MADISON — Spring practice is a learning experience for players, coaches and media alike. In fact, there's no other time in the offseason during which my opinion on the Wisconsin football team changes more. Watching 15 practices, you learn players' strengths and weaknesses but also their personalities. You learn coaches' schemes and styles but also how they conduct themselves around the team.

After watching the Badgers practice this spring, here are my expectations for the offense, position-by-position:

BEST PLAYER: Tyer Van Dyle

BIGGEST LIABILITY: Lack of experience behind the top two options.

MY EXPECTATION: This is a quarterback room that lacks the certainty of last year — the Badgers knew Tanner Mordecai would be their starter the moment they signed him. Still, the competition between Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke has seemingly brought out the best in both gunslingers. I've got Van Dyke as the better player here because while Locke showed tremendous improvement, and was essentially neck-and-neck with the ex-Hurricane all spring, Van Dyke has the inherent physical tools Locke simply doesn't. The latter relies on his touch, while Van Dyke relies on his arm strength. It's two different styles of playing the position, and again, both have looked very capable this spring.

True freshman Mabrey Mettauer will be the third-stringer, and while he's an extremely promising player, Wisconsin would be in dire straights if it needed him to play at some point this season.

I expect whoever starts at quarterback to put together a productive season. Approaching 3,000 yards and 20-plus passing touchdowns should be very attainable, especially with the offense having spent another year marinating in Phil Longo's scheme.

BEST PLAYER: Tawee Walker

BIGGEST LIABILITY: Chez Mellusi's injury history.

MY EXPECTATION: This might come as a surprise, but I've got Walker as the pound-for-pound best running back the Badgers have right now. I couldn't've been more impressed with his spring. There's a few reasons why I think overall, Walker is the better back than Mellusi. First and foremost, he's more well-rounded. Walker is powerful but still has burst and a second gear. He's also a very fluid pass-catcher out of the backfield. What's more, Mellusi's injury history makes me very nervous about his ability to hold up throughout an entire season, even in a committee. I like this running back room overall, especially all of the young talent. But I'll hang my hat on Walker as the face of this backfield.

Those two will be the top two runners, but who emerges as the third-stringer? That wasn't made clear in spring camp. I would go with Jackson Acker, with Cade Yacamelli and potentially a little Nate White or Gideon Ituka sprinkled in there.

Given Mellusi's aforementioned injury history, this is a difficult group to project. I do expect this to be a committee, and I think having an 800-yard rusher, a 500-yard rusher and a 200-300 yard rusher is somewhat along the lines of what you should expect statistically.

BEST PLAYER: Will Pauling

BIGGEST LIABILITY: Lack of playmakers on the outside.

MY EXPECTATION: It was really fun to watch Pauling practice this spring. That was the case last year, but for different reasons. Last spring, it was fun to watch the young receiver rise up the depth chart and realize he's the man in that receiver room. This spring, it was fun to watch him because he already knows he's the man. Everything from his leadership to the frequency of his celebrations has increased. He's the best Wisconsin has in that room.

In theory, the Badgers have plenty of players who should be threats on the outside. Bryson Green, Quincy Burroughs, CJ Williams, Vinny Anthony. But none of them have proven they can consistently be a threat on the perimeter over the course of a season. That's not to say they won't, but I'll believe it when I see it. I love the skillsets of Green and Anthony in particular — Green with his size and physicality and Anthony with his blazing speed — but they still have yet to demonstrate they can consistently be go-to guys.

Pauling should once again lead the team in receptions and yards. I'd expect him to crack the 1,000-yard mark this fall. That's just about the only prediction I'm comfortable making with the uncertainty in this room right now. I will go as far to say that whoever is second in yards will top the the receiving total of Wisconsin's No. 2 receiver last year: Green with 480. This unit has the talent to be one of the better receiver cores in the Big Ten. Yes, the 18-team Big Ten. But can they play up to their potential?

BEST PLAYER: Tucker Ashcraft

BIGGEST LIABILITY: Lack of an every-down player.

MY EXPECTATION: He was injured for a good portion of practice, but I still firmly believe that right now, Ashcraft is the best tight end in Nate Letton's room. He's big enough so as to not be a complete liability as a blocker, and he's got just enough natural receiving skills to feel comfortable using him with a limited route tree.

Robert Booker and Grant Stec just can't get up to speed fast enough. Watching them in albeit limited action, they're the exact archetype of player Longo wants to deploy at tight end. They're not there physically yet, but once they spend a year in the strength and conditioning program, look out.

LSU transfer Jackson McGohan is intriguing, but I don't think he's actually a tight end, or that he'll be used like one. Riley Nowakowski and JT Seagreaves have some promising traits but distinctly lack others.

I'm still not sure this is a room that's ready to contribute how Longo fully envisions. I do think Aschcraft takes a step forward in his sophomore season, but I wouldn't expect any tight end to even sniff 500 yards receiving.

BEST PLAYER: Riley Mahlman

BIGGEST LIABILITY: Lack of depth.

MY EXPECTATION: The offensive line was very interesting to evaluate this spring. First of all, the interior of Joe Brunner, Jake Renfro and Joe Huber looked dominant. But how much of that had to do with playing against a lackluster defensive line? What's more, the tackles were in a heated battle on the edge all spring, but are John Pius and Leon Lowery just that good?

Overall, however, I do think Riley Mahlman is the best overall linemen in AJ Blazek's room. He's a huge anchor at right tackle and a very technically sound player. You could make the argument for his counterpart on the left, Jack Nelson, as well. I also thought Renfro looked excellent at center this spring, but his in-game sample size is almost non-existent with the Badgers.

Wisconsin's offensive line was a little convoluted last season, with injuries and plenty of player shuffling. As long as the line can stay relatively healthy this fall, I do expect them to make strides towards returning to the dominance this program was built upon. Nelson should be in for a bounce-back year and Huber and Mahlman should be improved as well. I'm fascinated to see how Brunner and Renfro look over the course of a full season, but from what I saw this spring, I have little reason to be concerned about the top of this unit.

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