Wisconsin football: five offensive players who elevated their standing this spring
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The Wisconsin Badgers officially concluded spring camp on Friday night and now head into the summer months preparing for the fall.
Each spring there are several players that seamlessly step up into new roles or come out of nowhere to show the coaching staff that they are ready to make an impact.
This year is no different. Following Wisconsin's 15 spring practices, several players took advantage of added opportunities and improved their standing on the roster.
Here is a look at five players from the offense that put together a strong spring camp and set themselves up to have an increased role come the 2022 season.
Skyler Bell
Skyler Bell arguably made the biggest splash this spring. After recording only one catch a season ago, Bell emerged as potentially the No. 2 wide receiver behind Chimere Dike.
Bell flashed all spring, with long touchdown catches and an ability to make plays after the catch with the ball in his hands.
The former three-star wide receiver is extremely quick as a route runner, and the Badgers got the ball in his hands on jet sweeps during the spring period.
With the Badgers needing to replace the vast majority of their receiving production from last season, Skyler Bell appears poised to be a major contributor next season.
Chimere Dike
While Skyler Bell might have been a more surprising stock riser this spring, Chimere Dike quietly put together a huge spring as well and showed why he is the definitive No. 1 receiving option for Graham Mertz.
Dike created separation routinely, and he seems to have taken his game to a different level. The Badgers used him on crossing routes, deep outs, and comeback routes frequently, and most notably looked to him down the field as a vertical receiving threat. I expect the junior from Waukesha to have a big season for the Badgers next year. An argument could be made that Dike was the spring MVP for the offense.
While his continued emergence does not come as a surprise, he looks like the second-best weapon on the offense behind Braelon Allen, and I am personally excited to see what he can do next year.
Jackson Acker
Let's talk fullbacks.
The Badgers came into the spring looking to replace John Chenal, and after 15 spring practices, it seems like they have found an answer in Jackson Acker.
The Verona (Wis.) native saw the majority of reps at fullback this spring and displayed some elusiveness with the ball in his hands as a pass-catcher.
On Friday night, he caught a swing pass out of the backfield from Graham Mertz that would have resulted in a nice gain, and considering his running back background, he could provide the offense with another intriguing playmaker.
Fellow fullbacks Garrison Solliday and Riley Nowakowski will also be involved as blockers come fall, but after this spring, the starting spot looks to be Acker's for now.
This summer will be crucial for him to continue to add strength to prepare for the pounding of a Big Ten season.
Tanor Bortolini
I continue to be impressed by Tanor Bortolini.
With Joe Tippmann out, Bortolini stepped in at center and acquitted himself well. While I believe that Tippmann will regain his starting role at center when fall camp opens up, I think that Bortolini's performance this spring gives him a legit chance to push for a role on the right side of the offensive line at either guard or tackle.
Bortolini is an excellent athlete and moves very well for a player his size. At 6-foot-4, he is probably best suited to play guard, and I could see him challenging Michael Furtney for the right guard role come fall.
He looks to be one of the top five offensive linemen on the roster right now and should be involved in some capacity in 2022.
Cole Dakovich
After missing all of last season due to injury, it was hard to know where Cole Dakovich would be entering this spring.
Thanks to a plague of injuries at tight end, Dakovich was thrown into the fire, and the 6-foot-5, 260-pound blocker held his own.
Dakovich did make multiple catches as well in the practices available to media members, but he is primarily a blocking threat at this point of his career.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the tight end position heading into the summer due to injuries, Dakovich proved that he could be a viable option come the fall.
I still believe that in a perfect world, tight ends Jack Eschenbach, Clay Cundiff, and Hayden Rucci are fully healthy for the fall and comprise the top group, but if not, Dakovich appears ready.
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