BadgerBlitz.com returns the weekly 'Stock Up, Stock Down' for the 2024 season. In this series, we'll offer evaluations of players on Wisconsin's roster in the context of their 'stock.' Performance, playing time and opportunity are all factored into the movement of a player's stock.

Despite his impressive pedigree and obvious talent, it was worth wondering when Tackett Curtis would get his opportunity to see the field with Jake Chaney and Jaheim Thomas holding down the starting inside linebacker spots. With Chaney ejected against South Dakota, Curtis got his chance, and he looked excellent. The linebacker is an old school player (a thumping, physical interior backer) with modern skills required at the linebacker position (speed and instincts). He'll get plenty of reps in the first half against Alabama with Chaney still ineligible to suit up.

Cade Yacamelli's stock continues to rise. Last week, it was more so about the playing time that he garnered and what that meant in terms of his reps and development moving forward. This week, the tailback took that playing time and used it to become the Badgers' leading rusher, out-pacing Chez Mellusi in yards with half as many carries. Yacamelli is a completely different athlete than he was a season ago, and he's emerged as a very solid change-of-pace option in the Badgers' backfield. Mellusi and Tawee Walker — when healthy — should still dominate a large portion of the carries, but Yacamelli has quickly become extremely valuable to this team as the resident RB3.

It's funny how football goes sometimes. CJ Williams has done nothing but grind relentlessly since stepping foot in Madison, and for a full season and some change he bore almost no fruits from his labor. In his debut year as a Badger, he reeled in just 15 grabs for 148 yards and no touchdowns. Then, in Week 2, he scored perhaps the easiest touchdown of his life, running wide open down the sideline off an RPO look and essentially walking into the end zone for his first career score. Williams' opportunities have been limited in a crowded wide receiver room, but if he continues to make the most of them, more big plays will come.

We knew it was only a matter of time before we saw the uber-talented freshman Darrion Dupree on the field. He finally got his first chance against South Dakota, and while his final numbers won't raise any eyebrows (six carries for 24 yards), the tailback ran very well. He moved the chains multiple times on third down for Wisconsin, including a third-and-five handoff where he knifed through the defense and plowed ahead through contact to pick up the first. Wisconsin is loaded in the backfield right now, but it shouldn't take long for Dupree to work his way into the RB3/4 rotation at the very least.

Elijah Hills' stock continues to rise. He's the Badgers current sack leader with two, and he tacked on two more tackles-for-loss against the Coyotes as well. Hills has made a statement early on this season that he's Wisconsin's best defensive lineman, and that was a statement the Badgers desperately needed someone to make.

Transfer John Pius has had an extremely quiet start to the season. After putting on a show as an edge-rusher throughout spring and all camp, Pius has yet to make an impact as a pass-rusher. He failed to record a statistic in Week 2, and played 17 snaps, the fewest of any Badger outside linebacker. It's worth noting that through two weeks, Wisconsin has been in methodical, ball-control oriented games in which its opponent isn't too interested in establishing a drop-back passing game. That puts on cap on the production of the pass-rushers, but it's still surprising to see Pius so quiet.

It's early yet, but RJ Delancy looks like the odd man out in Wisconsin's cornerback room. He played just four snaps in Week 2 after playing 19 in the opener. He was notably out-snapped by true freshman cornerback Xavier Lucas. At this rate, it appears it'll be hard to find playing time for the Toledo transfer. Ricardo Hallman and Nyzier Fourqurean aren't going anywhere at the outside spots, and the only corner who looks like he could push Forqurean is Lucas, whom the coaching staff is dying to feed reps. In the meantime, Max Lofy has done a nice job holding down the slot. If Lucas' injury he suffered in Week 2 lingers, Delancy could be back in business. Otherwise, he's quickly found himself buried on the depth chart.

Vinny Anthony made some nice plays Saturday, including a beautiful completion along the sideline from a scrambling Tyler Van Dyke for 32 yards. Regardless, there's no quicker way to get in the doghouse than muffing a routine punt, one that completely flips momentum against a a far less-talented team. Anthony is still listed as Wisconsin's starting punt returner, but one can imagine his leash is very short after a blunder like that. It's unfortunate because as wideout, his arrow is clearly trending upwards.

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