Spring Forward: A chance to get in the mix on offense
April 06, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas, Varsity Magazine
Opportunity is ripe for a number of players with unit that will feature new faces
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — It was Joe Rudolph's second spring as a Wisconsin player and he didn't have an identity.
"I got moved to offensive line in fall camp and you really didn't get talked to after that — there was really no interaction like there is now," he remembered of his redshirt freshman season in 1991. "You were on the scout team, and if they needed a scout team defensive lineman … I was that one week, too."
Rudolph, in fact, was named the Scout Team Defensive MVP leading up to a mid-September game against Iowa State. And, then, months later, he was singled out as the Scout Team Offensive MVP before the final regular-season game against Northwestern.
"It really wasn't until that following spring that you really started to get coached again," said Rudolph, who found himself under the wing of offensive line coach Bill Callahan. "That spring, Coach made me write out all my goals. I was trying to be honest with whatever I wrote down."
Rudolph was in Callahan's office when he handed him the sheet of paper with his goals.
"I remember Coach Callahan looking at my goals and, then, he looked at me twice, and he goes, 'Close the door and sit down,'" Rudolph recounted. "I guess my goals were higher than what was anticipated. He says, 'This is what you think?'
"All of a sudden, he was intrigued. I remember him giving me that sheet back and saying, 'You want to save this.' My goals were that I wanted to be in the two-deep and I wanted to travel even if I was the last center and the last guard on the list.
"That spring was great for me. I had some success and that's when you realize, 'OK, you can make a big play and I'm counted on to do that.' I kind of went from nowhere to being a guy looked at as a potential starter going into fall camp."
During the '92 season, Rudolph alternated at right guard with Michael Bryan. One year later, he took over as the full-time starter on a Rose Bowl team and saw action on 877 scrimmage plays, the most among the linemen. He was named first-team All-Big Ten. As a senior, he was elected captain.
In retrospect, Rudolph traced his success back to a spring ball and a sheet of personal goals.
Now well into his second tour of duty on the UW coaching staff — including his fifth season as the offensive coordinator and associate head coach to Paul Chryst in addition to his duties with the O-line — Rudolph has stuck with a decades-old tradition by having his players list their goals in the spring.
"I want these guys to put themselves out there," said Rudolph, speaking from experience as a foundational player in the Alvarez era. "When they do their goal sheets and I get one that isn't very aggressive, I give it back to them and tell them, 'These aren't good enough goals.'"
To this end, he will say, "You wouldn't be here if you couldn't make plays."
Good news: It's Friday 🙌 Better news: 🏈 is 147 days away For those who can't wait that long... get your first look at this year's team at our open practice April 13! Details: http://go.wisc.edu/ez95a6 #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) April 5, 2019
The results are usually predictable, too. "Once they make a play, there will be guys who will go, 'Shoot, I can do this. Why can't I do this all the time?'" he said. "Their understanding and knowledge start to change to 'I want to do this.' It's a pretty awesome thing to see in the spring."
It reinforces everything that is important to Rudolph at this time of year.
"The spring is used to find out who your team is," he said. "We can build the offense around whoever the guys are. But the spring is to identify those guys. Who can be consistent? Who's passionate about what they do? Who can play selfless ball and make the guys around them better?
"If you come out of spring and you're able to identify, 'All right, this is our group,' then it makes life a lot easier."
Injury rehabilitation is also a part of the spring.
After losing three All-Americans on the offensive line (Michael Deiter, Beau Benzschawel and David Edwards) plus a gritty starter (Jon Dietzen) to retirement, the Badgers will operate even more shorthanded during spring ball without center Tyler Biadasz and tackle Cole Van Lanen.
"From a leadership standpoint, it's very important that those two stay connected," Rudolph said. "I think they will both embrace it and do well."
When spring drills got under way last week, Jason Erdmann was also limited.
"In the O-line, it opens the door for guys, and it gives me this chance to work people at different spots," said Rudolph, sizing up his April depth. "Logan Bruss will be an example of someone who will compete at both right tackle and right guard.
Bruss, a redshirt sophomore, started the last three games at right tackle for Edwards. Originally, he was utilized in a "jumbo" tight end formation with Erdmann, a fifth-year senior.
"Kayden Lyles and Jason Erdmann will be guys who can compete at guard and center. David Moorman will be someone who can compete at left guard and left tackle. Guys like Aaron Vopal and Tyler Beach can compete at right tackle and left tackle.
"If things are normal, the guys know that Tyler is going to be our starting center.
"But it allows us to find the best spot for the others."
Rudolph volunteered the example of Josh Seltzner and his "whoa" moment last August.
"He got thrown in with the ones last fall camp because we were running out of guys — Kayden wasn't there (Lyles had been shifted to the D-line) and there were a couple of guys out with injuries," Rudolph said. "So, he's running with the ones, and it's like 'Whoa.'
