MADISON -- Luke Fickell and the Badgers had their 12th practice of spring on Thursday morning inside the McClain Center. Defense mostly dominated the day, with some superb play from Darryl Peterson and the cornerbacks in particular.
BadgerBlitz.com was on the scene for the 12th of 15 practices, and will be in attendance throughout the duration of spring. Here are some notes from Thursday's session.
OFFENSE
It was a rather up-and-down day for the quarterbacks as a whole.
Tyler Van Dyke had a rough start and took some time to get comfortable. He eventually made a few impressive passes, but they came amidst waves of inaccuracy.
He’s got a little bit of Tanner Mordecai in him, in that he’ll miss three receivers in a row by multiple feet, then suddenly throw a fastball that lands in the exact perfect spot.
Braedyn Locke was rather accurate and consistent, but didn’t make any plays that stole the show. He’s beginning to look more like a very trustworthy backup rather than an unlikely starter.
And while Mabrey Mettauer’s name has gotten somewhat lost underneath the quarterback battle, he’s looked worthy of the hype so far. His accuracy and throw power seem to improve every practice. He looks especially keen completing the ball between tight windows over the middle, an area which even the two quarterbacks above him seem to struggle with at times.
While the wide receiver rotations remain fluid, C.J. Williams has been playing more with the second team, but is making it difficult to keep him there. He particularly had a few catches on the sideline which showed his elite body control.
And opposite Williams on the outside, Bryson Green continued to make catches only he can make.
He lept in the air for a pass that from Van Dyke was about two feet behind him, but he was able to contort his body and pull his arms back to secure the grab. If he and Van Dyke can work to establish more chemistry, he’ll likely be the go-to target for deeper, more contested throws.
Much deeper on the depth chart, Haakon Anderson was impossible to ignore on Tuesday. He had multiple touchdowns in red zone drills that he caught as a result of his above-average physicality and hands.
At running back, we know about as much as we did when spring ball began.
Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker are at the top of the rotation, but beyond them it’s a mystery.
Nate White looked like the best of the rest on Tuesday. The running back room is full of speedsters, but on the few plays where he was able to get out in the open field, nobody came remotely close to catching him.
The tight end room is easy to forget given the relative lack of depth, so it becomes even more eye-grabbing when someone is able to have a standout day.
J.T. Seagreaves had maybe his best day of spring camp on Tuesday. He’s not the toughest or most physical tight end on the roster, but he might be the fastest. The redshirt sophomore made the defense pay on the few plays where he was able to catch the ball in open space.
