2000 Badger Football-Positional Review

>

Punter Free Safety Strong Safety Cornerback

Inside Linebacker Drop Linebacker Defensive Tackle Defensive End

Place-Kicker Offensive Center Offensive Guard Offensive Tackle

Wide Receiver Tight End Fullback Tailback

Quarterback

PUNTER
2000 Grade: A+
You can't get much better than the season Kevin Stemke had, as he won the Ray Guy Award as the top punter in the country. Stemke combined distance with incredible hang time and was big time in the clutch.
2001 Projected Starter: Kirk Munden
Munden is a walk-on who looked good in last year's spring game. The possibility still exists that a scholarship punter will be brought in, though Munden looks to be a viable alternative if the right player is not available.
2001 Projected Depth:
There are other walk-on punters in the program, though frankly I don't have the vaguest idea who they are.
UPDATE: Alvarez spoke of bringing in a couple new walk-on punters to compete for the job, with the winner earning a scholarship.
CONCERN: B (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Free Safety
2000 Grade: C
Doering was having a tremendous season before he was hurt. He was perhaps the key player in the Oregon victory and was averaging over 10 tackles per game. However, after he was hurt, he struggled in pass coverage before missing a few games worth of time. Devery Hughes and Carlease Clark filled in with mixed results. Hughes was aggressive but too often blew coverage down the middle of the field. Clark played reasonably well, but was unspectacular.
2001 Projected Starter: Ryan Aiello
This is one of those positions that will be wide open come spring. Aiello is the guy I believe the staff would like to take charge of the position, but Hughes and Clark have some experience and will be in the mix.
2001 Projected Depth:
Carlease Clark, Devery Hughes, Robert Brooks, Joey Boese
Both Clark and Hughes are nice options to have as fallbacks if Aiello isn't ready.
Also, don't rule out a Byron Brown move BACK to one of the safety positions.
UPDATE: Robert Brooks will be tried at corner, but with Sylvain, Bell, and Starks around, someone will probably be shifted to safety for depth purposes.
Also, with the news that Michael Broussard will be tried at strong safety, the possibility is pretty good that Boese will be used at free safety, again, if Ryan Aiello isn't ready.
There are also rumores that Devery Hughes has dropped out of school, which really puts the Boese or Brooks to free safety rumors a bit more realistic.
CONCERN: B- (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Strong Safety
2000 Grade: C
Boese hung in their against the run better than many felt he would and didn't have any noticable errors in pass coverage, but simply did not make many plays when he was in position.
2001 Projected Starter: Michael Broussard
Given the loss of Doering and probably Fletcher, Boese will be counted on to provide leadership in the secondary next year. He still remains a better nickel corner than strong safety, but will remain at safety due to the personnel available.
UPDATE: Timbers is now at linebacker and I can't forsee any circumstance that he would play safety. Also, Michael Broussard will be tried at strong safety this spring, presumably as a starter with Boese moving elsewhere.
2001 Projected Depth:
Stephon Watson, Devery Hughes, Joey Boese
Watson is a guy that needs to get on the field someplace. However, he needs to be more comfortable with his defensive reads. In an ideal world, he would push Boese for time, though there is also talk that he may move to wide receiver.
Timbers is also a super athlete with a promising future and could be a factor here, though will probably wind up at linebacker.
UPDATE: The bottom line here is that if Watson is still lost and Hughes is gone, then the Broussard move makes a lot of sense.
CONCERN: C- (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Cornerback
2000 Grade: A-
Both Flethcer and Echols were excellent throughout the year. Echols played a bit soft at times while Fletcher was out, though how much of that was by design is unknown. Echols (like Flethcer) also developed into more of a playmaker, especially late in the year.
