Wisconsin's 15 spring practices are in the books, which means it's time to take a look back at what we learned at each position group and see what the Badgers still need to work out before they kick off their 2017 season against Utah State on Friday, Sep. 1.
Our look back at Wisconsin's wide receivers and tight ends is included below.
What We Learned
The Badgers returned two top-shelf players at wide receiver and tight end from last year's team in Jazz Peavy and Troy Fumagalli, and both players are expected to be the primary targets for quarterback Alex Hornibrook in the fall. But the Badgers identified at least one other player who can step in and replace Rob Wheelwright: sophomore wide receiver Quintez Cephus, who took first team reps with the offense when he was in Madison and able to practice this spring. Cephus had the look of a potential difference maker for the Badgers - someone who could take the top off of a defense and open up the middle of the field for Peavy and Fumagalli. We'll see if he can keep taking steps forward, but for the time being Cephus looks ready to take his game to the next level.
At tight end spot, it's worth repeating for emphasis that Fumagalli looks poised for a big senior season. The 6-foot-6, 248-pound Fumagalli caught 47 passes for 580 yards last year but only scored two touchdowns. Judging by how often Hornibrook was looking for Fumagalli in the red zone during the spring, the senior tight end is going to get plenty of chances to improve on that number. He also showed off his athleticism on sideline catches and worked well in traffic over the middle. Fumagalli could be the next in a long line of Wisconsin tight ends to be major factors in the passing game during their senior seasons.
It also seems like the Badgers have a lot of depth at the tight end spot this year, to the point where I would bet that they find a way to get Kyle Penniston and Zander Neuville on the field as much as possible. Penniston has impressed me since he arrived on campus in 2015, and you wouldn't know that Neuville just switched to tight end last year by watching him play - he's got good hands and is already a solid blocker. There are only so many reps to go around, but look for the Badgers to get their tight ends involved early and often this fall.
What's Left?
The battle for the third wide receiver spot should be interesting when fall camp rolls around in August. Pure experience suggests that George Rushing would have an edge over A.J. Taylor and Kendric Pryor, but Rushing has had chances to grab bigger roles before and is still waiting for his breakout season. He can make some big plays - and definitely made his fair share during spring camp this year. But he'll need to carry some of that momentum over to fall camp if he wants to secure a regular spot on the field.
If he doesn't, then that leaves a big opening for either Taylor or Pryor to see the field in the fall. Taylor will be a sophomore after playing right away as a true freshman, while Pryor will be a redshirt freshman in 2017. They both have similar skillsets and can give the Badgers a different look in the jet sweep game if they aren't using Peavy on that play, but Taylor will need to work on catching the ball consistently down the field. Pryor needs to prove he can be a dependable option after his redshirt season, but he flashed at times this spring as well. They're both talented players, and one or both of them could give Rushing a challenge for the third wide receiver spot.
Projected Fall Camp Depth Chart
WIDE RECEIVER
1. JAZZ PEAVY
2. GEORGE RUSHING
1. QUINTEZ CEPHUS
2. A.J. TAYLOR
-OR-
KENDRIC PRYOR
TIGHT END
1. TROY FUMAGALLI
2. KYLE PENNISTON
3. ZANDER NEUVILLE
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John Veldhuis covers Wisconsin football, basketball, and recruiting for BadgerBlitz.com on the Rivals.com network. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnVeldhuis.