Wisconsin Spring Practice No. 9 Report: Chimere Dike Shines

Wide receiver depth was obviously one of the storylines heading into spring ball and 2021 in general. Danny Davis had a standout day last Saturday and A.J. Abbott has impressed throughout the three open sessions to reporters. Chimere Dike can be put into the same category, especially after Saturday's practice where he consistently flashed during apparent red-zone periods.

By my notes, Dike scored five touchdowns between red zone skeleton and full team periods at the end of practice. That included a gorgeous pass from quarterback Graham Mertz into the back of the end zone that eluded defenders and was hauled in by the Waukesha (WI) North standout in a team period. With Chase Wolf under center, Dike caught two more would-be scores as well during that segment.

It was not just during the red zone work that Dike shined. Earlier in the practice, Mertz found the second-year wide out for a nice gain off of a rollout in a team period, while Wolf hung a pass but was completed to the receiver during a "skelley" session.

What has been apparent, at least from Tuesday and Saturday's practices, is how Dike can reel in passes with his hands and make those catches against defenders. He has shown during the past two sessions that he has the ability to get off the line of scrimmage and use his speed to separate.