MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst is used to counseling juniors who are thinking about declaring early for the NFL Draft. Last season, Chryst saw center Tyler Biadasz, receiver Quintez Cephus and tailback Jonathan Taylor make the jump, while tackle Cole Van Lanen decided to return for a senior season.

So, when Chryst sat down with junior cornerback Rachad Wildgoose prior to the 2020 season, he had an inkling that Rachad Wildgoose was thinking about a professional career sooner rather than later.

“Really a lot of these guys you have a sense,” Chryst told reporters Monday. “You talk to these kids in the summertime and kind of have an idea of what their thoughts are and what they are trying to do. That helps you in coaching them for that year and brings it all together. After he got injured, I think he felt the timing was right.”

The 5-11, 197-pound Wildgoose announced Friday that he was declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft. Despite not enrolling early, Wildgoose worked his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman and started 17 of the 25 games he played over three seasons.

Wildgoose was going to have two quality opportunities to face NFL-caliber receivers in Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman and Indiana’s Ty Fryfogle, but Wildgoose injured his shoulder in the Badgers’ 17-7 loss at Northwestern Nov.21 and didn’t play the second half.

Wildgoose finishes his career with 57 tackles, 15 passes defended, five tackles for loss, two fumble recovered and one interception.

“He wanted to take a chance on himself, kind of show everybody why is he the player he is,” said Faion Hicks, a fellow junior cornerback from Miami who rooms with Wildgoose. “Everybody in this program is supportive of it. We are all happy for him.”

Redshirt freshman Semar Melvin replaced Wildgoose in the second half against Northwestern and figures to be prominently involved moving forward behind Hicks and senior cornerback Caesar Williams. Redshirt sophomore Donte Burton will also likely see more reps.

The new Wisconsin secondary will be tested Saturday against No.10 Indiana (5-1), which has spent time in the top 10 this season for the first time since 1969. The Hoosiers are third in the conference in both scoring and passing yards.

“(Coach Allen is) truly building it,” Chryst said. “It’s a very well coached team. You can see (their players) playing with confidence. We played them a few years back (2017) and thought it was a really good football team then. There’s momentum to it and it’s becomes real. They obviously are producing. They are doing the things that you have to do to win games, and they are doing it consistently.”

Unfortunately for Indiana, the Hoosiers will be without one of the most potent offensive weapons in quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who tore his ACL in Saturday’s win over Maryland. Bursting on the scene when he rushed for the game-winning, two-point conversion to beat Penn State in the season opener, Penix leads the Big Ten in completions (124), passing yards (1,645) and TDs (14).

“They still a really good offense, he’s not the only who made plays for them,” Hicks said. “They have a really good receiving group. I am pretty sure the quarterback that steps in is going to try and make plays for things work. Overall, we still have to prepare for a pretty good offense, go out there and do our thing.”

Step in to replace Penix will be redshirt sophomore Jack Tuttle, who completed all five of his passes for 31 yards on Saturday. Tuttle was nationally ranked the No. 4 pro-style quarterback by Rivals in the 2018 recruiting class and, if the name sounds familiar, was one of Wisconsin’s top targets at the position out of San Marcos, Calif.

Tuttle gave Madison rave reviews after visiting the campus in July 2016 and again later than fall but eventually committed to Utah, partially pushed away by UW having a commitment at the time from Illinois prep quarterback Ben Bryant.

“You try to do your best,” Chryst said of preparing for Tuttle. “Obviously when you don’t have as much film, it makes it a little more challenge. Yet, you see enough and know what they are trying to do offensively.”

COVID has canceled three games for Wisconsin this season, including trophy games with Nebraska on Oct.31 and Minnesota last weekend. The Gophers announced Monday that this weekend’s game against Northwestern will also be canceled, as Minnesota is dealing with 47 cases of COVID-19.

Unless 12 of the final 14 games are canceled, and Northwestern loses to Illinois on Dec. 12, the Wildcats would win the Big Ten West Division and advance to the Big Ten championship game over Wisconsin. The Badgers would be relegated to a crossover game against an East Division team that finished in the same place UW finished in the West, meaning there is a possibility UW plays Indiana twice in a three week stretch.

If UW had a say, the Badgers would much rather see the conference schedule the Gophers to

“The game never been canceled since 1906; it’s a tradition,” Hicks said. “For our seniors, to have that last game and go out to get the axe one last time, that’s on everybody’s mind. Most definitely want to make up that game. If they can make it happen, I am pretty sure they wouldn’t be upset about it either.”

Extra Points: Chryst believes the offense will get senior receiver Kendric Pryor back on the field this weekend, while fellow senior receiver Danny Davis is still questionable … Saturday will mark only the third time Indiana will be ranked when it faces Wisconsin. No.7 Indiana beat Wisconsin, 14-9, in Bloomington in 1967 and No.16 Wisconsin beat No.21 Indiana, 62-13, at Camp Randall in 1994. Of the 61 previous meetings, Wisconsin has been ranked 13 times.