Notes: With Extra Eligibility Available, Wisconsin Seniors Still in Limbo

MADISON, Wis. - With the coronavirus shortening college football season in 2020, the NCAA made the unprecedented move of making the current not count against a player’s eligibility clock. In essence, a senior who planned to make 2020 his final season could return for a bonus senior season in 2021.

After declining to offer an extra scholarship year to its spring athletes, the University of Wisconsin athletic department hasn’t officially announced when it intended to do with its current student athletes, although head coach Paul Chryst said the department has made returning an option.

Senior left tackle Cole Van Lanen insinuated he probably played his last game at Camp Randall Saturday, while senior defensive tackle Garrett Rand said he is still mulling his options of what to do. Offensive coordinator/line coach Joe Rudolph said Chryst has had those conversations with all the seniors and that every situation with the 21 seniors is different with where they are with their career and development.

UW’s top-ranked defense could have the most to gain, as the Badgers start two seniors on the defensive line, one at outside linebacker and sometimes three in the secondary.

“I would say most of that group was in the thought process of go play and figure it out after the season,” defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said. “It’s on their mind. They know they have the option, so it’s a unique situation. It’s not normal. I think that it’s tough for some of these guys going ‘is this my last year?’ Am I coming back? What do I need to do? I think it puts them in a little bit of a limbo whereas normally you know this is it. Go laid it out there, play my best football and move on. Not that I am saying guys aren’t playing with that urgency, but it is a little bit different when you know this might be my last year playing football.”

Not only is it an athletic decision, Chryst made note that several seniors are on track to graduate this month and may not have a desire to pursue graduate school.

“A lot of it comes down to where they are with their personal clock, not what the NCAA says what they can and can’t do,” Chryst said. “You want to talk to them and have a plan so they could decide. That was not something where you can have a conversation, here is the rules, here is the rules what’s your decision. You try to keep an open dialogue.”

Chryst announced that senior receiver Danny Davis will miss his third straight game when No.25 Wisconsin (2-2) takes on No.19 Iowa (5-2) this weekend at Kinnick Stadium. Davis was injured sometime during or after the Michigan game but his impact in UW’s first two games was evident. Catching only three passes, Davis averaged 26 yards per catch and had a 53-yard touchdown in the season opener.

He also was a huge factor in UW’s ability to run the jet sweep, doing so eight times and amassing 69 yards and a touchdown.

Throw in the fact that fellow senior receiver Kendric Pryor has missed five of the last eight quarters, Wisconsin’s offense has scored one touchdown and 13 points. The task doesn’t get easier considering Iowa’s defense hasn’t allowed more than 25 points in the last 21 games, the longest streak among Power Five teams.

“You always try to make sure you are, as far as the plan, that you’re giving your players the best chance,” Chyrst said. “You want all your guys to play because those are opportunity for them. What at times can be more challenging when you have a lot of the plan set up and someone early in the game (gets hurt), you lose it in the rhythm in the game. What do these guys do well and how can we build around it? You try to do that the best you can.”

Wisconsin appeared set with its offensive line recruits in the 2020 class after Ben Barten committed in October 2018, giving the Badgers four high-ceiling prospects. However, the junior film and skill set of Kewaunee (Wis.) High’s Tanor Bortolini was something Rudolph couldn’t ignore.

It turned out to be a timely move considering Bortolini was the first of the five recruits to play significant reps when he played 64 snaps at center against Indiana, a position he was unfamiliar with this past fall.

“I thought he did a really good job,” Rudolph said. “He’ll be the first to tell you he had two snaps that were a little high down in the red zone and on the last drive had a couple low … In between those, he really did a heck of a job stepping in. We just got banged up at that position.”

Banged up is an understatement. Starting center Kayden Lyles is likely done for the year after hurting his leg early in the first quarter against the Hoosiers. Backup center Cormac Sampson was injured early in the week at practice and was unable to play. Third-string center Joe Tippmann was getting work at the potion until a shoulder injury knocked him out for the season.

Starting camp as the fifth center, Bortolini, who committed to Wisconsin over Iowa and others in the recruiting process, will likely make his first start considering Sampson first practiced on Wednesday.

“There is a lot of challenges because you have to be the communicator,” Rudolph said. “You can’t get told what you do. You have to be the guy making the calls. You got to snap the ball before you do all those things. He’ll keep improving. He’s got a bright future.”