Takeaways on the Wisconsin Badgers and Big Ten Media Days in Chicago

CHICAGO -- With Big Ten Media Days now in the rearview mirror, fall camp is up next for Wisconsin in just under two weeks.

Head coach Paul Chryst spoke on three different occasions to media and reporters, who also received an hour's worth of availability from UW player representatives Chris Orr, Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Biadasz.

What can we takeaway from the two-day extravaganza? Let's dig into some Wisconsin-centric thoughts from BadgerBlitz.com after the event.

Thursday, Chryst spoke with some of the Wisconsin media for about 50 minutes. The conversation topics included, of course, the quarterback competition (as it was on Friday morning during his main press conferences).

Though Chryst did not disclose who would precisely enter fall camp fighting for the starting spot under center, he touched on the upcoming practices and how the competition would break down.

“I think the first part of camp still gives you that opportunity," Chryst said. "Our camp will be set up where there’s really kind of four phases to it. The first one will be installation, so there’s really no sense in - you don’t try to manage the reps during that phase. They’re all getting used to it, they’re getting acclimatized to it all. They go from summer to, ‘Alright, we’re playing football again.’

“Then the next two weeks are when you got to really go. Think that’s when the reps start changing. So you come out of spring and you got an idea, but you got to look for confirmation of it, I think in those first five practices.”

“Then you go and get into it. I think the way we got it set up, we can still get them a ton of work, all of them, but, obviously, it’s going to change and when they’re getting their work in camp we’ll play off of it a little bit. But I got a pretty good idea.”

Much attention centered on the junior running back and the likely outcome of him heading to the NFL after his third year at Wisconsin. The questions this week regarding Taylor's future was something Chryst noted on Thursday as "a logical progression of thought."

Through two seasons, Taylor has already amassed 4,171 yards and is within striking distance - though somewhat distant itself in needing 2,235 yards - of the FBS career rushing record.

Taylor was asked Friday during his availability about the talk form the outside and how he navigates that.

"One of the biggest things is kind of looking at the past two seasons and seeing that hasn't been there," Taylor said, "and then you look at so you kind of continue to stay on that path as in, 'I've had this success without that there.'

"So trying to incorporating that with school and game planning every single week, it kind of becomes very tough. So just keeping it on the back burner so that you're able to focus up each and every week."

Taylor noted one of his biggest areas for improvement includes "being consistent in the third down." According to the 2018 Doak Walker Award winner, that consistency is the key to being in the game in that situation and a presence in the passing game.

"I showed flashes of it in 2018 but want to make sure that this year I'm putting it on tape consistently and showing that every time I'm in, I can get the job done," he said.

Of course, that could greatly help Taylor's draft projections if he could show the ability to contribute in Wisconsin's aerial attack, whether catching the ball or blocking.

"I think it's huge at the next level, but I think it's huge for me as a player just wanting to become a better running back. I mean, if you're not out here working trying to be the best running back you can be, then you're kind of on the wrong path," Taylor said. "When you're out here working each and every single day, you should be trying to become the best running back that you can be. Being able to catch the ball, being able to pass block, being able to do all those things include and incorporate being an overall better back."