MADISON - During his weekly Thursday availability before facing Purdue, interim head coach Jim Leonhard provided some key updates on the team.

Wisconsin got some positive returns on the injury front and should be getting multiple bodies back. Some questions surrounding the coaching staff were also answered during the media session.

A week after being down multiple starters on both sides of the ball, Wisconsin looks to be getting key players back.

On defense, Jake Chaney, who was out with a head injury against Michigan State, will be available this week. And two weeks after hitting his head on the turf against Northwestern and suffering a concussion, cornerback Cedrick Dort Jr. has been cleared.

Chaney has registered the third most snaps at inside linebacker and provides quality depth at the position. The return of Dort allows some flexibility for Leonhard. Having started in the nickel for the first six games of the season, his return could have Alex Smith and Jay Shaw starting on the outside with Dort in the slot. Smith saw time in the slot in his first action this season against Michigan State with Dort out.

On offense, the line will be at full strength with Riley Mahlman set to be available for the first time since the season opener. Tyler Beach, who was on a pitch count a week ago, is also nearing full strength. Leonhard added Beach should be available for more snaps against Purdue.

The return of the two linemen, who were in the starting group to open the season, presents an intriguing pair of decisions for coach Bob Bostad. Does Mahlman take over at right tackle or does he stick with Trey Wedig? Does Beach return to a starting role with Tanor Bortolini becoming the swiss army knife when Bobby Engram wants an extra lineman on the field? Does he stick with the same line for the sake of continuity? After all, a shake up would mean the sixth different starting group in eight weeks.

Starting fullback Jackson Acker should be good this Saturday as well, making four players in the rotation back after being sidelined against Michigan State.

Part of the puzzle that was left for Leonhard to figure out was how he wanted to fill the extra opening left by the coaching change. With the staff planning to travel on the recruiting trail, Leonhard plans to fill the position after the bye week.

"With the 10th spot I really wanted to get through the bye week because there is a huge recruiting piece that gets added with that 10th coach,” Leonhard said. “And having not filled that, we can use our recruiting staff, which we’re going to be on the road during our bye week.

"I thought that was the No. 1 reason to hold on to it because that’s who has had the most contact with our recruits. I think we get the most value out of that position being open right now because from a communication stand point, we felt very confident with our game day responsibilities, so that spot will get filled."

Leonhard made it clear the position will be filled soon but definitely after Wisconsin’s game against Purdue

"It will get filled in the near future but we wanted to get through the bye week before we did that,” he said.

A week ago, Collin Wilder was spotted with the team in East Lansing. That day, a UW official confirmed he was with the team, but when following up earlier this week, his role on the staff still wasn't clear.

When asked about Wilder, Leonhard said he's with the team as they get through tough times. Wilder, a starting safety the previous two seasons, was a respected leader on the defense and team as a whole when part of the program.

"Collin Wilder is a guy you just want to have around your players," Leonhard said. "Tremendous leader. Very consistent with his approach and how he talked with our guys, how he led with our players.

"He has respect in the locker room with a number of guys who played with him and it’s always amazing when you get former players around that you trust to continue to push the right message and keep your guys focus and keep them together. That was what he was all about as a player and we’ve had him in the building the last couple of weeks in that role. Helping through the tough times, really."

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