Backups/nickel backs BJ Tucker and Michael Broussard had their ups and downs. Tucker had trouble finishing plays and was beaten badly after finding himself out of position on more than one occasion, which brought Broussard into the picture.
Broussard was much more consistent and proved to a solid tackler.
2001 Projected Starter:Mike Echols and Joey Boese
Echols will move to field corner. Broussard will battle BJ Tucker for the other starting spot, but seems to have a solid edge going into the spring.
UPDATE: What these latest moves mean for Joey Boese is anyone's guess. I put him starting at corner because I think he is reliable. However, if I had to lay money, I would be that Bell or Sylvain will be starting by the Big Ten season.
2001 Projected Depth:BJ Tucker, Brett Bell, Chuckie Cowans, Scott Starks, Johnny Sylvain, Robert Brooks
Bell is the one guy that could really surprise here (if healthy). I'm sure they would like to redshirt him, but he is more of a natural football player than Tucker and is bigger than Cowans, which could place him in the regular rotation as a true frosh.
Sylvain is another playmaking young corner that could push his way into some PT as he is also a reputed more instinctive player than some of the holdovers.
CONCERN: C- (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Inside Linebackers
2000 Grade: C
Greisen came on strong and became a top notch run stuffer by the end of the season. He also improved in pass coverage and became pretty adept at getting the big turnover.
Mack and Bryson Thompson struggled thoughtout the year with their consistency. Too often they were out of position resulting in key big plays.
2001 Projected Starters: Nick Greisen and Bryson Thompson
Greisen is set in stone. Mack will battle Bryson Thompson once again though both will see plenty of time. Both have the necessary motors to be good linebackers and while neither has what you might call great instincts, they should be fine.
UPDATE: Mack now looks to be moving to drop, with Kareem Timbers moving to eagle. Timbers and Thompson will battle it out here, though I expect Timbers to get on the field early and often.
2001 Projected Depth:
Kareem Timbers, Mark Downing, Howard Boye-Doe, PJ Cannon, John Gillen, Matt Bernstein
There still isn't much depth here, and an injury to Greisen would put the team in dire straits. Boye-Doe and Gillen are young kids who may (or may not) turn out to be players, though with such inexperience in the line, Greisen's veteran presence will be needed.
UPDATE: Bernstein is an intriguing prospect. He hits like a truck and runs well, though he may wind up at FB. I think he has a great shot at getting into the two deep as a freshman, either behind Greisen or Kuhns.
CONCERN: C (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Drop Linebacker
2000 Grade: B
Knight also got off to a fairly slow start, but was one of the more consistent players as the season went along. He never did develop into the playmaker that some envisioned, but he was a steady player that will be missed.
2001 Projected Starter: Jerron Smith
Smith is being pencilled in to start here, though the position will be wide open among the three youngsters.
2001 Projected Depth:
Ryan Keepman, Jeff Mack
Both are currently listed as safeties, but with the desire to get faster at LB as well as the dearth of drop LB prospect, both are likely to be moved here. Whether they can play or not remains to be seen of course, but the position will be pretty athletic and Timbers in particular has drawn raves for his potential.
UPDATE: Jeff Mack will be tried here and will be in the mix based on his experience. Still, I don't know that he moves well enough in space to handle coverage responsibilities.
CONCERN: B-(a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Defensive Tackle
2000 Grade: B+
It was a solid year from Mahlik and Bryant despite being required to take more snaps due to a lack of depth. Both were very stout against the run and other than OSU, nobody had much success running on the Badger tackles. Bryant led the team in sacks and generated some pressure from the interior, though he wasn't very consistent with his pressure, especially when being double teamed (which was quite often).
