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Standout Badgers freshman WR 'definitely will have a role' in Wisconsin offense

Wisconsin Badgers offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes made it clear that true freshman Eugene Hilton will be an important part of the wide receiver rotation.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin freshman wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. showed early maturity while standing out during the Badgers' spring practices in March and April.
Wisconsin freshman wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. showed early maturity while standing out during the Badgers' spring practices in March and April. | Jake Kocorowski

Eugene Hilton Jr.'s NFL bloodline is showing through early in his Wisconsin Badgers career.

The son of Indianapolis Colts star T.Y. Hilton has stood out from the moment he stepped on campus in Madison, and he's set to make an impact as a true freshman.

New Badgers offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes made it clear Friday that Hilton will be an important part of the wide receiver rotation.

"He definitely will have a role," Grimes told reporters after practice. "I don't want to put numbers on it, but he's one of our better receivers."

The coaching staff has been particularly impressed with his route-running and play-making ability.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 202 pounds, Hilton has the size and speed combination to do a little bit of everything in the Badgers' offense.

"He just has a knack for getting open, and he doesn't drop balls," Grimes said. "The other thing on top of that where he's grown a lot is in his blocking."

Billy Edwards Jr. has plenty of options to distribute the ball to at receiver, and Hilton will have to continue to work his way up the depth chart.

Vinny Anthony II remains the No. 1 option, and Trech Kekahuna has bounced back from a lower-body injury that kept him out of spring ball.

Transfers Jayden Ballard and Dekel Crowdus are likely to be in the mix too, but it's clear that Hilton won't be sitting on the bench and watching those receivers get all the targets this fall.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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