Coming of age

In the days leading up to the start of spring football practice, assistant director of athletic communications Brian Lucas will offer previews of each position, taking a look at a different one each day. Today we examine the Badger wide receivers.

mid=3217"> --> Wide receivers video preview (highlights and interviews)

It's interesting to note how some of the positions on the Wisconsin football team mirror each other. Both the offensive and defensive lines need to replace three starters. At linebacker and running back, key players that played a lot of football in their Badger careers are getting ready for the NFL Draft.

On the other end of the spectrum are the defensive backs and wide receivers. As we chronicled sportid=111&storyid=17274"> --> yesterday, seven players with starting experience return in the defensive backfield. There is a similar situation at wide receiver where six players that caught passes last season are back in the fold. There is just one senior among the group but between them they have combined to play 116 games, including 28 starts.

As a group, they showed steady improvement throughout last season. The coaches want to see that development continue this spring.

'It's time for me to have an older group,' wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander said. 'I think in the first couple of years everyone has consistently said that we're a young group and they let us slide on a few things but we've got an older group now and we have to approach the spring like that. '

That sentiment was echoed by offensive coordinator Paul Chryst.

'They need to lose the young tag and all that it brings with it,' Chryst said. 'They've always been referred to as a young group and there 's ups and downs with them. They need to act their age. They're now juniors, third year in the program, (some) fourth-year guys. They need to be players for us. For us to go forward we need to get better at the quarterback position and the receiver group has to step. I think they're very capable of it and that's what I 'm looking forward to in the spring.'

A playmaker
Heading into last season, his second at UW, most fans knew that athid=6570&deptid=111"> --> David Gilreath was an explosive kick returner. He also wanted to make his mark as a wide receiver and he did just that in 2008. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and finished sixth in the league in all-purpose yardage. Gilreath's 31 catches, 520 yards and three touchdowns were the most among UW receivers. He was also a threat on the ground, rushing 25 times for 295 yards and two scores, including a 90-yard run vs. Indiana that is the second-longest in school history.

Known for his speed, Gilreath knows there is room for improvement especially when it comes to catching the ball.

'Being more consistent,' Gilreath said when asked what he wanted to work on this spring. 'I think at times I made some great catches, if you want to say that, and then I would drop some easy ones. I guess that's more of a lack of focus sometimes so I need to work on that.'

'His strength is his foot quickness, he has really quick feet and he has an ability to make plays and make people miss,' Alexander said. 'The biggest thing is that he has to understand that there is room for growth. He's done a lot for us as far as production goes but I think if he can approach this spring as if he was getting ready for fall camp or for the season I think he can continue to grow. '

Coming on strong
Through eight games last season, athid=6060&deptid=111"> --> Isaac Anderson and athid=6577&deptid=111"> --> Nick Toon had combined for 12 catches and 160 yards. Over the last five games, the duo had 26 receptions for 383 yards. Toon, then a redshirt freshman, and Anderson, then a redshirt sophomore coming back after missing the entire 2007 season with an injury, looked to be getting more comfortable with their roles as the season went on.

Anderson had two breakout games late last season, in two very different ways. Against Indiana, he didn't record a reception but was awarded UW's co-offensive player of the week for his blocking as he helped pave the way for 441 rushing yards for the Badgers. The next week, against his hometown Minnesota Golden Gophers, Anderson registered career highs in catches (six) and yards (114) to help UW keep Paul Bunyan's Axe.

Toon, the son of former Wisconsin wide receiver Al Toon, hauled in at least two passes in each of the last five games. That included his first career touchdown reception vs. Cal-Poly. His size (6-3, 214) makes him a big target for UW quarterbacks.

The UW coaches would like to see Anderson and Toon continue to improve in the spring.

'I think they have to finish plays, and I think, going in, they have to really grasp the offense and they can be a lot more productive play after play,' Alexander said. 'That's what we'll all try to work on, is that consistency and also a lot more production.'

Battling back
A couple Badger wide receivers battled injuries last season and will look to return healthy this season. athid=6587&deptid=111"> --> Kyle Jefferson , who will be entering his junior season, is a big-play threat who has 40 career receptions for 601 yards. Thirteen of his 14 catches a year ago came in the first seven games last season. He battled a hand injury and a concussion in the second half of the season that limited his production. As a freshman, though, his 412 receiving yards were the fifth-best all-time by a UW newcomer.

athid=5995&deptid=111"> --> Maurice Moore had five catches a year ago but played in just one of the last seven games of the season. He was slowed by leg injuries in the last half of the season and had knee surgery that caused him to miss the Champs Sports Bowl. He will participate in spring practice on a limited basis.

Another player that underwent surgery was athid=6731&deptid=111"> --> Daven Jones . Jones has played in 18 games on special teams and at receiver in his first two seasons as a Badger. He tore his ACL in the Minnesota game and will continue his rehab in the spring in hopes of being ready for the start of fall camp.

All six of those receivers are entering either their third or fourth years in UW 's program and have played in big games. With that experience, the coaches are looking for them to fully understand their roles in the offense.

'I'd like for them to have a little bit more control as far as looking around and communicating with each other,' Alexander said. 'I'd like for them to understand what the defense is trying to do to stop them and also to have a really good feel for what we're doing. And if there are younger players that they can help, they can use their experience to do that.'

Catching on
Two players who may not have as much experience as the others but will get long looks in the spring are at the opposite end of the age spectrum but have one thing in common. athid=5642&deptid=111"> --> T.J. Theus will be a fifth-year senior in the fall while athid=7360&deptid=111"> --> T.J. Williams redshirted as a true freshman last season.

'The only guy that was a redshirt (last season) was T.J., Troy Williams, so we 're really going to push him to see where he is and see what his strengths and weaknesses are going into the season or the spring," Alexander said. "A guy that finished pretty strong was T.J. Theus. He caught a touchdown pass in the bowl game. He's done a really good job this offseason, in the weight room and being a little bit more of a leader because he is the only senior. So I'm looking to see him to continue to grow and show up, and make a run for it at the position.'

The common sentiment among the coaches is that the wide receiver spot is loaded with talent but there needs to be more consistency from the group. The players realize that as well.

'I think they know a little bit more about what we can do but it's still a chance for us all to get better, and go out there and show what we can do a little bit more this year and have a little better role,' Gilreath said.

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