How did Wisconsin's spring roster come to be? This week, BadgerBlitz.com is looking at each position and breaking down its origins:

Where did each player come from? How have they progressed? What do their futures hold?

Today, we conclude with a breakdown of the specialists. As always, it starts with recruiting.

RELATED: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | TIGHT ENDS | WIDE RECEIVERS | OFFENSIVE LINE | DEFENSIVE LINE | OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS | INSIDE LINEBACKERS | CORNERBACKS | SAFETIES |

2018: Wisconsin did not take a high school specialist in this class.

2019: The 2019 specialists class was headlined by kicker Blake Wilcox, who was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game. But the Badgers also added Joe Stoll, who was expected to compete for the starting job at kicker in 2020. Neither player, however, is on the current roster. Peter Bowden, who replaced Adam Bay at long snapper in 2021, was also part of this class.

2020: The Badgers added some needed depth at kicker with in-state specialist Jack Van Dyke, who handled kickoffs as a true freshman. Gavin Meyers, who redshirted in 2020, has the ability to kick and punt for the Badgers, but settled in at the latter this spring. Long snapper Duncan McKinley tore his ACL prior to fall camp last year but should be healthy in 2022.

Wisconsin added Andy Vujnovich, a Columbus, Wis., native who began his career at Dubuque, via the transfer portal. He is now on full scholarship.

2021: Illinois kicker Nate Van Zelst chose a walk-on offer from Wisconsin over scholarships from Air Force, Army, Eastern Illinois and Yale. The Badgers let both Tyler Bittmann and Owen Konopacki leave the state, and it will be interesting to see what their impact is at Iowa State and Air Force, respectively.

2022: Gavin Lahm, an in-state kicker from Kaukauna, was the lone specialist Wisconsin added in this class. He was a first–team all–state by pick by the WFCA and Associated Press as a senior.

Via the transfer portal, the Badgers added Vito Calvaruso, a kicker from Arkansas. He is on full scholarship at UW.

The biggest special teams news of the offseason was head coach Paul Chryst's decision to transition Chris Haering from a coordinator role to tight ends coach. Wisconsin ranked 62nd in that department in 2021, according to Football Outsiders.

"Then special teams, we're kind of dividing that up amongst the staff," Chryst said prior to the start of spring camp. "And so we'll have a number of coaches kind of be the lead coach on each individual unit. We're not going to have just a specific special teams coordinator."

The addition of Vito Calvaruso, who registered 63 touchbacks in 74 attempts in 2021, was also significant. The Arkansas transfer missed time early on but came down the stretch. He and Nate Van Zelst are expected to compete for the job at place kicker this fall.

Andy Vujnovich, who ranked 10th in the nation in yards per punt last fall, returns as a starter for the Badgers.

If healthy, Stephan Bracey is a top option for Wisconsin in the return game. A number of players, however, took reps fielding punts and kicks during spring camp.

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