As Luke Fickell's third act in Madison draws closer, BadgerBlitz.com will break down Wisconsin's roster position-by-position ahead of spring camp, which is slated to take place from March 13 to April 24.

BadgerBlitz.com is once again expected to watch any open practices available for reporters to attend. Thus, our position previews continue Sunday with the running backs, a room headed towards a youth movement in 2025.

SPRING POSITION PREVIEWS: QBs

Hopes for the Badgers' 2025 running back room are fueled by the 2024 recruiting class. The three tailbacks Wisconsin signed in that cycle — Darrion Dupree, Dilin Jones and Gideon Ituka — are the epicenter of running backs coach Devon Spalding's unit.

Of those three, only Dupree burned his redshirt last season. He tallied 79 carries for 317 yards (4.0 yards-per-carry) and a score as the Badgers' second-leading rusher. Those numbers won't wow you, but he looked like a mature runner in his somewhat limited action and also displayed his receiving ability with 12 catches for 119 yards. What stands out about the all-purpose back's game is his balance and elusiveness, as well as of course his versatility as a receiver out of the backfield. Dupree is the leading candidate to be the top ball-carrier in Madison in 2025.

Cade Yacamelli looks like a realistic RB2 after developing into a nice change-of-pace option last fall. His speed, burst and vision were all greatly improved and he parlayed that into an 8.3 yards-per-carry average, easily the highest on the team. Still, he only recorded 33 carries, and didn't get a single touch after Week 8. At one point in the season, Fickell called his significantly higher yards-per-carry clip a product of "the system."

It's unclear if the Badgers' odd aversion to using Yacamelli will continue, but if it does, Dilin Jones looks like a prime candidate to push for the RB2 role. Like Dupree, he was also a blue-chipper in the 2024 cycle and had the second-longest carry by a Wisconsin tailback last season, a 47-yard scamper against Purdue. His development from year one to year two will be fascinating as well.

The redshirt freshmen Ituka and senior Jackson Acker feel like they fall into the same category as short-yardage power backs. Acker has worn a lot of hats in Madison and done so gracefully, but it seems more than likely that his chance to secure a significant role in the offense has passed. Ituka, meanwhile, may simply be too buried on the depth chart to make much noise in 2025.

Upperclassmen walk-ons Zach Glouderman and Grover Bortolotti remain, and they're joined by freshman walk-on Harry Bortolotti.

Running back will be a fun position to track all spring because while all of the players are familiar, with no freshmen or transfer additions this season, there's little telling how the actual pecking order will shake out.

History tells us that new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes likes to have a firm top running back who takes the majority of the carries. That's been the case throughout all of his previous stops in the Big 12, and it's especially true when he has a dynamic top back (see: 2024 Devin Neal's 219 carries for 1,266 yards and 16 scores). But does a clear top back emerge for the Badgers? Can Dupree — or someone else — separate themselves significantly enough to be considered the clear RB1? That's a big question, and it's just the start of the unknowns at this position.

The second-string running back slot carries plenty of intrigue as well. Yacamelli? Jones? Someone else? Do we even get a discernible pecking order, or does each of the top backs get a chance to run with the first-team offense? How the staff divides reps will be very telling of the development that this room underwent this offseason.

We highlighted Yacamelli as one of the top 10 most intriguing players to watch this spring, and while he has arguably the most intrigue at the position, all eyes will be on Dupree.

Dupree enrolled in the summer last offseason and wasted little time demonstrating why he deserved playing time immediately. Since his head-turning fall camp in 2024, he's been generally regarded as the future of the position, and for good reason.

Again, Dupree showed promise last fall. He displayed a mature running style as well as his trademark elusiveness and receiving ability. Still, he didn't make any jaw-dropping plays and ultimately, at 4.0 yards-per-carry, wasn't the difference-maker the Badgers needed on the ground.

That's why it'll be crucial to get a glimpse at how Dupree looks this spring. Does he look like he's added another gear and his game has taken strides? Can he create the headline-writing big plays that fans crave? The standard for running backs is obviously high at this program, and much will be made of how Dupree adheres to that standard regardless of how he performs this spring.

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