Wisconsin football: Three takeaways from fall camp for the offense
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The Wisconsin Badgers' offense underwent a widespread change in the off-season. Head coach Paul Chryst made a number of staff coaches, with new coaches overseeing every position group on the offense except for the wide receivers. Additionally, the Badgers had a decent amount of roster turnover from graduations, NFL Draft early entrants, and the transfer portal.
After taking part in a critical fall camp this August, the Wisconsin football team is now just over a week away from their first game on September 3 against Illinois State. Local reporters had the chance to see four full practices over the past three weeks, and there were plenty of takeaways from the action.
Here are three takeaways from fall camp for the offense:
Deep, explosive rushing attack
With Braelon Allen back for his sophomore season, the Wisconsin Badgers were going to enter 2022 in a good spot at running back regardless of the health status of Chez Mellusi and Isaac Guerendo.
However, one of the biggest surprises of camp was the way that Mellusi and Guerendo were able to seamlessly reintroduce themselves this fall. Both players were full participants throughout and looked great in the practices made available to reporters.
Entering 2022, the Badgers have three starter-quality tailbacks to turn to, which will hopefully allow all three to stay healthy during the season. Each brings something a bit different to the offense, and the rushing attack looked explosive at times in camp.
It is not out of the question for Wisconsin to have two 1,000-yard rushers this season or three players eclipse 500 yards if the group can stay fresh all year long.
While the health and overall play of the running backs will ultimately play a key role in how productive the Badgers' rushing attack can be, the play of the offensive line will be just as critical. Bob Bostad's return to overseeing the line has brought about changes to the rushing scheme, and the line appears to be in a better place than it was before the first week of last season.
Wisconsin's running game has consistently been one of the best in the country for the better part of three decades, and that should continue this fall.
Passing game improved
While the overall play of the quarterback position was still uneven at times, I thought Graham Mertz threw the ball better and showed growth in his decision-making in fall camp.
Was it perfect? No.
However, the offense was able to stretch the field more frequently than in the practices I saw last season, and Mertz was a more consistent passer.
The passing attack struggled to generate big plays last year, but that was an area where the offense displayed improvement in practice. The Badgers have a group of five wide receivers that should all factor into the equation, and each player showed flashes in camp. Chimere Dike, Skyler Bell, and Markus Allen all made big plays in the practices open to media members, and I think Wisconsin is set up for a better year through the air.
How much better? Only time will tell.
Advanced offensive line play and an easier schedule to begin the season will likely help the passing attack grow over the first few weeks, but compared to this time last year, and to the spring, things are further along, in my opinion.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Engram has made some changes that should allow players on the outside to be open more frequently, and now it will be about execution. Mertz did not throw an interception in the four practices reporters saw, which was not the case a season ago. There were a couple of close calls, but in general, he displayed more poise in the pocket and was more willing to check the ball down and take what the defense gave him or throw the ball away when needed.
It is important to note that this is all based on four practices, so it is not known how the passing attack looked at all times, but I saw measured improvement.
Now it will be interesting to see if it translates to Saturdays when it truly matters.
Clarity at tight end
One of the biggest personnel questions heading into fall practice centered around the tight end position. The Badgers came into the fall looking to replace Jake Ferguson after not having the majority of contenders available in spring practice.
In the four practices made available to reporters, it appears as though there is a definitive pecking order at tight end and optimism that the group will be able to contribute in 2022.
Junior Clay Cundiff and senior Jack Eschenbach received almost all of the first-team reps as the move tight end, which is featured more in the passing game, while junior Hayden Rucci was the first-team inline blocking option.
After missing all of spring practice, Cundiff and Eschenbach have stepped up and look ready to help the team out as receivers and blockers. Both have shown elusiveness while running routes, and helped remove some of the questions about the group.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Engram had positive things to say specifically about Cundiff two weeks ago:
"I think he's done well. He has a good grasp of the playbook. You see him, he's a guy who is physical enough in the run game, he will get in there and mix it up. But he's got enough speed and athleticism to run a lot of routes on the route tree. You know, just trying to see what he can do well, and anytime you've got a playmaking tight end that just adds a different dimension to the offense. I'm happy for him after missing the spring, he's worked really hard to get back and you know, he will be able to help us."
For a group in transition after having a safety valve like Jake Ferguson for four years, fall camp was big for the tight end group to identify a firm starting group and stay healthy. After four practices, that seems to be the case.
Related links:
- 10 players on the Wisconsin Badgers offense who stood out in fall camp
- Five players from Wisconsin make the Reese's Senior Bowl watch list
- 10 players on the Badgers defense who stood out in fall camp
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