2019 Wisconsin fall camp preview: Big three lead the way at wide receiver

In less than a month, Wisconsin will open fall camp in preparation for the 2019 season opener against South Florida.

Three main wide receivers for the Badgers' offense return this fall in hopes of helping a passing attack that ranked 90th in the nation in team passing efficiency and 118th in passing yards last fall.

Behind senior A.J. Taylor, redshirt junior Kendric Pryor and junior Danny Davis, fall camp will likely confirm who reaches the two-deep on the depth chart and contributes in various personnel packages starting against the Bulls on Aug. 30.

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Davis, Taylor and Pryor combined for 95 receptions and 11 touchdowns last season. Despite missing the first two games to suspension, the 6-foot, 204-pound Davis eventually led the team in receptions (40) and touchdown receptions (five), but his yards per catch decreased from 16.1 during a breakout freshman campaign in 2017 to 10.4 last year.

Taylor led the team in yards per reception (16.3) while hauling in 32 catches during his junior year, and in the spring, he looked impressive throughout. The 5-foot-11, 204-pound senior capped off those 15 practices with a standout session on April 26 - bringing in some deep passes from Jack Coan and Graham Mertz, along with coming down with a fourth-down touchdown catch on a back-shoulder throw from Coan.

Pryor averaged nearly 12 yards per catch last season on 23 receptions, and he finished 2018 with a 35-yard touchdown catch-and-run against Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl. Out of the three, the 5-foot-11, 186-pound redshirt junior could be viewed as the most versatile in terms of running the ball. He averaged nearly 10 yards per carry on 12 attempts with a touchdown last year as well.

Those three will be called upon, along with tight end Jake Ferguson, to help whoever starts under center at quarterback starting in late August against South Florida. Additionally, they will need to keep defenses honest from stacking eight to nine defenders in the box to stop Jonathan Taylor and the Wisconsin run game.

Now to who's behind them. That could start with Jack Dunn (5-foot-7, 172 pounds), Adam Krumholz (6-foot-1, 194 pounds) and Aron Cruickshank (5-foot-9, 161 pounds).

Dunn and Krumholz each only have one reception to their name during their UW careers, but both appeared to have solid spring performances. The former is reliable in the run game as a blocker, while the latter stood out during some spring ball sessions open to the media. Krumholz hauled in a Mertz touchdown pass to end one scrimmage while also beating cornerbacks during one-on-one drills in an April 9 practice. It will be worth watching if the two redshirt juniors continue what Jared Abbrederis and Alex Erickson achieved in walk-ons stepping up at this position.

Out of the three aforementioned players, Cruickshank may have the most potential with his speed and versatility. Like Dunn and Krumholz, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native caught only one pass in 2018, but he became more of a rushing threat with six carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. He ended the spring with a solid April 26 practice performance, hauling in a few passes that included a leaping grab from a Danny Vanden Boom throw and finishing a catch-and-run with a dive to the end zone.

Behind those six, redshirt freshmen A.J. Abbott (6-foot-2, 182 pounds) and Taj Mustapha (6-foot, 196 pounds) could be next in line. Abbott stood out to during spring camp while catching many balls thrown his way, and Mustapha's four games played last season should help as well while heading into his second season at UW.

Injuries did not allowed 2017 signees Cade Green (5-foot-11, 181 pounds) and Emmet Perry (6-foot-2, 186 pounds) to gain many spring reps. Green was out for all the practices open to the media while rehabbing from a bowl practice injury, while Perry participated early on before he appeared to go out. Looking back at the end of 2018 fall camp practices that were open to the media, Green stood out with the reserves in making several receptions.

Then there are newcomers to the team. Both freshmen Jordan DiBenedetto (6-foot, 185 pounds) and Cam Phillips (6-foot, 177 pounds) suited up for spring ball, and high school state track champion Stephan Bracey (5-foot-10, 165 pounds) joins the mix for fall camp.