2001 Projected Starters:Wendell Bryant and Jake Sprague
Bryant still needs to be consistently dominant to take the next step. Sprague has shown flashes in his career but has never been consistent. Being a senior, he needs to have a big year for the Badgers. Sprague could also move outside pending the development of the younger players.
2001 Projected Depth:
Nick Cochart, Antajj Hawthorne, Chuck Smith, Mike Kleber, Lyle Maiava, Ben Herbert
Hawthorne, the heralded freshman, looks to move right into the tackle rotation, in part due to talent and in part due to a lack of depth overall at tackle.
This lack of depth leads me to believe that Pratt may be moved inside from his end position. Pratt has the physique though hasn't had much of a chance to get many snaps.
Cochart is a walk-on that is a practice terror. He is undersized but may be able to provide some depth if his technique continues to improve (ala Mahlik)
Chuck Smith is a 5th year senior, though to be honest I am not sure he is coming back for his 5th year.
UPDATE: Maiava and Kleber are stout interior guys that will also get a crack at early playing time (my money on Maiava). With the announced move of Herbert inside, Pratt will probably stay at the run stuffing end spot and Herbert will battle the aforementioned youngsters for a spot in the two deep.
CONCERN: C- (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Defensive End
2000 Grade: C
While they were hampered by injuries at this position, the overall productivity was not what was expected.
Favret got off to a strong start and was generating some solid pass rush until the injuries took over and his effectiveness was limited. Nobody could ever question his heart but without a lot of natural gifts, the injuries took a huge toll.
Kolodziej on the other hand gutted out the season with a broken hand that also limited his ability to wrap up for tackles. He had days when he was getting to the passer but couldn't close the deal. Overall though, he was pretty solid against the run and will be missed.
Herbert was the primary 3rd DE and he had a poor year overall. He was not explosive off the corner and did a very poor job in run containment. His poor angles led to numerous big plays on the outside when he was in the game.
2001 Projected Starters: Traison Lewis and Darius Jones
This is perhaps the one position on the field (after tailback) that is the most wide open entering the spring. Herbert has been the #2 at rush end, but with his poor play the position will be up for grabs.
On the other side, George Pratt is next in line on the depth chart and will certainly get a shot, but I think he might be moved inside in order to bolster the tackle depth.
Jones is a talent that needs to get some time this year. He is currently listed at DT, though at 260 pounds I think he will be best suited at the run stuffing end spot. Expect to see him at about 270 pounds entering the fall.
2001 Projected Depth:Erasmus James, Jonathan Welsh, George Pratt, Delante McGrew, Jesse Mayfield, Jeff Lang
Any of this bunch could emerge and be a starter, or any could be 4th on the depth chart. James is an intriguing option if he can add another 20+ pounds.
Lewis should see time as a situational pass rusher though with a similiar body type to Delante McGrew, it may be an either/or type situation.
Mayfield saw a few snaps this year and has probably the best frame of this group (along with James), though we still don't know if his knee will hold up to full time action.
UPDATE: With Herbert's move, the rush end spot goes back up for total grabs. I have Lewis penciled in here, though I don't actually give him more than a 20% chance of starting. Erasmus James has a better anchor and could be the man to get the early down reps, with McGrew and Lewis spelling him on passing plays.
Pratt seems much more likely to stay at strong side end now, splitting time with Jones.
CONCERN: B (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)
There are a lot of bright prospects here, but who knows who will step up.

