What Stood Out: Fall Practice No. 3
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Badgers held their third practice of the season on Saturday inside Camp Randall Stadium, and BadgerBlitz.com's Jon McNamara was there taking notes.
What stood out to him during Practice No. 3? Find out below.
As John Veldhuis has talked about over the last week, it's more challenging to pick out details that stand out from the early practices of fall camp because the players aren't wearing full pads. Most of the information the media is able to gather early on is coming from 7-on-7, 11-on-11, one-on-one drills and some modified offense vs. defense.
Practice No. 3 was a bit longer than the previous two and a UW official joked that we're heading into the thick of fall camp. Practice went just over two hours but watching and knowing head coach Paul Chryst, he could have stayed out there until the sun went down. The heat must not have been too bad Saturday, because defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard told another coach he planned to run some stairs in the parking lot across from Camp Randall as they walked off the practice field. I didn't stick around to find out if Leonhard was joking or not.
Speaking of sticking around, I would say more than half the team was still out taking additional reps on their own after Saturday's practice. The quarterbacks stayed to throw to the receivers, a handful of outside linebackers were working on specific footwork with Chris Haering (this could have been when Bobby April was getting the good news from Spencer Lytle) and a handful of other position groups were getting additional work in. That's certainly not uncommon, but the number of players putting in extended time speaks to the mindset of this team and the goals they have for 2018.
Reflecting on what I saw Saturday, the first thing that jumps out is the running back position. We got to see a good amount of Jonathan Taylor, and he's certainly got that feel of a special athlete when you watch him. His vision, patience and burst separates him from the pack, and you don't knee full pads to see that. But behind Taylor, two senior backs, Chris James and Taiwan Deal, also caught my attention. I think both understand this is their final camp at Wisconsin, and having each competing at a high level with benefit the entire team.
I was also intrigued by the young secondary Saturday, which was without Faion Hicks. I still think the unit as a whole is a question mark, but there are going to be a lot of options there, especially is Deron Harrell continues to ride the momentum he's created early. It was a small sample size, but Rachad Wildgoose could also force his way into the rotation if he doesn't hit a wall this month. Physically, he looks the part and doesn't back down from the competition Wisconsin's talented receiver core presents at practice. At safety, Scott Nelson is a long and rangy athlete who can cover some ground. I think he'll prove to be a very good player at Wisconsin.
I'll end with Kayden Lyles, who worked with the No. 1 unit at defensive end. Right now I would imagine his head is still spinning a bit after transitioning from the offensive line, but Lyles had more good than bad plays Saturday. In my opinion, he's another athlete on this team who falls in the "special" category, and I think he's going to grow a little bit each day. Finally, I know the staff insists Lyles is headed back to guard or center in 2019, but I think he has a chance to be just as good on the defensive line if given the opportunity.