The Latest on Wisconsin Football's Cornerback Competition

As fall camp unfolds in Madison, the final 15 practices Wisconsin gets before the season kicks off are largely framed by several key position battles.

Left tackle, where Ole Miss transfer PJ Wilkins will duke it out with Florida State transfer Lucas Simmons-Johansson, is probably the biggest. Backup quarterback, where surging true freshman Ryan Hopkins and Louisville transfer Deuce Adams will split reps, should also be highly entertaining.

But one of the more intriguing position battles on the team, due to how much more talent appears to be in this room in just a year's time? Cornerback. Specifically, the battle for CB2 opposite Javan Robinson.

The Arizona State transfer Robinson is locked in to a starting role; that's been a foregone conclusion ever since he signed, and that hasn't changed through the winter, spring or summer.

The first thing is that he walked in like a professional. With the way he approaches the game, the way he prepares. He also walked in with a lot of humility; he didn’t expect anything handed to him," defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said of Robinson at local media day. "I love to see the confidence that he has to be a leader in that room, even as a new guy.”

Robinson will play the boundary corner role, which is slightly more nuanced. It involves more checks, communication and adjustments. Tressel said he and Florida State transfer Cai Bates are "good fits to the boundary in terms of skillset, mentality and ability to communicate."

The field corner spot is the position that's up for grabs.

Who has the lead at field corner?

Wisconsin cornerback Jai'mier Scott. | Christian Borman.

"There’s great competition with Jai’mier Scott and (Eric) Fletcher to the field," Tressel added.

Scott shined all spring camp and though it's extremely early, that's carried over into fall ball — he picked off Colton Joseph in a team period at practice No. 1. Scott looks to have a slight edge given his talent and potential, but Fletcher is more experienced and has been lauded for his speed.

Ultimately, this should still be a competition deep into August, but given Scott's clear Mano a Mano battle with Fletcher and his continued excellent play, it's safe to assume the second-year corner Scott has the inside track to the CB2 gig right now.

"We feel like we’ve taken a huge step forward in terms of depth and talent at corner, but who’s done it in the Big Ten? Who’s done it? We need all of them out there," Tressel said.

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