MADISON — The dreary months of winter have come and gone, and so has a significant portion of the offseason. Wisconsin’s football team took to the McClain Center for its ninth of 15 practices.

BadgerBlitz.com had boots on the ground inside the McClain Center and will be in attendance for the duration of spring.

Here are some notes from Thursday’s practice:

Luke Fickell and co. dedicated a significant portion of practice to special teams, going through punt coverage and returns, kickoff coverage and returns and field goals. As a result, there were fewer live reps than other practices.

Most of the offensive reps came in two-minute drills or goal-to-go scenarios. The high-pressure simulation likely played a role in the overall disjointed look of the unit. Between false starts, delay of games and miscommunications between quarterbacks and pass catchers, it was a stark reminder that this is a brand new system.

Still, there were a few flashes. Dilin Jones saw plenty of opportunities and made good with the chances, showing his decisiveness at the line of scrimmage and a sudden change of direction that netted missed tackles and additional yards.

Jones, Darrion Dupree and Cade Yacamelli – who wasn’t spotted Thursday and has been deemed day-to-day by a UW official – still figure to compete throughout the rest of spring and fall camp, but it seems like Jones is beginning to separate from the pack.

Tyrell Henry continues to make a case for a gadget-player role, catching a tunnel screen and accelerating up the seam untouched for a score. The senior wide out has also been in the mix as a returner.

Billy Edwards had an inconsistent practice, missing some easy throws and struggling to sync with his receivers. Even some of his completions weren’t optimal throws. However, his experience showed during the two-minute drill, making adjustments at the line of scrimmage.

Danny O’Neil had another solid day, delivering a perfect deep ball to Jayden Ballard for a touchdown and creating plays with his legs. Ballard also drew some looks on a screen, when he immediately spun to make Omillio Agard fly by before taking off downfield.

Along the offensive line, Kerry Kodanko worked with the first team and impressed as a run blocker.

Tackles Kevin Heywood and Riley Mahlman were tested by the Badgers' array of edge rushers in what was a competitive matchup.

There’s also been a concerning number of bad snaps with the second and third units this spring. Ryan Cory and Joey Okla have struggled significantly in shotgun sets, which could be a problem if Jake Renfro were to get injured.