The Wisconsin Badgers closed out their abbreviated 2020 season with a 42-28 victory over Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec.30.

In a year where COVID dominated the headlines, BadgerBlitz.com looks back at the season that was, breaking down the bright spots and low points at each position, with an eye toward the future.

QUARTERBACKS | RBs / FBs |

In 35 games entering the 2020 season, Jack Dunn had a combined six catches for 61 yards and one touchdown. His development and capability to play made him Wisconsin’s best option from a receivers room full of injured players and young players not ready to perform.

Referred to by inside linebacker Jack Sanborn as Wisconsin’s version of New England Patriots’ diminutive receiver Julian Edelman, the 5-7 Dunn finished second on the team in catches (28), yards (255) and average yards per game (42.5).

“He’s just a really hard worker,” safety Scott Nelson said of Dunn. “He’s always one of the last guys in the weight room, always doing extra stuff to make sure his body is getting right, making sure he is prepared, helping out the younger guys … He’s one of the guys who you can count on to always be there and work hard.”

Dunn had at least three catches in all six games he played and played a bigger role over the final three games, having five catches against Iowa, a career-high seven against Minnesota and six in the bowl game to lead the team in all three games.

With the decision of Quintez Cephus to leave for the NFL a year early, the spotlight would be on seniors Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor to bounce back from a down 2019 season to carry the offense. For whatever reason, they failed.

And it started so positively, too. Davis dazzled in the opener with 72 yards on two catches against Illinois, including a 53-yard touchdown at the end of the first half that appeared to show signs of things to come. But after a single six-yard catch at Michigan three weeks later, Davis disappeared and never returned to the field, plagued by some unknown ailment never disclosed to the media.

Pryor was the same way. He had five catches for 71 yards in the first two games only to miss the critical road loss at Northwestern. Pryor did return, however, and had three catches for 48 yards against Indiana before getting injured. When he went to the locker room at the beginning of the fourth quarter, he never saw the field again.

Without those two veteran presences, the offense came to a screeching halt over the final month of the regular season.

If this past season showed us anything, it’s that Wisconsin has a massive problem with depth at the receiver position, an issue that likely would have been glossed over had Davis and Pryor been on the field. Michigan receivers A.J. Abbott and Taj Mustapha were both in their third years in the program, but Abbott only had two catches in his four games and Musatpha had none in his three appearances. After Davis and Pryor, those two are the most veteran players in UW’s receiver room, and the Badgers need to see a big leap forward.

Speaking of the seniors, Pryor stated he will return next season, while Davis' future is unknown. What kind of lift they will bring all depends on if they can stay healthy.

One positive was the Badgers got a closer look at 2020 commits Chimere Dike and Devin Chandler and 2019 prospect Stephan Bracey. All three showed flashes of being contributors, especially Dike, who had at least two catches in five of his seven games and factored into the run game. Bracey, Chandler and Dike are all part of a movement by UW to get faster athletes at the receiver spot, which can help ignite the jet sweep aspect that started to be revitalized this season.

Of all the positions on the roster, one could argue that the development at receiver is the most critical one facing Wisconsin heading into next season.