MIKE LUCAS Senior Writer

BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer

MADISON, Wis. — There has been an unmistakable pitcher-catcher chemistry developing on the Wisconsin offense between a couple of "laid-back dudes." That's how wide receiver Chimere Dike characterized himself and quarterback Graham Mertz in the bond that they've forged.

"Being able to go through last season together as young players was big for us," Dike went on to say. "Obviously, last year didn't go as well as we wanted. But in the long run it's going to pay off, not only for us but for the entire team. We're two guys who have very similar mindsets and goals."

Even though they were separated by a recruiting cycle and grew up over 500 miles apart — Mertz in Overland Park, Kansas, where he was a ballyhooed 4-star prospect and Dike in Waukesha, where he was an understated 3-star — their personalities have intersected and clicked over the last 15 months.

"We've had thousands of conversations," said Mertz, a redshirt sophomore. "He knows that he has my utmost respect in every area. The way he works on the field, and off the field, he will never flinch at anything that comes at him in life. He'll always answer. I love that guy and how he handled that."

Mertz's reference to "that" was to the injuries last season that sidelined Wisconsin's most experienced wide receivers, Danny Davis, who played in only two of seven games; and Kendric Pryor, who played in just three games. Their absence accelerated Dike's learning curve as a true freshman.

"The biggest challenge I don't think was the physicality," said Dike, who had 12 catches for 189 yards and one touchdown. "But being able to maintain your body through a college season is definitely different than high school. The practices are harder. The games are harder. It's a lot more intense.

"Going into it a second time, I think I'll be able to do a better job of knowing what I'm getting into and preparing and recovering and making sure my body is ready for the season … Physically, I've changed a lot. I feel I've gotten more explosive and quicker.

"I definitely feel like I'm a lot different than I was last April."

Hit rewind to April 2020. Dike was an early enrollee taking UW classes online and training on his own in Waukesha. Before the COVID pandemic shut down the campus in March — canceling spring football — he was able to begin familiarizing himself with teammates and the program's structure.

"Looking back on it, when I did go home, I was able to see what I needed to improve on," he said. "Being able to see kind of what the college game was like and what the daily schedule was like and then being able to prepare my body and skills to compete in training camp was definitely a help."

Ready or not, Dike was thrown into the fire. He got his first career start in the second game at Michigan, the last time that Dike, Davis and Pryor were on the playing field together. As the snaps began adding up for Dike, 60 to 65 per game, there was a legitimate question of wear and tear on the frosh.

"It was definitely a lot of snaps," conceded Dike, who ended up starting the last six games. "But I'm the type of guy whenever my name is called, I'm not going to make an excuse about hitting the wall or anything like that. I'm just going to go out there and execute.

"But it's definitely nice to have guys like Danny and KP and Jack Dunn back. We can all provide something for our offense. Those guys are great players, and they can help us win. It also allows for other guys to play in their roles and continue to grow."

In early January, Pryor posted that he was returning for a sixth year ("We're back baby! Ready to get back on the field with my brothers"). In early February, Davis likewise utilized social media to reveal that he was coming back for a fifth year ("It's only made me hungrier to get back and help the team").

Here's how Dunn, another sixth-year player, came to his decision:

"I took a little bit of time after the season just to kind of decompress and see how everything was feeling and kind of how I was feeling about playing another year," said Dunn, who was Wisconsin's second-leading receiver with 28 catches for 255 yards (9.1) and one score.

"And, ultimately, I decided that I've gone through so much with so many guys on the team, I would feel that it was kind of a shame if I didn't exhaust all of the possible eligibility that I could use to come back and take another shot with these guys."

On keeping Davis and Pryor in the loop, Dunn said, "I talked to those guys all the time, so I knew what they were thinking. We had been talking about stuff prior to the bowl game and after that. And we were on the same page with everything."

Dunn, a Madison Edgewood product, has been a willing role player throughout his career.

"I think I can bring a lot of the same stuff to the offense that I brought in the past," he said. "But also, having been around for so long, I think I can bring a lot of experience and kind of pass on what I've learned over the years to the younger guys who are coming up and trying to take that next step … I want to help them with their growth as they transition in the program."

Dike, a grateful beneficiary, has been watching and learning from Dunn ("He's very fundamentally sound and able to maximize his skillset"), Pryor ("When he gets the ball in his hands, he's trying to score the rock") and Davis ("Whenever there's a play to be made, he tries to go and make it").

The wide receiver rotation this spring has also included redshirt freshman Devin Chandler and junior A.J. Abbott. Both have had their practice moments, which has not gone unnoticed by head coach Paul Chryst. He believes all the unproven receivers have to answer these questions: "Do I know what I'm doing? And then, go out and do it. And then, can I do that at a consistent level?"

Dunn can attest to not everyone developing at the same speed.

"But I've seen a lot of really positive things from those guys," he said. "Whether it's spring or fall, winter or summer conditioning, whatever period it is, you really just want to see guys constantly taking the next step forward. I've seen really encouraging signs that they're doing just that.

"They've come into the spring with the right approach, willing and eager to learn. They're taking lessons from meetings and coaching points from Coach Whitt (Alvis Whitted) and they're starting to apply them more and more. They're building good habits whether with technique or just preparation.

"It's definitely encouraging to see them embracing this period of time.

"They're trying to use it to make that next leap."

Dike falls into that camp.

"Individually, it's just taking the learning experiences I had last season and actually learning from them and building upon them," Dike said. "As a receiving corps, it's us taking that next step as a group and being that group that the offense can rely on making plays when they need to be made."

During one of the spring practices, Davis made an eye-opening one-handed stab of a Mertz pass and afterwards dropped the ball on the turf in what amount to a mic drop. It was Odell Beckham-esque in every respect and a flashback to a spectacular Davis TD grab in a 2018 triple-overtime win at Purdue.

"I don't know that you can teach someone that — they are just kind of born with the ability to do that," Dunn said. "In my mind, it's the same Danny that I've seen before. A guy who's a threat every time he steps on the field.

During a practice last October, Dike had an equally impressive one-handed stab of a Mertz pass. How would he compare his contested boundary reception to what he recently saw out of Davis?

"My catch against Goose (Rachad Wildgoose) was nice," Dike allowed. "But I'd have to give Danny the leg up, honestly, just because he caught his so clean. I didn't catch it clean. I cradled it. I'll give Danny that one. But I'm going to work on getting him back."

A competitive promise bound to make everyone better.