MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin’s running back corps is a little crowded at the top this fall, but true freshman Jonathan Taylor isn’t worried about the number of reps he gets in his first camp with the team. Instead he’s worrying about getting better during each practice, and being ready for action when the time comes.

BadgerBlitz.com caught up with Taylor after practice this week to discuss his transition from high school to college, and our questions and his answers are included below.

How has your first fall camp with the team been going for you so far? Has the transition been what you expected it to be like?

Jonathan Taylor: Yeah, so far camp is going pretty well. A lot of install so far, mostly for the older guys it’s a lot of review, but for us younger guys it’s about soaking it all in and studying it every night. As far as that goes camp is going well.

Do you think you’ve completely adjusted to college life now? Or does it still feel a little surreal to be practicing at Camp Randall?

Jonathan Taylor: It definitely does still seem like it’s a bit of a dream when you come out here. After a while and you get going into football it’s about ‘Alright, what’s my assignment?’ But when you’re first out here on the field it’s like ‘Wow, I’m really here.’

What’s been the best part about getting on to campus with the Badgers so far?

Jonathan Taylor: The best part here is you’ve got a lot of time in fall camp to really work on your craft. You’ve got a lot of time after workouts and after class to really sit down and hone in and find out what you need to work on and maybe you can work on your technique some more and get in to the playbook. But it’s definitely living the dream. You work so hard in high school to get to the next level and now you’re here, so you want to soak it up.

Did it seem like it took forever to get from National Signing Day to the start of fall camp?

Jonathan Taylor: It definitely seemed like a long time. Once you sign it’s like ‘Alright, let’s go,’ but you’ve still got a few months left of school. But they definitely gave me some stuff to look over so I wouldn’t come in completely raw. I kinda had a sense for some things when I first come in. But it definitely did seem like a long time, and now it’s time to put in some work.

Did you set any goals for yourself for your first camp and your first season with the team?

Jonathan Taylor: I definitely did have a goal to learn the playbook, just so I could be ready to go no matter what happens. You don’t ever want anything to happen that’s not in our favor, but if something were to happen you want to make sure you can come in and not miss a beat with your team. That’s one thing I definitely wanted to do – make sure that if my number was called that I wouldn’t miss a beat.

What’s the mood been like in the running back room so far? Obviously there’s some competition at the top of the depth chart, but does it seem like everyone’s going about the situation the right way?

Jonathan Taylor: Yeah in the classroom we’re definitely having a good time, definitely learning. Off the field we’re definitely having a good time too – joking around and stuff. But on the field we know it’s time to get to work – we’ve got to compete to make each other better. I think that’s one thing that really pushes the running back group to become great – knowing that we need to push each other to be better.

What has coach John Settle taught you so far during camp? Any big ideas he’s trying to impress on you?

Jonathan Taylor: One thing I’ve learned from coach Settle is to finish whatever you do. And coach Settle is always looking at your technique. Your footwork, your hands, your blocking. I’ve definitely learned that it’s the little things that make a great running back.

What do you think is the strongest part of your game right now?

Jonathan Taylor: I definitely think I’m honing in on my speed. Once I get out in the open I definitely think that’s something that I excel at. It’s a lot of intricate things – reading the runs, finding out who you have in your protections. But once I’m out in the open I think it’s my speed that helps me make a difference.

On the flip side, what’s something you really want to work on now during camp?

Jonathan Taylor: I want to try and hone in on the passing game. The route tree, the pass protection. That’s a big thing from going from high school to college is the passing game that can keep you on or off the field every down.

Did you give much thought to a potential redshirt for this season? Is that something you’re trying to avoid if possible so you can try and get on the field or are you looking at it as doing whatever the team needs you to do?

Jonathan Taylor: You definitely want to do what’s best for the team and best for yourself. If each individual gets better then the whole group gets better. Whatever you need to do to help the team – that’s one thing that every guy on this team wants to do. We want to win.

--

John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.