2024 Fall Position Preview: Wide Receivers

With Wisconsin's roster all but finalized and the season right around the corner, the Badgers have their sights set on fall camp. Once again, the team will travel to UW-Platteville for the first portion of practice up until Aug. 11.

As the dog days of summer heat up, so will position battles and the intense competition for snaps once the season rolls around. Up until fall camp, BadgerBlitz.com will preview each position on the roster. We'll continue with the wide receivers, a unit now led by clear-cut top option Will Pauling.

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Who's in, and who's out?

Wisconsin's receiver room has seen plenty of turnover this offseason. After losing Chimere Dike, Skyler Bell and Keontez Lewis to the portal this winter, Tommy McIntosh elected to add his name to the list of departed wide receivers this spring. Meanwhile, the Badgers brought in Tyrell Henry (Michigan State) in the winter window and Joseph Griffin Jr. (Boston College) in the spring.

All that shuffling has left Wisconsin with a reloaded receiver room consisting of players that more adequately fit its needs. Henry, for example, is a twitchy route-runner with sneaky hands who can line up both inside and outside. Griffin, meanwhile, is a 6-foot-3 target on the perimeter who adds much needed size to the room.

The Badgers' lone true freshman receiver, Kyan Berry-Johnson, looked promising this spring as well. It'll likely be at least a year before he's a contributor, regular or otherwise, but his skillset is in the same vein as Pauling and Trech Kekahuna, and that's exciting.

STORYLINE: Can a consistent playmaker emerge on the outside?

Luke Fickell, Phil Longo and the recruiting department deserve plenty of credit for setting Wisconsin up for success at slot receiver, seemingly for both the present and future. Pauling returns for 2024, and after his breakout debut season in Madison, he's an established star. Kekahuna, meanwhile, was one of the stars of spring camp, dazzling with his twitch and ability to create separation. And we just mentioned Berry-Johnson, the true freshman whose game is reminiscent of the two players ahead of him.

The outside receivers are where questions arise. In theory, the Badgers have an array of playmakers to chose from on the perimeter. Bryson Green, CJ Williams, Vinny Anthony, Quincy Burroughs, the transfer Griffin. And yet, none of them have proven that they can be a consistent threat at the X or Z receiver in Madison.

Some of that is circumstance — Anthony and Burroughs haven't gotten much of a chance, while Griffin has yet to log a single practice with the Badgers. Still, the lack of proven options on the outside is somewhat concerning.

“The production outside," new receivers coach Kenny Guiton said this winter when asked what needs to improve in his room. "We got some good production, but I think we got some guys in the room that’s ready for the moment, ready to step up into it. It all takes work. You have to work for it. I live by a slogan that’s old school, man, that’s ‘hard work pays off.’ I think we got time right now to put that work in, and so now, if we’re doing that, when the time comes we’ll be ready to roll.”

Spring practice didn't exactly clear the air. Once again, slot receivers dominated while the perimeter play was much less consistent. Nonetheless, receivers like Williams maintain that the returning experience in the room will be a catalyst for improved play this season.

"I think just knowledge of the offense in general. Knowing what you're supposed to do at the right time, at the right moment," he said. "And then we're just more mature in the offense as well. Knowing where we're supposed to be, knowing where the quarterback wants us to be. That helps."

Williams himself didn't have the easiest adjustment to Wisconsin, at least on the field. He was transparent about that during spring ball, and noted the adjustment to the physicality in the Big Ten.

"Route-running wise, you see a different type of DB in the Big Ten than you do in the Pac-12. And that's why I say physically I needed to improve a little bit. Pac-12 defensive backs are skinnier, lankier guys who are maybe quicker than Big Ten guys. But Big Ten guys are looking to put their hands on you."

It's reasonable that with another year in Longo's offense, some natural progression and development will occur with Wisconsin's outside receivers. But quite simply, playmakers need to emerge. We've seen flashes from players like Green and Anthony, but those can't just be flashes in the pan if this offense wants to operate at full capacity.

Two things to watch going forward

1. All eyes on Griffin. The former Boston College Eagle seemed to fly under the radar as a spring portal addition, but he could be just what the doctor ordered. He's big and physical with good hands and budding run-after-catch ability. How quickly can he get up to speed? That'll be vastly important to track this fall. Griffin is an underrated X-factor for this offense.

2. Does the rotation get tighter in fall camp? Wisconsin played a lot of receivers with the first and second units this spring, which was understandable considering this was Guiton's first time seeing his players in live action. But with the season right around the corner, does he begin to solidify a top group of receivers on the outside? Green should be a lock to be in that group. Anthony is close. Griffin is plenty talented on tape but still an unknown in Madison. Burroughs has yet to consistently turn heads. It'll be interesting to see if Guiton begins to whittle down his committee in August.

Buzz on the backups

Chris Brooks Jr. is someone who, at least on paper, could help Wisconsin solve its perimeter receiver problem. The issue is that Brooks missed all of last season with an injury and was extremely limited throughout the spring. Fall camp should yield some sort of update on his status.

Haakon Anderson, who was recently put on scholarship, is one of two seniors in the room alongside Green. It'd be surprising to see him take offensive snaps outside of a blowout.

The rest of the receiver core is populated by a host of walk-ons. We've touched on just about every other receiver who could contribute. There's a path to playing time for most of Guiton's players, but the question become who will take advantage?