Place-Kicker
2000 Grade: C
Pistesky missed some key kicks and had a sub-par percentage. In particular, he really struggled with his 40+ yard accuracy. His kickoffs were also inconsistent. Following an All-Big Ten season, more was expected of Vitaly.
2001 Projected Starter: Adam Espinoza
The highly thought of redshirt freshman takes over next year with a reputation of a strong leg and good height. One never knows how a new kicker will handle the mental part of the game, but Espinoza looks to be a keeper based on early returns.
2001 Projected Depth: Mark Neuser, Chris Koth
Both are walk-ons.
CONCERN: C (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Offensive Center
2000 Grade: B
After the injury to Dave Costa, Al Johnson stepped into the position (with the move to G by Rabach) and played about as well as anyone could have anticipated. He was solid in his pickups and moved pretty well on the traditional Badger center pulls.
2001 Projected Starter: Al Johnson
Johnson enters as perhaps the steadiest of the returning offensive linemen and will look to compete for all-conference honors.
2001 Projected Depth: Jonathan Clinkscale, Jason Palermo, Jason Jowers
Clinkscale or Jowers could wind up winning one of the guard spots and Palermo will almost certainly redshirt so depth will be filled by whomever loses the guard battle.
CONCERN: D (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Offensive Guard
2000 Grade: B
Given the chaos around them, Bill Ferrario and Casey Rabach had pretty good seasons. There were the occasional inside breakdowns, but many of them were the result of bad communication on the line. Both were anchors on a line that for the most part held its own on the interior despite the juggling.
2001 Projected Starters: Dan Buenning and Jason Jowers
Yound Dan Buenning has drawn rave reviews and is a near lock to start as a redshirt freshman. The other guard spot will be wide open, but Jowers seemed to get the nod when needed this year and as a veteran, will get first shot come spring time.
2001 Projected Depth: Jon Clinkscale, Jeremy Dox, Andy Ulrich, Kalvin Barrett, Donovan Raiola
Clinkscale will get a strong look here as will Dox. Barrett needs to tone up a bit though Raiola has drawn raves for being and advanced high school player and he may move right into the two-deep as a true frosh.
The other guard spot also could go to a converted tackle (though I believe the staff would like a more mobile option).
CONCERN: B (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Offensive Tackle
2000 Grade: D
Johnson, Lamont, and Jakubowski were disastrous in the first half of the season, causing Wisconsin to be among the leaders in QB sacks allowed and forcing Brian White to tailor the offense to give them more help against teams with a solid pass rush. Their play improved as the season went along in part due to experience, but one must also not forget that the latter part of the season featured a much easier schedule.
2001 Projected Starters:Ben Johnson and Mike Lornez
Despite having two returning starters in Ben Johnson and Brian Lamont, this position remains in question. Johnson is rumored to be having academic issues while Lamont tore up his knee in practice leading up the Sun Bowl (LATE NOTE: Lamont has called it quits due to various ailments)
Johnson, if eligible, is probably a certain starter, though many feel his better position is right tackle (as opposed to left where he played this past year). Either way, he should start at one side of the OL. (LATE NOTE: Hueber has said he will remain at LT).
I have penciled in Lorenz as the starter at left tackle because he is more of a pure pass protector and he is thought of very highly. The big question with Mike is whether he has the strength to be a sufficient drive blocker.
2001 Projected Depth: Josh Jakubowski, Morgan Davis, Jake Wood, Fred Nieforth
Jakubowski (as of this writing) had still not decided whether to come back for his senior year. However, given the fact that he should be able to compete for a starting job and the fact that his depth is desperately needed, I expect him to tough it out and return.
Morgan Davis is another kid with a nice frame and some upside. I don't know too much about how he has been progressing but would imagine he will be somewhere in the mix and at least in the two deep come fall.
You would also have to assume that someone like Jowers would provide depth at this position.
CONCERN: A (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Wide Receiver
2000 Grade: B
Chris Chambers was tremendous when healthy, providing a lift to the entire offense and single handedly jump starting the passing game. He was a big play receiver but also made most of the possession catches as well.
Lee Evans emerged as a future star with numerous big catches in the clutch. He is explosive out of his cuts and while not a sprinter, has the jets to take it the distance. He will be featured in 2001.
Nick Davis continued to show little as a pure receiver. It isn't that he played poorly per se. He just doesn't seem to run great routes and his hampered by his size.
2001 Projected Starter:Lee Evans and Nick Davis
Both look to be solid bets to start, though Davis will be platooned somewhat if the youngsters come on.
2001 Projected Depth:Conroy Whyte, Dontez Sanders, David Braun, Matt Birkett, Jonathan Orr, DeAndre Kemp, Byron Brown, Travaan Hayes, Darrin Charles, Jamaal Wilson
What a cast of characters to sort out. With the uninspiring play of the returnees, look for 2 of the 4 freshmen to get considerable time here.
Orr seems to be the smoothest and most advanced, so I would put my money on him right off the bat.
Hayes sat out last year due to academics and is a potential game breaker, though the Prop 48 kids have generally struggled in their first year back.
Don't be surprised to see transfer Matt Birkett take over that 3rd down receiver role and leapfrog guys like Whyte and Braun.
Charles is an intriguing prospect, though he needs a redshirt year.
CONCERN:D+ (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)
A great receiver recruiting class changed this grade from a C to a D+.

