BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Ten items to help you get a handle on the Wisconsin football team as it prepares to open spring drills:
1. UW head coach Paul Chryst will conduct the first of 15 practices on Tuesday. The last is set for April 21, which is the Badgers' annual Cardinal vs. White spring game, scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at Camp Randall Stadium. Proceeds from the intra-squad game will go to the Waisman Center.
2. Not a surprise, but after sharing time atop the depth chart last season, sophomore Alex Hornibrook enters spring practice as UW's starting quarterback. Redshirt freshman Karé Lyles and true freshman Jack Coan, an early enrollee, will also get plenty of valuable reps. "He is the guy," Chryst said of Hornibrook, who started nine games in 2016. "He knows it and he thinks it."
3. Last spring, sophomore David Edwards was a tight end. He moved to offensive line during preseason training camp and wound up starting the last seven games at right tackle. Edwards, up to 306 pounds, is now the projected starter at left tackle, taking over for Ryan Ramczyk, who bypassed his senior year to turn pro.
4. With Jake Maxwell and Jon Dietzen sidelined for the spring, opportunities abound for the youngsters on the offensive line, namely redshirt freshman Tyler Biadasz, redshirt freshman Patrick Kasl, sophomore David Moorman and redshirt freshman Cole Van Lanen. If Biadasz continues to make strides at center, it gives the Badgers some flexibility on the interior, as junior standout Michael Deiter has started at both center and guard.
5. It's expected that tight end Troy Fumagalli, a senior-to-be in 2017, will have a larger role in the offense next season. The process of putting more on his plate – seeing how much he can absorb – will begin in earnest this spring.
6. Last spring, sophomore tailback Bradrick Shaw was among those who caught Chryst's eye. Shaw wound up snagging some carries away from now-departed seniors Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale. With junior Taiwan Deal on the shelf for the entirety of spring practice, Shaw figures to get a lot of valuable spring repetitions along with Chris James, an impressive transfer from Pitt.
7. Chryst and his new defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, are very high on junior cornerback Nick Nelson, a transfer from Hawaii. He's slated to take over for Sojourn Shelton, a four-year starter, opposite senior Derrick Tindal.
8. Bob Bostad, the new inside linebackers coach, will have to make do without his front-liners this spring. Jack Cichy, Ryan Connelly, T.J. Edwards and Chris Orr – all of whom started at least one game last season – are managing various health issues. More instruction time for the likes of senior Leon Jacobs, sophomore Griffin Grady and sophomore Tyler Johnson, who's been moved from outside linebacker.
9. Speaking of position changes, senior Natrell Jamerson is moving from cornerback to safety; redshirt freshman Garrett Groshek from quarterback to tailback; and redshirt freshman Hegeman Tiedt from defensive end to outside linebacker.
10. As is the case every spring, a number of players will sit out spring practice due to injuries. Among the Badgers not participating in spring drills include sophomore cornerback Titus Booker (shoulder), Cichy (shoulder), Connelly (shoulder), Deal (ankle), Dietzen (ankle), Edwards (foot), junior wide receiver Ricky Finco (shoulder), Maxwell (shoulder), senior defensive end Chikwe Obasih (hip), Orr (knee), redshirt freshman ILB Mason Stokke (knee), sophomore fullback Jake Whalen (shoulder) and redshirt freshman CB Caesar Williams (core).
