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 in to our staff rankings.
STRENGTHS
Redshirt senior Jack Dunn came to Wisconsin as a preferred walk-on from nearby Edgewood High School in Madison. Unranked and without any Division 1 offers, Dunn found a niche at UW as the punt returner and could be set up for a larger role within the offense in 2020.
Dunn, 5-foot-7 and 178 pounds, found a role on special teams as the primary punt returner in 2018. He solidified that spot the following season and went on to improve his punt return average from 5.5 yards to 8.3 yards per return, which led the Big Ten.
Going into his final season, Dunn will have a chance to expand his opportunities in a Wisconsin offense looking to replace A.J. Taylor and Quintez Cephus. After Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor, Dunn and Adam Krumholz, arguably the two best blocking receivers from that unit, are next in line.
WEAKNESSES
For as reliable and sure-handed as Dunn is on returns, he doesn't necessarily bring that "home run" explosiveness to the position. Dunn also had his share of struggles in 2019, most notably a muffed punt in the fourth quarter against Northwestern.
After Davis and Pryor, there is a lot of unknown in the wide receiver room. Over the last two years, Dunn has totaled just six receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown, and added a rushing score on two carries. He will have a chance to boost those numbers in 2020.
WHY HE'S No. 22
In a Zoom conference with reporters, head coach Paul Chryst mentioned Dunn as one of the players who could step up with Taylor and Cephus no longer on the roster. If he can become a playmaker in the slot, this ranking may be too low. But Dunn's primary role is expected be as a returner in 2020.
OVERALL
Dunn's proven value is on special teams and as a blocking receiver, but the opportunity is certainly there to blossom as a wide out. After coming on as a walk-on, Dunn has found his role at UW and could be in line for a bigger respsonsibility in the offense this fall.
