Wisconsin Football 2022- The Jim Leonhard Show ends, the Luke Fickell era begins

[LouisEly]

12 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

One of the backup UNC QBs is going to be visiting UW. Jacolby Criswell. I think he only played in 2-3 games this past year.

Criswell is a former 4-star recruit who was stuck behind Maye this year and Howell last year. 

Couple other 4-stars coming in this weekend including WR Malik Elzy and ATH/S Braedyn Moore, both Cincinnati decommits.  Also visiting is former commit Jamel Howard who decommitted on 11/17; recruits are allowed a second official visit if there is a coaching change.  He has said that he will likely wait until the February deadline before signing with anyone which I think means UW isn't his #1 but that depends on who other schools sign.  3-star Cincinnati decommit CB Jonas Duclona is also visiting I think.

[JosephC]

I'll root for Allen to do something yet  But he was the #1 hyped guy by the coaching staff at the end of 2021 and Skyler Bell and Kendrick Lewis had no problems blowing past him on the depth chart, so one has to be just a bit skeptical that this guy is Big 10 starting material even though he obviously has the talent to be just that.  Even subtracting Cichy's comments, one has to wonder if there would even be a spot for Allen to come back if the Badgers didn't have such a significant lack of bodies currently at the wide receiver position.  I honestly don't know how Jesse Temple can call this a big win, this is a guy who seemingly did a complete free fall down the depth chart last season.

[LouisEly]

Former 4-star recruit DE Noah Potter - younger brother of Micah Potter - who transferred from Ohio State to Cincinnati has entered the portal.  Perhaps follow his brother's footsteps?

[Jim French Stepstool]

Perhaps Fickell and/or Longo can light a fire under Allen. His performance appeared to fall way short of his abilities. You have to be skeptical of guys like that. Here's hoping for a renewed commitment from him.

[wallus]

I guess it's good we took the coaches from Cincinnati and NC so we can poach from 2 programs to help beef up a poor recruiting class.

[JosephC]

Joe Tippmann declares for the NFL Draft, will not play in the bowl game.  OLine probably starts next year as the same hot mess that it has the last two years.

[wildcat83]

1 hour ago, JosephC said:

Joe Tippmann declares for the NFL Draft, will not play in the bowl game.  OLine probably starts next year as the same hot mess that it has the last two years.

Jay Shaw declared as well.  Those two guys can’t be projected all that high in the draft can they?

[LouisEly]

24 minutes ago, wildcat83 said:

Jay Shaw declared as well.  Those two guys can’t be projected all that high in the draft can they?

Can't speak for Shaw, but as for Tippmann...

https://www.si.com/college/wisconsin/football/freaks-list-2022

Personally, I think he's miscast as a center and should be a RT or G.

[JosephC]

They are saying 3rd or 4th round for Tippmann.

Shaw redshirted at UCLA, then played in 43 games at UCLA over 4 seasons, then came to Wisconsin and played in 12 games this year.  He was honored on Senior Day, so it probably can be assumed he has his undergradute.  Probably just figures it's time to move on with life and might as well throw his name in the draft pool.  I don't think he is draftable based strictly on his college resume, but if he does something like a 4.45 40 and 38 inch vertical and has other solid combine numbers...some team could take a shot on him.

[Pugger]

On 12/6/2022 at 11:16 PM, patrickgpe said:

I think it’s hard to go from no nfl coaching experience to a coordinator. Maybe he can do it and Barry is definitely gone, but I don’t think Leonhard is the answer 

We can only hope...

[LouisEly]

UW gets the first two (new) commits in 4-star S/ATH Braedyn Moore and 3-star CB Jonas Duclona, both Cincinnati decommits.

Michael Furtney also withdraws from the transfer portal and will return to UW.  Thought for sure he'd go to one of the Michigan directional schools to play closer to home his last year, but apparently not.

[homer]

[LouisEly]

UW picks up another commit in 3-star TE Tucker Ashcraft, a Colorado decommit.  Still hoping they get that DII TE who is in the portal.

Supposedly this is one of two commits tonight...

[JosephC]

247sports is reporting that Oklahoma transfer portal QB Nick Evers is also visiting Wisconsin.  Evers was in last year's class, so redshirted this year, but did briefly appear in one game.  So Armstrong brings the experience, Evers brings the upside.

I wonder if there is a chance they could land Coastal Carolina QB-Greyson McCall?  The Badgers should have no limitations on transfer QBs they wish to pursue.  Incoming transfer has no established player to compete with, and really only one other possible contender for immediate playing time.  I think Oklahoma State might be in a similar situation with their depth chart, but I can't imagine many other power five schools being so short on scholarship QBs.  I'm going to beat that dead horse one more time, Chryst really blew it by putting all his eggs in that Mertz basket.  The fact that he did not even recruit a QB the year after the Mertz commitment was just an awful, awful, awful, awful decision.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/transfer-portal-2023-top-QB-Grayson-McCall-quarterback-transfer-fits-Florida-Auburn-Wisconsin-transfer-portal-200380864/#200380864_3

[Samurai Bucky]

13 hours ago, JosephC said:

I'm going to beat that dead horse one more time, Chryst really blew it by putting all his eggs in that Mertz basket.  The fact that he did not even recruit a QB the year after the Mertz commitment was just an awful, awful, awful, awful decision.

