With spring camp set to kick off Saturday, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at five early position battles to watch over the next two months and into the summer.
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QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | OFFENSIVE LINE | DEFENSIVE LINE | LINEBACKERS | DEFENSIVE BACKS | SPECIAL TEAMS |
Quarterback
Have to replace: Alex Hornibrook
The entire quarterback room was expected to return this spring, but that was before Hornibrook, who started 32 career games for the Badgers, announced his decision to transfer in late February. With that, the battle to find his replacement puts the quarterback under the microscope. Jack Coan, who led UW to a victory in the Pinstripe Bowl, will likely open camp as the starter, but he'll be pushed by Danny Vanden Boom, Chase Wolf and true freshman Graham Mertz.
Prediction: This battle certainly won't be decided by this spring, but it will be interesting to see if Mertz can grasp enough of the playbook to have a chance to work with the first team. Coan (has played in 11 games with four starts) will enter camp with the mindset that it's his job to lose. And don't count out Vanden Boom and Wolf, both of whom will make it much more than a two-man race. When camp wraps in April, we expect Coan to be on top. But that could certainly change before the season opener.
