MADISON -- Luke Fickell and the Badgers had their seventh practice, and second day outdoors, of spring on Saturday. The passing game commanded most of the attention, but we’re beginning to see more standout players separate themselves within their position groups all over the team.
BadgerBlitz.com was on the scene for the seventh of 15 practices, and will be in attendance throughout the duration of spring. Here are some notes from Thursday's session.
OFFENSE
It was another interesting day for the ongoing quarterback competition.
Tyler Van Dyke has an inherent advantage based on his experience, athleticism and a presumed NIL deal. But Braedyn Locke has made starter-level throws at a more consistent rate. I’d say Locke has the slight edge as of right now, in terms of performance, but September is still far away.
Despite how well the quarterbacks played, the slot receivers stole the show.
Will Pauling had his best day of practice so far this spring. He was making catches over the middle, on the outside and up the sideline, and talking trash incessantly.
But if there’s one obvious “keep your eye on this guy” player based on what we’ve seen in spring ball, my pick would be Trech Kekahuna.
There’s simply no one else on the team, and probably few in the entire Big Ten, who can move the way he does. He’s quick, agile and has absolutely lethal footwork, and brings more to the table than pure athleticism. He was able to make contested catches with defenders in his face and even keep a foot down on multiple close sideline catches on Saturday.
The offense is lucky that the slot receivers have been especially productive, because they’re not receiving much help from the tight ends on the inside.
Tucker Ashcraft has struggled with an injury and is only playing sparingly. Riley Nowakowski is obviously athletic, but might not be well-rounded or consistent enough to justify real playing time once the season begins. LSU transfer Jackson McGohan had a few impressive catches with the second-stringers in 11-on-11 action, and might be the fastest tight end on the team, but he’s far from a competent blocker.
To summarize, I haven’t learned a thing about the tight end battle.
