeanu Beton, who is having a great season as a true freshman. Assuming Williams doesn’t have anything linger into next year, those two form a nice one-two punch, with Gio Paez (6-foot-3, 305) and Rodas Johnson (6-foot-2, 293 pounds) also capable of moving inside. That said, Wisconsin will almost certainly need to sign a scholarship nose guard in 2021.

As far as the the remaining targets in the 2020 class, the staff is still evaluating talent at all positions from across the country. That part of recruiting never stops. In the end, though, I think they're still looking at a tailback and locking up Johnson at outside linebacker. Coming off his official visit last weekend, Jalen Berger is now atop the wishlist at running back. His decision is expected to come at the Army All-American Bowl in January. There are certainly other prospects behind him, however, as the Badgers appear set on signing a scholarship back in the 2020 class.

Kojiackrj24 -- I haven’t seen a lot of Garrett Groshek and Jonathan Taylor in backfield recently. In the beginning of year it seemed like they did that a lot. Is it me or did they shift away from that. Seemed to have worked?

Jake: It appears we haven’t seen much of this, and based on BadgerBlitz.com’s personnel breakdown against South Florida, the offense used it five times. I haven’t necessarily seen it used in that frequency since, and there could be a number of reasons why. I’ll try to speculate more below.

Wisconsin ran some RPO action out of it, which showed its versatility. But one thing to note is when Wisconsin put that on film, defenses were able to scheme against it. Head coach Paul Chryst and his staff also try to find the best set of plays for what they believe will be successful against opposing defenses and their personnel. Possibly, they feel that personnel look may not work as effectively, or maybe it could be in the game plan and not needing to use it at a particular time.

You have seen the offense get creative at times recently with the wildcat looks of Aron Cruickshank and Groshek against Ohio State and Iowa, respectively. We’ll see if it comes back, as I was quite intrigued by it.

Barto222 -- Is it a certainty that Micah Potter starts as soon as he becomes eligible?

Jake: I have not asked the coaching staff this specific question. Right now, Potter serves a role on the scout team until he is deemed eligible, but he, at the very least, will contribute early on in contests. I do, however, wonder who would leave the starting lineup. I’d assume D’Mitrik Trice, Brad Davison and Nate Reuvers are locks, and Kobe King’s ability to attack the rim and be a three-level scorer likely warrants him getting starter-level minutes. That likely leaves Aleem Ford as a sixth-man type role alongside Brevin Pritzl. Ford is averaging 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game through three contests and is getting to the rim more than last season.

Without a doubt, Potter’s presence could have had a huge impact against Saint Mary’s in the season-opener where the Gaels out-rebounded the Badgers, 36-28, including 13 offensive boards.

Grooveline -- Here's my question: What are your impressions of Tyler Wahl so far?

Jake: Personally, I like Wahl and think he will be a significant cog for Wisconsin this season and beyond. BadgerBlitz.com has written about Wahl previously here, here and here, and the players and coaching staff think very highly of him. The offense will definitely come down the road, and another year in the weight room will do wonders. But it’s Wahl’s ability to play defense that will get him on the court when called upon. In three games, he is currently averaging 16 minutes per contest.

These questions were sent prior to the McNeese State game, but in that contest on Wednesday, he held his own in 26 minutes of action with Reuvers and Ford in foul trouble. The stats won’t show it - three points and three rebounds in that time - but Wahl also contributed three assists and made two steals in the process.