Post-Fall Camp Position Overview: Wisconsin Badgers Cornerbacks

MADISON - Following the conclusion of fall camp, BadgerBlitz.com will take a look at each position group and where they stand with the final phase of the offseason wrapping up.

We'll open our defensive overviews by examining the cornerbacks, a position group that's been in flux for much of the offseason.

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Overall positional depth: Spring camp brought mixed feelings about the Badgers' cornerback room. On one end, starters Alexander Smith, Jason Maitre and Ricardo Hallman played very well, with the later especially staking his claim as an interception machine. On the other end, the depth looked problematically thin, with multiple true freshmen — Jonas Duclona and Jace Arnold — taking most of the second-string reps throughout the spring.

The staff recognized this issue and addressed the position several times via the transfer portal. In the middle of May, Wisconsin flipped former D-II Grand Valley State cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean, who was committed to Vanderbilt at the time.

"It's definitely a little bit different," Fourqurean said of his transition. "But I think I am adjusting really well. There are still things I need to touch up like the speed of the game and the details. But I feel like I am adjusting really well. I just have to keep it going."

Wisconsin also procured the services of ex-Air Force cornerback Michael Mack. He's still waiting on a waiver from the NCAA allowing him to compete in 2023, but the former two-year starter appears to be all-in on the Badgers.

"I would say the competition and the ability to be part of a program that has traditionally been dominant made Wisconsin the right fit for me," he said. "Coach (Luke) Fickell did a great job at Cincinnati and he's a proven winner and someone who develops his players. It's just a great fit for me and my family."

Now, Wisconsin appears much more solid at cornerback, as both Fourqurean and Mack have been rotating in with the second team. Mack's status is still up in the air, but Fourqurean should immediately find himself in the two-deep.

Slot cornerback depth: For all of the work Wisconsin did to reshape its cornerback room this offseason, slot corner is still an area of concern. Maitre, the sixth-year senior transfer from Boston College, looks as advertised as a sticky man-coverage player who's not afraid of physicality. Behind him is a massive question mark.

The Badgers' likely top choice at the backup slot position is Max Lofy, who played the second-most snaps in the slot last season behind Cedrick Dort Jr. However, he's still working his way back from an injury that's sidelined him for most of the offseason.

Owen Arnett has seen plenty of time with the second-team defense in the slot. The redshirt sophomore safety has played 15 career snaps, all coming last season, with exactly one snap in the slot.

"We talk about it all the time with just position versatility. The more you can do, the more opportunities you have to get on the field," safeties coach Colin Hitschler told reporters. "Owen's done an unbelievable job all fall of taking and running with a new position and making it his, what he can do best and how he can continue to improve his man technique or those nickel zone techniques. It's been really fun to watch him do it."

Wisconsin has players that can play in the slot in a pinch, such as Smith or Hallman who have played there before. But considering those are the top two outside cover corners, that route would likely be a last resort.

Who rounds out the two-deep? This largely has to do with circumstance, as if Mack is deemed eligible to play by the NCAA, it'll likely be him and Fourqurean as the two primary backups on the outside.

If Mack must sit out a year, that's where things get interesting. One of the true freshmen corners would likely slide into a spot on the two deep, and in all likelihood that would be Duclona. The Florida native has looked impressive all spring and fall, and the coaching staff likes what he's brought to the table so early in his career.

"He's a football player. He has confidence, trust in himself. Does he make some mistakes? Yeah, but he doesn't lose confidence when he does," defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said. "He can take hard coaching. He believes he can line up against anybody, and you have to have that belief. He's a quick, quick football player too, so he'll have the ability to be out there on the field and help us this fall."

Arnold, another true freshman, is a candidate for backup reps this fall simply because of how much experience he's gotten throughout the spring and fall.

The Badgers have likely finished touching up their 2024 cornerback class, which could be the highest-rated class the Badgers have signed at the position in the internet recruiting era when all is said and done.

The 2024 haul is headlined by Omillio Agard, a Rivals250 prospect from Philadelphia. Wisconsin beat out blue bloods like Alabama, Georgia and Michigan for the cornerback's commitment.

"Wisconsin showed more love than any other school," Agard said. "I couldn't make it during the spring for an unofficial because I wanted my family there with me, so we came for an official in June and they blew me away. I thought it was going to be grass fields and everything, but it's a beautiful city on a peninsula. Wisconsin football is the talk of the town all the day, and everything really wowed me."

With Agard, two other high-upside signees in the 2024 class in Jay Harper and Xavier Lucas and Amare Snowden, who's already on campus, the future is as bright as it's ever been at cornerback for the Badgers.

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