2021 Wisconsin Fall Camp Preview: Wide receivers can lift passing attack

In early August, Wisconsin will open fall camp in preparation for the 2021 season opener against Penn State.

You know what that means -- position previews.

Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor decided to return to Wisconsin for their fifth and sixth years, respectively, giving Wisconsin its two top receivers back. Last year, their injuries disrupted the offense's passing attack, though it allowed others like Chimere Dike and Jack Dunn to step up.

Now, another year has passed and after spring ball, there appears to be more depth and experience in the Alvis Whitted's room -- along with some intriguing new talent coming in as well.

Position-by position previews: Quarterbacks | Running Backs |

Davis and Pryor missed a combined nine games last season, and the duo noted in the spring that each suffered a concussion that kept them out for a significant chunk of the 2020 season.

Both provide the ability to influence the offense, not only to catch passes from quarterback Graham Mertz -- Davis has 99 receptions in the four years; Pryor 67 -- but the seniors can also create chunk plays in running the ball on either jet sweeps or end arounds.

Davis discussed in late April that he wanted to become more consistent and was hoping to improve on his releases and technical aspects of being a receiver in 2021. Pryor said route running and being more of a leader were goals of his during the offseason.

If those objectives are met, Wisconsin's passing attack can improve on one that was 108th in the FBS in passing yards per game (181.0) in 2020. Davis believes that it can be explosive, and he noted a few others besides the senior tandem.

"It's not even just me and Kendric," Davis told reporters on April 21. "You know, we got Jack [Dunn], we got 'Chim' [Chimere Dike]. We got A.J. Abbott, Devin Chandler. We got a bunch of guys that's all coming together, and it's been fun for me. Just I know we all can make plays, but seeing them younger guys make those plays and practice and just competing, I just love it so far.

"So it's been fun this spring to just see what everybody can do and how everybody can attack it. It's looking real good, and we'll continue to get better."

Davis mentioned those four receivers in April, and in the five open practices to reporters that month, that quartet cumulatively appeared to have solid sessions and could be in line for more reps if they continue their progression in August. Dunn, now in his sixth year in the program, caught 28 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown in 2020 -- good for second on the team in receptions behind tight end Jake Ferguson. The former walk-on turned into an extremely reliable and dependable hand in the receiver room, and on the team. He even took reps at running back during one practice in the spring with the tailback numbers dwindled due to injuries.

Dike finished his freshman campaign with 12 receptions for 189 yards and the one touchdown. He could be an X-factor in this offense, especially if Davis and Pryor stay healthy in forming a trio of dynamic receivers in a three-wide-out set. The Waukesha (WI) North product stood out particularly during Wisconsin's ninth practice of the spring where he reeled in at least a handful of touchdowns between red zone skeleton and red zone full team periods.

Wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted praised Dike in late April to reporters, stating that he showed "that he can be trusted, he can be dependable."

"His toughness, just I love everything about that kid and what he's done," Whitted said of Dike on April 21.

Abbott, a fourth-year receiver, stood out during Wisconsin's seventh spring practice (the second open to reporters) on April 13 after he reeled in a couple of deep receptions. Whitted told reporters later that month that the fourth-year receiver is "taking steps" and "starting to flash, and he's got to continue to be consistent."

The former NFL assistant later added that Abbott is "physically gifted and he's taking a different approach to just everything that the position requires -- the study, the time after practice, and just coming up to see me."

Chandler, like Dike, is entering his second year and displayed playmaking abilities in April. That included sprinting under a Chase Wolf bomb to haul in a deep catch during one skeleton drill period and making an acrobatic, contested catch against cornerback Alexander Smith in another practice.

Whitted stated that Chandler had "some flashes last year." The North Carolina native showed those glimpses of his potential in 2020, most notably his 18-yard carry and 58-yard kickoff return against Wake Forest in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. That went along with his two receptions for 28 yards.

Paul Chryst was asked on April 24 about how consistent Chandler has been throughout the spring, and the head coach said, "he's working on it." He discussed how the wide out was "bouncing around a lot of positions" and how one "can lose the details within some of the specifics."

"And now, kind of back at how we want to finish spring, it's kind of homing him back into a specific position with the receiver group," Chryst told reporters via Zoom. "But I think that when you do kind of bounce around, they get a better understanding of the whole picture. So there's a little bit of the whole-part-whole teaching that is involved with it.

"Early last year, it was just how can you kind of get him started, and this spring, [Chandler] has done some good things, and again has been available. I think because of that, has been able to do a lot. And it's been, I think really important as he finishes up this spring, and just kind of playing the one specific spot that you start to really see a lot of those details that then in the end can make a difference.

"But I've loved the way that he's approached the spring. It's been good for him and hopefully, really valuable for him."

How Dike, Abbott and Chandler fared in the five open spring sessions to reporters, a third of the total 15 practices, gives hope the receiving corp will fare better if injuries hit the group again. That said, fall camp will also be the first time reporters will be able to see true freshmen Markus Allen and Skyler Bell go up against collegiate competition.

Though he could not directly mentioned Allen and Bell by name because they had not signed their national letters of intent (NLI) yet, former director of player personnel Saeed Khalif said in December 2020 that Whitted "landed two guys in the class that did not get on campus, and they're very good football players that we're excited about that will change his room significantly."

When talking about what the expectations were coming in as a freshman, Bell recalled that Whitted "said he's going to play who he thinks is going to make plays."

"So he said to me and Markus, if you guys come in, and you guys make plays, I can't not play you," Bell told BadgerBlitz.com on May 13. "We're gonna play the best two that we think can help us win, and if you guys come in here, learn the playbook, execute, play fast, play hard, you guys will get on the field. So I took that and I'm running with it. So I'm looking to come in and help make an impact wherever I can."

Allen signed with Wisconsin after previously being committed to Big Ten foe Michigan. The four-star recruit and No. 246 player in the 2021 class told BadgerBlitz.com on May 20 that Whitted was looking for him to play the x- or z-wide receiver positions. His lofty goals for his first season in cardinal and white, when speaking with BadgerBlitz.com for our "Better Know a Badger" series, included being named Big Ten freshman and offensive player of the year.

Bell, a three-star prospect from the Bronx who played at The Taft School in Watertown, Conn., stated that he will bring a chip on his shoulder to Madison and the receiver room.

"For me, I like to set the bar high," Bell said. "Like I want to make an impact. I want to have a few touchdowns. I want to have at least 15-plus catches. I want to have enough yards to where I'm looked at as a threat by the opposing team."