MADISON, WIS. -- Fall camp can solidify one's place on the depth chart.

Jonathan Taylor burst on to the scene in August 2017, most notably during a night time scrimmage while the Big Ten Network crew descended upon Madison. He later found himself as a starter at tailback that season on way to a prestigious All-American career.

Taylor's rise from emerging true freshman to nearly 2,000-yard rusher perhaps can be seen as the prime example of making the most of these fall camp practices.

A select group of reporters watched five of the 15 spring practices in April - BadgerBlitz.com among those in attendance for the handful of sessions - but that was a small sample size.

Which Badgers should fans watch for during fall camp this month? Who better to answer than some of their teammates, who have practiced, lifted and toiled through conditioning sessions with them.

Writer's note: BadgerBlitz.com transcribed both the question asked (in italics) and the players' answers (in regular font).

Who is the one player in fall camp that you think fans should watch for?

I think people should watch for [defensive end] Rodas Johnson. You know, I think he's gonna open a lot of eyes. He had a great spring ball, great offseason, and I think he's gonna have a good year.

What's one player that fans should know about that could break through for fall camp?

I want to say on our d-line. I think everybody on our d-line. I mean, of course [nose tackle] Keeanu Benton, but Rodas Johnson. I like Rodas a lot.

Which player do you think fans should be on the look for or watch out for to make an impact or breakout this fall camp?

I would say look for the running back room. You know, Jalen [Berger] being able to come back and just add on to his year. We have Chez [Mellusi] coming in, so I think everybody's anxious to see what he brings to the table. That whole running back room. a couple of the freshmen that come in and what they should bring to the table, so I'll definitely say for Badgers fans to look out for that room.

Which player do you think will be should fans know about or should or could be a breakout player for y'all in fall camp?

Everybody knows about Leo [Chenal] and I. I definitely think Nick [Herbig] got a great chance. Everybody knows about him a little bit, but he definitely has a great chance to make a big impact this season.

Which player do you think fans should be looking for in fall camp that could make an impact or could break out?

"Chim" [wide receiver Chimere Dike]. I think "Chim" will really -- he was raw a little bit last year, but this year, I think from what I've seen already, he's added a lot to his game. You know, he's got the speed, he's got the athleticism for it, so I think you should watch for Chimere Dike and what he can do this year.

What's one player that fans should know about heading into fall camp?

Someone that's like not the radar?

Yeah.

The guy that I would probably say is [offensive lineman] Jack Nelson. I mean, he's a redshirt freshman, and I was just talking about him, but he's a special player that you're not necessarily gonna know about, right? For being that young and being that good, I'm excited for him. That's probably the one guy that I'd say.

There's one player that fans should know about that could make a good breakout or have an impact during the fall camp, who do you think it would be?

[pauses] You have to get back to me in a couple of weeks now to be able to say that. It's kind of early right now, but once we get a couple practices in camp and see what some guys can do, I'll be able to have an answer for you.

A couple teammates called out Johnson, a third-year defensive end who received some first-team reps in the spring practices open to reporters in April with Isaiah Mullens suffering an injury.

Defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej mentioned in early April that Johnson had "an unbelievable first three practices." The next objective for the former four-star recruit from Ohio, according to the assistant, involved maintaining and continuing to improve.

Catching up with Kolodziej during the program's media day on Thursday to inquire about Johnson's further progression that month, he believes "it was a tale, a little bit of two springs with Rodas."

"He had a great first eight practices, and then he missed a practice due to a COVID test situation," Kolodziej said. "Coming back, I think he still showed certain things, but the plateau kind of sunk in a little bit. Now that can be equally attributed to a young guy not being in those positions before, but the past is the past.

"He certainly put himself on the radar and has shown things in his skill set and an ability above all else, running to the football. You know, I'm gonna hit that on those guys later today. It's going to certainly be assignment, alignment-based, right? You've got to earn the trust that you know what you're doing. It's about production, but then it's about effort, and that's what he showed in flashes this spring that moves him ahead of many guys in the group. If he continues to do that this fall, he'll be playing on Saturday for sure."