MADISON -- Luke Fickell and the Badgers were back on the field inside the McClain Center on Thursday morning to continue the grind of the spring. Wisconsin's head coach labeled practices six through nine as important because this stretch is when players often begin to separate themselves.

BadgerBlitz.com was there for the sixth of 15 practices and will be in attendance for the other nine over the next three weeks. Here are notes from the session.

OFFENSE:

First team:

Quarterback: Tanner Mordecai

Running back: Braelon Allen

Wide receiver: Chimere Dike, Will Pauling and Keontez Lewis

Tight end: Jack Eschenbach

Offensive line (from left to right): Jack Nelson, Michael Furtney, Tanor Bortolini, Trey Wedig, Riley Mahlman

Second team:

Quarterback: Braedyn Locke

Running back: Chez Mellusi

Wide Receiver: Skyler Bell, CJ Williams, Quincy Burroughs, Tommy McIntosh

Tight end: Jack Pugh

Offensive line: Nolan Rucci, Joe Brunner, Joe Huber, JP Benzschawel, Dylan Barrett

*Cade Yacamelli, Zach Gloudeman and Grover Bortolotti rotated as the third back.

DEFENSE: (Alternated between a 2-4-5 and 3-3-5 on Thursday)

First team:

Defensive line: Rodas Johnson, James Thompson and Isaiah Mullens

Inside linebacker: Maema Njongmeta, Jordan Turner

Outside linebacker: T.J. Bollers, Darryl Peterson

Cornerback: Alex Smith, Jason Maitre and Ricardo Hallman

Safety: Travian Blaylock, Hunter Wohler

Second team:

Defensive line: , Gio Paez, Cade McDonald and Curt Neal

Inside linebacker: Tatum Grass, Bryan Sanborn

Outside linebacker: Spencer Lytle, Jordan Mayer

Cornerback: Avyonne Jones, Jace Arnold, Jonas Duclona and Amaun Williams

Safety: Austin Brown, Kamo'i Latu

*Three defensive linemen listed due to rotations. The rotations were quite fluid.

Special teams:

Punter: Jack Van Dyke, Gavin Meyers

Punt returner: Chimere Dike, Will Pauling

Field Goal: Nathanial Vakos, Nate Van Zelst, Gavin Lahm, Vito Calvaruso

Kickoff specialist: Vito Calvaruso, Gavin Lahm

Kickoff returners: Chimere Dike, Quincy Burroughs, Will Pauling, Vinny Anthony

DL Darian Varner

QB Cole Lacrue

TE Clay Cundiff

TE Cole Dakovich

TE Cam Large

WR Bryson Green

DE Mike Jarvis

LB Ross Gengler

LB Luna Larson

CB Max Lofy

OL Sean Timmis

LB Aidan Vaughn

LB Aaron Witt

OL Jake Renfro

WR Chris Brooks Jr.

Non-contact jerseys: WR Grady O'Neill, CB A'Khoury Lyde and S Travian Blaylock

It's a little surprising that there were not any fights during Thursday's practice. Throughout the day, both sides of the ball got after each other and it developed into what was easily the most physical practice of the spring thus far.

During a red-zone team period, inside linebacker Maema Njongmeta slipped through a crease in the offensive line and blew up running back Braelon Allen. A few reps later, linebacker Garrison Solliday put a pretty good hit on Grover Bortolotti. Later in the practice, safety Kamo'i Latu made some good contact with Chez Mellusi as well.

The backs brought some of the punch back at the defense. Transfer defensive back Jason Maitre got a first-hand look at how physical of a runner Allen is. With the junior tailback getting to the outside, he put his head down and knocked Maitre back a little bit. During a move-the-ball period, Mellusi stood up a linebacker in pass protection and left enough time for Tanner Mordecai to make a throw. Later, CJ Williams came down with a ball through a couple defenders. Williams was out of bounds but got the attention of his unit with the play.