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.

Next up is a look at the Wisconsin running backs and where things stand in Al Johnson's room.

RELATED: QUARTERBACKS | SAFETIES |

Wisconsin has maintained a strong rushing attack throughout the years and the performance from the running backs in fall camp gives every indication that the Badgers should remain elite in that aspect. Isaac Guerendo and Chez Mellusi exceeded expectations after returning from injuries, making way for what should a deep and talented group. Sophomore Braelon Allen should be one of the better backs in the country this fall.

Health creating depth: There were legit questions coming into fall camp about whether Mellusi and Guerendo would be good to go and able to fully participate in fall camp. With Mellusi making his way back from an ACL injury and Guerendo a Lisfranc tear, the pair were full go from the start of camp.

The returns for Mellusi were especially encouraging given he was just over nine months removed from suffering the torn ACL against Rutgers back on Nov. 6. The senior showed to be all the way back from the injury and displayed no signs of a player who had gone through a serious injury. Mellusi's burst was on full display and he looked smooth working through the tackles and finding creases.

With the trio healthy, the balance should serve to help keep Allen fresh throughout the season. Carrying the load during a seven-game win streak, the wear and tear resulted in a 47-yard performance in the regular season finale against Minnesota.

“Out of all the games I missed,” Mellusi said, “that was probably the most difficult for me to watch on the couch.”

"With Chez and Isaac back, we’re all going to help each other out a lot picking up each other’s reps," Allen added. "When someone might be tired, just tap the helmet of another guy who can get the job done to go in. I think we can all play off of each other. It’s great to have them back. They’ve been playing very well throughout camp, so I’m excited to see them out there for sure."

Isaac Guerendo: As for Guerendo, his performance during fall camp was just as impressive. Throughout open sessions, the senior showed off ways he can contribute in multiple ways in the backfield.

"He’s the fastest guy on the team," Allen said of his teammate. "He’s definitely a guy to watch out for when he’s in there. He’s a powerful guy, too, so he can get in there in between the tackles, but when he gets outside it’s over. He can catch passes really well, run routes really well, so I think he’s just another great all-around back."

During an open practice where Allen did not participate, Guerendo took full advantage of the additional reps with the first team. He could be credited with a trio of runs that would have been good for 15 yards or more. The chunk plays can be attributed to improvement between the tackles as a runner. During another practice, Guerendo hauled in a pair of receptions, including a short dump off where he juked inside linebacker Tate Grass before taking it up field.

The break-away ability is still there with Guerendo, of course. His speed adds a different element to the punishing style of Allen and agility of Mellusi. His improvement makes for a trio of capable backs in the room.

No real major concern coming out of fall camp: It's hard not to feel good about the group of backs heading into the season. Mellusi answered any concern regarding his status for the season, Allen should improve heading into year two and Guerendo looked solid.

Julius Davis, who saw a decent amount of reps with the second team during Allen's absence, was able to rattle off a trio of 10-plus yard runs during the session. His reps during camp were few and far between, and it's difficult to take away anything of substance. If the group manages to stay healthy this season, UW should boast one of the top rushing attacks in the country.

This is certainly a good problem to have if you're running backs coach Al Johnson, but what does the distribution of reps look like during the season? As one of the best backs in the country, Allen should still take the bulk of the carries, but how many snaps does Mellusi get, and how do you make sure to get an athlete like Guerendo on the field every now and then?

The backs will be looking to add more as receivers after the trio of Guerendo, Allen and Mellusi tallied 111 receiving yards combined a season ago. Allen, similar to Jonathan Taylor during his time in Madison, spoke of an emphasis he placed on working on his game as a receiver.

"That was definitely my main focus all spring and summer," Allen said. "The coaches have done a really good job once we expressed to them that was something we wanted to. They’ve been doing a great job of implementing that into the offense and allowing us to do that."

From what reporters got to see, there was a concerted effort to get more time in between time in for the backs to work on routes during individual drills and when working with the quarterbacks. Notably, there were multiple instances where Paul Chryst or Bobby Engram worked with the group on routes. Allen even mentioned that there are new routes for the backs in Engram's offense.

The results weren't overly positive during fall camp. The effort and the process was there to improve on catching passes, but it was up and down. Guerendo and Mellusi got involved with tricky screen concepts during practice but there was also an instance where Allen couldn't reel in a throw from Graham Mertz. Ultimately, what can they add out of the backfield to complement what should be an elite ground game?

_________________________________________________

*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den

*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel

*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)

*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45, @pete_brey12

*Like us on Facebook