Most of Wisconsin's 2021 class -- both for the football and men's basketball programs -- will be heading to Madison shortly, though Paul Chryst's team already welcomed seven players as mid-year enrollees in January.
BadgerBlitz.com has kicked off its annual "Better Know a Badger" series, where we check in with the incoming freshmen as they begin the transition from being prep standouts to college athletes. In 2021, we include some transfers as well.
Miss some? Check out the links below: Basketball: C Chris Vogt | Football: QB Deacon Hill | CB Ricardo Hallman | WR Skyler Bell | S Hunter Wohler | ILB Bryan Sanborn | OL Nolan Rucci |
Wisconsin added another running back prospect to its 2021 class when Antwan Roberts announced his oral commitment to the program in April 2020. UW was the only Big Ten school to offer the Hendersonville (TN) Pope John Paul II product -- according to Rivals.com -- while Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Missouri and Vanderbilt also provided opportunities to play at the next level. He made his decision to play for the Badgers official during the early signing period in December.
Roberts spoke with BadgerBlitz.com on May 16 -- just hours before his high school graduation -- about a variety of topics as the days tick down before his arrival at Wisconsin. Questions and his answers have been edited for clarity.
First off, saw some of your highlights on Hudl from your senior year. How do you feel your senior year went?
AR: I feel with everything that was affected, it was good because down here, I couldn't practice with like some of the team. We were split in half, and it was just hard trying to catch a rhythm and a chemistry. But with all that going on, our team still finished top five in the state, top 10, and we made it to the playoffs. It didn't go how we wanted, but I think I had a productive year. I did what I was supposed to and more, and I took [on] more [of] a leadership role as well.
In what areas do you feel you developed further, not just during your senior year, but even the past year, in general, with dealing with a pandemic?
AR: I took a lot of time out to make sure that I got better in other areas like my pass blocking and my receiving skills. My receiving skills have changed so much over these past two years that coach might throw me out at X [receiver position] or might have a little package by myself, because if I'm the wide receiver No. 1, I feel like I can just get it done as much as if I was running back as well. So having those tools, been working on that, since the pandemic started.
Up to this date, who is the best player you've gone up against?
AR: I've gotten against some guys, man, but the best one was probably this kid named Maurice Hampton. He went to LSU, and he was a safety and I was a sophomore at the time, but I remember that he was just on fire that whole night so probably him.
You signed in December during the early signing period, but which schools if any tried to keep in contact or try to continue to recruit you until you finally signed on that dotted line with that National Letter of Intent?
AR: Probably like Notre Dame and that's really it. But after I made the commitment [in April 2020], it was over. I didn't really get much more. I was already locked in so colleges weren't really on me as much as when I was in the recruiting process.
How often have you been in contact with the Wisconsin staff, coming up now with your arrival just about a month away?
AR: We've been in touch pretty often, probably like a couple of times a week, whether that's with the academic advisors and the coaching staff by themselves. So it's been really split between coaches and academic advisors, just trying to get my major right, what I want to do, things like that, and the coaching staff just looking at the playbook and stuff like that.
Was it tough for you to see running backs coach John Settle leave for Kentucky, and how has your relationship developed with your new position coach, Gary Brown?
AR: Definitely, when you see a guy like Coach Settle's resume, and how long he's been at Wisconsin, and he recruited you, it wasn't ideal to see him walk away. But they made a great hire with Coach Gary Brown, and I've talked to him a couple of times, but I can't wait to build up on a relationship.
It was a great hire. You look at his resume and where he was with the [Dallas] Cowboys, and he played in the NFL and stuff so he's just as qualified as anybody, and I can't wait to get down there.
How often have you had a chance to talk with Gary Brown, and has he discussed how they would like to use you within the offense?
AR: He has not discussed how they would like to use me. We talk a good amount. I know we didn't talk as much when he was in spring practice because he was just getting there and he had a lot to catch up on, but he did make it a priority to come talk to me, though. And I think once he sees me in person and he really gets a feel for what I can do and what I'd be good at, then we'll talk more about how they want to use me. But right now, it's just trying to break the ice, get used to each other, build a relationship.
You also have six members of your 2021 class that enrolled early in January. Have you had a chance to chat with those midyear enrollees about how their first semester was like as a college student-athlete?
AR: Yeah. All the guys talk almost every day, if not probably every hour. We're a tight group. We talk about it all the time. They were just like it was a little bit harder because of COVID protocols and stuff like that, but they say it's great down there. They got the vaccines so, hopefully, stuff starts to clear up to where they can get the full freshman experience and things like that. But just for the beginning, they said it was just making sure that they were keeping responsible with their COVID stuff, and that was just the hardest part and stuff.
When is the official move-in date for you, and I thought I heard from Deacon Hill that you are rooming with him during the summer?
AR: I will be rooming with Deacon in the summer. I don't know the official date. I think I leave June 10, though, because it's a whole weekend that we got, but I think I'm aiming for June 10 to be down in Madison.
Going back to that when you talk about your academic advisors, what's the major or majors that you're interested in when you get to Madison?
AR: Right now, Letters and Science but I want to get my bachelor's degrees and go back and get my masters and become an allergist doctor one day.
Have you had a chance to talk with any of the other players on the team? Instead of just your class, have you had a chance to talk to any of the other players in your position group or any of the other players on the team and what they've said about just being a student athlete?
AR: I talked to one player, but he left now, Garrett Groshek. He was also a running back. He actually came down to my house and he gave me a copy of a playbook, and he was a great guy. He was just like come in with a chip on your shoulder, just work hard. He just said everything will take care of itself, and I just gotta work hard and stuff like that.
What do you feel that you can bring to Wisconsin's offense and that running backs room?
AR: I feel like as a running back, I can run the ball but I can also do things like all-purpose. I can catch out of the backfield. You can put me in the slot. I just feel like I got a dual package that I'm not just a running back, and when I get there, I can show that. But I just want to get there and establish that I'm a hard worker and stuff, but I can do more than just run.
Are there any influences in terms of players you look up to as a running back and what you can bring to offenses? Are there certain players you try to mold your game after?
AR: Definitely players like Alvin Kamara, Dalvin Cook. The strong guys but not bodybuilder type like Saquon's [Barkley] and Derrick Henry's. I look up to them. Also like Travis Etienne, when he was at Clemson, his explosiveness was off the charts so just trying to be a fast, strong overall back that can also run routes and catch is probably how I try and mold my game.
What are some areas that you see yourself improving in once you get up to Wisconsin?
AR: Probably my strength and my weight, even though I'm probably the ideal size they want me at heading in right now. But I know that with college and stuff, I'm gonna get stronger, I'm gonna get faster so those are probably the areas I'll improve in. Probably my IQ, going over, just studying every day.
Where are you sitting right now for like your height and weight coming into Madison?
AR: 6-foot-1, 200 pounds.
You're graduating in just a couple hours, but what are your goals for your freshmen year?
AR: I want to be the best I can be, and if that means that I see the field early and I make an impact, then that's it. And if it means that I stay in the film room with Coach and I got to study just to get a grip on things, then that would be it. I just want to take my time and learn and not try and rush anything or force anything and don't try and get discouraged because I know this is a business and everybody's a dog out there. But I definitely want to just come in and work hard and try and be great.
