As the Wisconsin coaching staff continues to work on building the 2022 recruiting class, a big question remains: How many recruits can the Badgers sign?

That’s a difficult question to answer because this year, more than most, very few coaching staffs know for sure how many scholarships they’ll have available after this season. The actual number is always a moving target, but the situation is exacerbated this year by the potential of super seniors.

Super seniors, of course, are the players who have the option to return for an extra year of post-eligibility. The NCAA decided that any players who were on rosters in 2020 - aka, the COVID year - could have an additional year after they had expired their eligibility. That’s how Wisconsin was able to get Jack Dunn, Kendric Pryor, Danny Davis, Mike Maskalunas, Noah Burks, Caesar Williams and Collin Wilder back for the 2021 season.

All seven of those players finished their eligibility in 2020, but thanks to the NCAA’s exception, they are able to return this year. And the same will go for each player on the 2021 roster when they reach the end of their eligibility.

There’s a difference, though: this season’s seven super seniors won’t count against the Badgers’ 85-man scholarship limit. Future season’s super seniors will, and that is likely to create a numbers crunch for future recruiting classes.

Take the 2022 class, for example: the scholarship spots for the 2022 class will come from seniors who leave the roster after this season. The current super seniors won’t affect that because they don’t count against the 85 anyway; only the other 14 scholarship seniors on the roster will count.

Now, it’s not uncommon to have a relatively low number like 14 as the starting point for a recruiting class’s scholarship count. But what is uncommon is the fact that any one of those 14 could choose to return for the 2022 season - and each player’s decision to return would take away an available scholarship for recruits in the class of 2022.

Today, let’s take a look at those 14 scholarship players who could potentially come back next season.

Danny Vanden Boom, a reserve quarterback for the Badgers over the last four seasons, likely isn't going to to play at the next level. But he is someone who could take advantage of a sixth season in order to earn additional degrees from the university. His veteran leadership and experience would also likely be welcomed back by head coach Paul Chryst.

“One of my weaknesses would be my feet, just trying to speed things up, stay in rhythm and then maybe arm strength,” Vanden Boom self-assessed during fall camp in 2020. “There’s always room to grow in all facets of the game. On the other side, my strengths are my football IQ, making sure the ball goes to the right place and just being accurate, trying to be on time and throw the ball accurately.”

John Chenal, a true senior, is set to begin fall camp as a full-time starter at fullback. Though not a glamour or often-used position in the NFL, Chenal may be able to carve out a role in the professional ranks as soon as next season.

Of the 14 players on this list, Jake Ferguson is the most likely to leave after the 2021 season. Arguably the top returning tight end in the Big Ten, Ferguson, who has played in 34 contests over the last three seasons, could have entered the 2021 NFL Draft.

"I knew I was staying. Probably middle of the year," Ferguson told reporters this spring. "Just didn’t feel like it was my last year yet with 2020 being what it was.

"Didn’t feel like I was done yet. After the Mayo Bowl, guys were saying bye to some of the seniors and they would come up to me like ‘hey, are you leaving?' And no, there’s no way, I’m not ending it like this. It was a pretty easy decision for me, but most of it was when I was going to tweet it and let everyone else know."

Of the two, Logan Bruss, who has 32 career starts under his belt, likely has the highest NFL stock heading into the 2021 season. Teams will also appreciate his ability to play tackle or guard at the next level. But with a solid year, Tyler Beach, who will get a shot at left tackle this fall, could put his name in the draft conversation.

"I think he (Bruss) leads by example. I think he’s definitely increased his voice but when you watch him, you’re kind of like, ‘damn, that guy is doing the stuff I want to put on tape,' '" position coach Joe Rudolph said this spring. "I think he earns a voice through how he plays."

Like Bruss and Beach, Josh Seltzner (32 games played) and Kayden Lyles (29 games played) have logged a lot of miles during their time in Madison. That said, the two tackles listed above - at least prior to the 2021 season - have a better NFL outlook heading into fall camp. Lyles, in particular, has battled injuries throughout his career, which will factor into his future decision.

"Last year it was a little more survival mode, going through what he (Lyles) went through in the offseason with surgeries and procedures, and he is one tough joker. There was only one guy who came in here and went through that and that was (Tyler) Biadasz," Rudolph told reporters this spring. "For him to be able to do that without all the reps behind him was really a credit to him, and I think he has taken a real step forward."

If Ferguson is the most likely senior to leave, Jack Sanborn is probably No. 2. The multi-year starter at middle linebacker received NFL feedback at the end of the 2020 season but elected to return in order to put more on tape for NFL scouts.

Izayah Green-May has battled injuries throughout his career at Wisconsin. Over the last three years, the outside linebacker has played in 18 contests with six total tackles. Green-May is not expected to be in the two-deep when camp opens in a few weeks.

Two players with different careers at Wisconsin. A major contributor for the Badgers over the past three seasons, Faion Hicks has racked up 30 starts at cornerback. With a strong 2021 season, the fifth-year player could put his name on NFL draft boards. Deron Harrell, a greyshirt from the 2017 class, has started nine game for the Badgers but has battled with inconsistency.

“Faion Hicks is the leader of the room,” cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat said this spring. “I think he’s done a good job of helping the younger guys understand some of the things we try to do as a team, what we’re looking for as a player in the secondary.”

Looking at Scott Nelson's career, the projected starter at safety may want to pursue a sixth year due to the season (2019) he lost to an ACL injury. In 2020, Nelson played in six games and recorded 22 total tackles and two interceptions.

“I think he was playing so much faster and so much more confident than he was (before the injury),” Jim Leonhard told reporters this spring. “He learned a lot from his freshman year from when he was playing a lot of football and it took a while to come to fruition. He’s carried it over this spring.

“From a physical aspect, I think he broke every record in the weight room from before he tore his ACL. You’re starting to see the confidence in his body and he’s able to push himself and do things that maybe even last year he wasn’t quite sure he was ready for. Making plays helps with that confidence.”

Matt Henningsen, a former walk-on, is entering his first season as a projected full-time starter at defensive end. And like Nelson, Henningsen, who has played in 29 career games with 16 starts over the past three seasons, lost a year (2020) due to injury, which may factor into his decision.

“He’s (Henningsen) a genius academically and he’s a freakshow athletically,” assistant coach Ross Kolodziej told reporters this spring. “He’s right at if not exceeding where we hoped he'd be at this time … He’s encyclopedic and photographic with his memory and recall, so a great resource.”

After he played as a true freshman - 13 games with three starts at nose tackle - injuries limited Bryson Williams' production over the last two years. Now healthy, the true senior is looking to make a bigger impact on the defensive line.

"I had a pretty serious knee surgery my sophomore year and I gained a lot of weight. I was at about 320 and I felt terrible. I was slow. I wasn’t any stronger than I was at 290. Just 30 pounds heavier, which is really not good," Williams told reporters this spring. "I ended up losing about 60 pounds in a couple months and got down to 260 and really just had to hit the reset button and gain that weight back in the best way I can, so that’s what I’ve been doing."