Tight End
2000 Grade: B
While they continued to be an at times too quiet option on offense, the trio of Badger blockers made a nice step up in their blocking consistently. Without an Aaron Gibson or Chris McIntosh to line up next to, the Badgers didn't run outside as much (shifting some blocking responsibilities), but all the TE's handled their duties well. And, while they didn't garner a ton of catches, the drops were few and far between so they were also dependable.
2001 Projected Starter:Mark Anelli
Anelli is the only veteran returning, so he looks like a lock to start.
2001 Projected Depth:Tony Paciotti, Mark Bell, Rob Tucker, Bob Docherty?, Jason Posiask
Bell and Paciotti will wage a tough battle in camp for the primary backup spot. Both are tough kids who reportedly catch the ball well and move a bit better than our recent TEs. I would give Bell the edge right now, though it is narrow.
Tucker came in as a long snapper but surprised some folks with his ability. Still, he is coming off an injury and was not a given to start with.
Docherty could wind up here if Tucker isn't healthy or if a viable walk-up/freshman doesn't develop to provide depth.
CONCERN: C (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Fullback
2000 Grade: A-
It was another solid season for Chad Kuhns. He wasn't really as involved in the short passing game as I would have liked to have seen, but that was in all likelihood a coaching decision and not representative of Kuhns' ability.
2001 Projected Starter: Chad Kuhns
The best fullback in the conference returns.
2001 Projected Depth:Eric Bickerstaff, Russ Kuhns, Ryan Engelbert, Isaac Booker, Matt Bernstein
All are unproven. Bickerstaff is a good athlete but who knows what kind of a fullback he is.
The "other" Kuhns was moved to FB when Daniels left the program and is very intense, but again, I haven't the vaguest idea if he can play fullback or not.
Booker and Engelbert are more traditional backs but are undergoing the transformation into fullbacks.
UPDATE: Finally, Bernstein is a fast physical kid who could play at FB or at LB depending on how players progress.
The bottom line here is that anyone could emerge as a backup, but the dropoff would be huge if they were expected to play.
CONCERN: D (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Tailback
2000 Grade: A-
Bennett still had trouble at times picking up blitzes and making that extra read of his blocks that would have led to the big play, but he was even more successful than most could have anticipated. He carried a heavy workload and yet explosive around the corner and through the holes, racking up 1600 yards.
Although he was pretty durable in general, he did miss one full game and some of another due to nagging injuries, at which time the load shifted to Matt Unertl and Eddie Faulkner. Both did a solid job overall, but the team obviously suffered without the threat of Bennett on the field.
2001 Projected Starter: Tyron Griffin
The position will be wide open to say the least. Given Alvarez's fondness for big backs, the odds on favorite has to be Griffin, a bruising tailback with good body lean and pretty good feet.
2001 Projected Depth: Broderick Williams, Jerone Pettus, Anthony Davis
All will probably see time this fall unless someone steps up and dominates. Pettus is a jitter-bug type who will probably see extended time on passing downs.
Davis is more of a tweener, not incredibly big or fast, but with excellent instincts.
Williams is a long strider with good speed but without the required body lean to excell at yards after contact.
CONCERN: C+ (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Quarterback
2000 Grade: B
While Bollinger caught some slack this year, when you look back and see what he accomplished, it was a pretty good year for him. He struggled through the early suspensions/injuries, though once he had all his weapons, he showed much improved passing instincts. His decision making improved and his reputation as a playmaker was enhanced as his playmaking led to wins over Minnesota and UCLA late in the year. He even improved his deep ball (subject to much criticizm).
Jim Sorgi proved to be an accurate backup and seemed to have much of the leadership ability that a QB needs. As a backup, he had a terrific year.
2001 Projected Starter:Brooks Bollinger
The position will competed for this spring and next fall, though Bollinger has shown that he is not going to relinquish his position without a fight. Sorgi will have to play outstanding football to beat him out.
2001 Projected Depth: Jim Sorgi, Scott Wille, Matt Schabert, Owen Daniels
Sorgi is about as tested a backup as you are going to find. Wille and Schabert will fight for the #3 spot (as neither had especially great years this past year). Daniels will redshirt.
CONCERN: F (a grade of A indicates a LOT of concern while a grade of F indicates little concern)

Return to Badgermaniac.com