Seltzner, a redshirt sophomore, was a preferred walk-on from Columbus, Wisconsin.
"Bruss also got thrown into playing (after Edwards was injured)," he continued. "And, then, during bowl prep, Beach looks around and he's taking all the reps. Spring is another opportunity for that (growth)."
Another player who made strides leading up to the Pinstripe Bowl was tight end Luke Benzschawel. Although he's currently banged up — "We've got to be smart with him, I don't want him limping into the summer" — Rudolph was encouraged by his progress late last season.
"He started strong early, got hurt, and then came back," Rudolph said. "I do think that Luke started to really embrace his role: 'I'm a big, physical, blocking-type guy that can make plays when called upon. And I'm going to embrace this side of it.'"
One of the most pleasant offensive storylines in 2018 was the emergence of tight end Jake Ferguson, who was the second-leading receiver (36 catches for 456 yards) and a big-play threat (four touchdowns). Ferguson often drew special attention from opposing defenses on passing downs.
Spring Ball Badgers Practice No. 4 ✔️ #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) April 2, 2019
"What an awesome experience for Jake to play the entire game against Miami and to be counted on in normal down and distance as well as third-down situations," Rudolph said. "That was huge for him. It's the process, right? That development to being a Garrett Graham or Lance Kendricks."
Graham and Kendricks, former UW tight ends, went on to play in the NFL.
Rudolph admitted the position group "gets kind of thin, kind of quick."
He added, "There's great room for guys to step up there."
Such as a Gabe Lloyd, a redshirt junior from Green Bay.
"A guy like Gabe has a chance to surprise some people," Rudolph said. "He's a talented kid. He has a lot of ability and I've seen guys like him play and play significant roles. There are a few other guys like Jack Eschenbach and Coy Wanner that we've got to see how they develop.
"Are they one of the guys? Or, are we more of an 11 team? I don't know."
The 11 personnel package consists of one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers.
"The same thing with the fullbacks," Rudolph said. "Are you a 21 team?"
The 21 package is made up of two running backs, one tight end and two wide receivers.
Alec Ingold excelled as a fullback last season by accounting for seven touchdowns.
"He was phenomenal," said Rudolph. "That's why you were in 21."
Mason Stokke and John Chenal are battling for turns at fullback this spring.
"Those are the guys who need to show whether they're ready or not," Rudolph said. "There's some cool competition with different groups trying to get on the field — guys making each other better. I do think there are some things out of 22 that you always carry."
The 22 package has two running backs, two tight ends and one wide receiver.
"Pretty good questions to have answered," he said. "Things that you want to know."
Rudolph knows all that he needs to about tailback Jonathan Taylor.
"You give him more reps this spring in some areas where maybe he didn't have as many last year," he said. "We felt comfortable with him playing on third down. But it was just an opportunity for us to get him off the field at times and get a Garrett Groshek on the field."
Groshek led the running backs with 24 receptions, the fourth most on the offense.
"In continuing to round out his game, to continue to complete him," Rudolph said of the record-setting Taylor, "you keep developing him in the passing game and give him just enough where he's confident in his runs. But we know that he can do that stuff."
Who's ready to spring forward and step up for the Badgers this year? Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard offers up some names #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) March 31, 2019
While Taylor and Groshek are pushing each other, and mentoring freshman Nakia Watson, who redshirted last season, Bradrick Shaw, a fifth-year senior, is still pushing to get back to 100 percent. He has not played since injuring his knee at Minnesota in 2017.
Rounding out the rotation, Brady Schipper and Isaac Guerendo are trying to earn reps.
Both have had trials at wide receiver.
"I love him with the ball in his hands," Rudolph said of Guerendo, a three-time Indiana state champion in track. "Watching his film, running jet sweeps, he was super-fast when he got the ball in his hands. You can kind of see his whole body filling out and the size he's going to be."
An area of strength on offense should be the wideout corps considering the skill and seasoning of the returners: Danny Davis, A.J. Taylor, Kendric Pryor, Aron Cruickshank, Jack Dunn, Adam Krumholz and Taj Mustapha. All saw playing time in the fall.
Whereas there's no shortage of experience with the receivers, there is in the quarterback room with Jack Coan, Danny Vanden Boom, Chase Wolf and Graham Mertz. Coan was impressive as a starter in the triple overtime win at Purdue and the victory over Miami at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
"There's a lot of confidence in those four guys," Rudolph said. "I like their approach. I like how much it matters to them. They have some similarities. But you know what they've done? They've worked in a way where they've earned the respect of the group. That's not always easy."
Neither is spring ball. But it tends to draw the best out of players. It once did with Rudolph.
"Winter conditioning finishes and your body is in the best shape ever," he said. "There's a freshness — we're about to go into something new — and it's that feeling of going out and earning it in the spring."
