MADISON, Wis. – Alvis Whitted didn’t come close to experiencing what Big Ten football was all about.

Hired in March 2020 to coach the Wisconsin wide receivers, Whitted was unable to use his vast coaching acumen on the field until the fall, experiencing competition in front of mostly empty stadiums with a stripped-down unit.

But the little taste he received last season was enough to create a wealth of offseason motivation.

“I so badly want to win the West and get to the show, get to the Big Ten championship,” Whitted said. “I think we have the tools to get there. But it’s going to be a daily process and I’m thankful for all those guys that are coming back.”

That passion was enough to convince seniors Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor to trust their position coach to help them erase equally disappointing 2020 seasons.

Pryor, a redshirt senior, and Davis, a true senior, entered last season as established bedrocks of the offense. In the three seasons each had on the field, the duo had combined for 155 catches, 1,816 yards, 15 receiving touchdowns, 46 carries, 534 yards, and six rushing touchdowns.

“When they are on the field,” Whitted said, “they are special.”

So, when both suffered concussions against Michigan, Wisconsin’s unit suffered. Davis never returned to the field after suffering setbacks and not wanting to risk further injury. Pryor returned two weeks later against Indiana but suffered another concussion and missed the final three games of the year. In the games without either of them on the field, the Badgers had only one pass play over 25 yards, three receiving touchdowns, and had under 200 receiving yards the last three games.

In the two games the pair was on the field together, the Badgers averaged 47.0 points and 449.0 yards per game.

“We know that was a tough year for us with COVID and injuries,” Davis said. “It wasn’t working out for us as a whole group. We’ll use that as an edge and a fire for us. We want to be better, and we will be better.”

Both players bemoaned the missed opportunity but echoed each other in saying a main reason for returning was having the chance at a full senior season. The other reason was Whitted. When head coach Paul Chryst was interviewing candidates to replace Ted Gilmore, he invited Davis and Pryor to meet Whitted. A follow-up internet search by Pryor opened his eyes to see a coach who developed three players into All-Americans at Colorado State and spent a year coaching Davonte Adams with the Green Bay Packers.

“He’s coached guys where I’m trying to get, All-American and top receivers in the NFL,” Pryor said. “He’s played receiver, as well. Talking to him and how he was talking to us, the things he was saying, it caught my attention a lot. Me wanting to learn from him, what could I learn from him to help me improve my game so I can have a great season.”

“When I first met him, I could tell that was somebody that I could trust and was genuinely a good person,” Davis added. “I love the dude, and I can’t wait to keep learning from him. Really As soon as I met him, I knew that was a guy I could learn from and take me to the next level with stuff that he knew.”

After losing spring practices last season, Whitted has been afforded time to focus on technique. Pryor has spent camp trying to crisp his route running while increasing his vocal leadership with the younger members of the group, players like junior A.J. Abbott, sophomore Chimere Dike and redshirt freshman Devin Chandler who were pressed into duty last season because of his concussion.

“You can see them taking steps from when they first got here to fall camp to the season to now,” Pryor said of Abbott, Chandler, and Dike. “Some of them now not making the same mistakes or adding tools to the tool pack, doing different stuff that they may not understood why to do that last year. But since they’ve gotten a little bit of playing time and more coaching, more time with Coach Whit, understanding the offense, they’re making plays and not thinking so much of what to do.”

In addition to perfecting route running, Davis is cleaning up the footwork on his releases and aiming for better consistency, making him a stronger playmaker.

“We’ve played in big games and won a lot of games,” Davis said. “Just having that senior ability to go out there and make those plays when our number is called.”

After getting few chances last offseason to work with his new group, Whitted has spent spring breaking down the basics of route running, the release, the break point, adjustments, and all the little things that come with recognizing defenses to maximize success. As he works his room, Whitted recognizes that both Pryor and Davis have earned the respect of their teammates and the ability to elevate the unit. Having already made tremendous strides since getting healthy, the goal now is let their play speak for themselves.

“We missed the experience of guys that know game situations, that know how to make plays in those tough situations,” Whitted said. “We missed those down-the-field throws from Danny and KP. When those guys are out there, they are different. They add a different dimension, a positive dimension to our offense in the passing game.”

"I think they believed enough in me to give me a chance so that we could actually see each other through a full offseason, and actually help each other get to where we want to get to and help us all accomplish our goals,” he added.

“They do believe in UW and they do believe we have what it takes to get to where we ultimately want to go.”