Wisconsin's 2020 football season is (hopefully) right around the corner, so BadgerBlitz.com ranked the Top 25 players who we think will be the keys to success for Paul Chryst's squad this year.
Playing time, past performance and positional depth all factored into our staff rankings.
STRENGTHS
Florida native Rachad Wildgoose was a three-star recruit out of high school, decommitting from both Rutgers and Georgia before landing at Wisconsin. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound cornerback made an immediate impact in 2018, playing in 10 games and starting seven of those contests as a true freshman.
As a sophomore, Wildgoose established himself as a strong option on the boundary and in nickel packages alongside Faion Hicks and Caesar Williams. Through his freshman and sophomore seasons, Wildgoose has played in 23 games with 15 starts. And much like the rest of the secondary, he's now an experienced veteran in the locker room heading into his third year with the same group. The continuity in the secondary will serve the Badgers well in a season with so much uncertainty.
Wildgoose has a knack for creating havoc in the backfield, highlighted by a stellar day against Northwestern last year where he tallied two tackles for loss.
WEAKNESSESÂ
The junior cornerback has become a steady contributor over the last two years but has also been prone to commit a costly mistakes from time to time. This happened against Northwestern when Wildgoose was called for a face-mask penalty on a fourth down that gave the Wildcats the ball back and ultimately led to a field goal. This showed up once again in Pasadena following the go-ahead touchdown from Justin Herbert; Wildgoose was flagged for a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
WHY HE'S No. 20
Heading into his third year, Wildgoose has solidified himself on this team as reliable and versatile defensive back. His skillset will continue to allow Jim Leonhard to get creative in the ways he uses Wildgoose on the field. The junior will likely be a starter but gets hurt in an exercise like this by the depth around him.
OVERALL
With 15 starts already under his belt, Wildgoose should see plenty of time with the No. 1 defense in nickel or even on the outside. Arguably the most talented corner on the roster, it wouldn't be surprising to see Wildgoose take another big jump in his development this fall.