Keep beating away because I agree with you.  I think it was a major factor to losing his HC gig.

[nate82]

I don’t think PC was all that interested in recruiting at all regardless of what he did after recruiting Mertz.  Fickell looks to be a better recruiter than PC at least so far he does.  Will need to revisit this in 3-years to see if this is true or not.

[homer]

QB recruiting aside, UW had one of their best recruiting classes ever in 2021. 247 had them as 16th in the country.

[LouisEly]

Re: Mertz/QB recruiting - each of you is a little bit right and a little bit wrong.

Mertz had little to nothing to do with PC being fired.  It was much more his administrative responsibilities (handling administrative responsibilities and administration personnel, working with boosters, etc.) and the performance of the team.  And Mertz was not the reason they were losing games.  There was a lack of coordination in play-calling between PC and Engram and what Bostad felt his team could block.  When MacIntosh met w/PC he clearly outlined steps that needed to be taken and PC wasn't in agreement, thus the termination.  When PC was fired, Mertz was in the top 30 in the nation in QB rating, and their defense gave up 52 to OSU and 34 to Illinois and the defense couldn't stop WSU in the 4th quarter when they needed the ball back.  Caleb Williams wasn't going to lead UW to victory in those games (maybe WSU, but certainly not OSU or ILL).  The recruiting aspect wasn't quality of recruits, it was coordination (part of administrative responsibilities); example - they had a LB in for a campus visit and nobody talked to him.  He ended up being a 4-star recruit who signed with Michigan.  And it was waiting 7-8 months to fill the recruiter role (again, administrative duties).

The reason they didn't bring in a QB in the class after Mertz was much more because nobody wanted to come in after Mertz because they thought they wouldn't see the field until they were a senior.  Everybody thought Mertz was going to be a star including the next class of recruits.  They offered at least three 4-star QBs in that class.  They just weren't getting much interest because of Mertz and felt it wasn't worth bringing in a marginal recruit just to say they signed one.

[Jim French Stepstool]

6 hours ago, LouisEly said:

Re: Mertz/QB recruiting - each of you is a little bit right and a little bit wrong.

Mertz had little to nothing to do with PC being fired.  It was much more his administrative responsibilities (handling administrative responsibilities and administration personnel, working with boosters, etc.) and the performance of the team.  And Mertz was not the reason they were losing games.  There was a lack of coordination in play-calling between PC and Engram and what Bostad felt his team could block.  When MacIntosh met w/PC he clearly outlined steps that needed to be taken and PC wasn't in agreement, thus the termination.  When PC was fired, Mertz was in the top 30 in the nation in QB rating, and their defense gave up 52 to OSU and 34 to Illinois and the defense couldn't stop WSU in the 4th quarter when they needed the ball back.  Caleb Williams wasn't going to lead UW to victory in those games (maybe WSU, but certainly not OSU or ILL).  The recruiting aspect wasn't quality of recruits, it was coordination (part of administrative responsibilities); example - they had a LB in for a campus visit and nobody talked to him.  He ended up being a 4-star recruit who signed with Michigan.  And it was waiting 7-8 months to fill the recruiter role (again, administrative duties).

The reason they didn't bring in a QB in the class after Mertz was much more because nobody wanted to come in after Mertz because they thought they wouldn't see the field until they were a senior.  Everybody thought Mertz was going to be a star including the next class of recruits.  They offered at least three 4-star QBs in that class.  They just weren't getting much interest because of Mertz and felt it wasn't worth bringing in a marginal recruit just to say they signed one.

I agree with most if not all of this. I touched on this previously, that if Chryst could've looked into a crystal ball 15 years ago & seen the total sum of what a P5 head coaching job entails, he would've stayed an OC & enjoyed it. But when the nature of the profession is to always "move up" it's hard to curtail that. I think he's an old-school guy who hates the portal & NIL, the glad-handing with alumni & dealing with the media.

I think the recruiting deficiencies have been somewhat overblown. If there was an issue it was more with development, primarily in the OL but somewhat at WR as well, than anything else. Not holding my breath but I hope Mickey Turner can be retained to work on the recruiting end with the new staff members.

[Jim French Stepstool]

On 12/13/2022 at 3:37 PM, homer said:

Armstrong is an interesting case. Boatload of impressive #s in '21 then kinda fell off the map last season. I believe I heard he was working with a new coordinator. He's also left-handed, and those types can be hard to figure. I should know, I'm left-handed.?

[Jim French Stepstool]

On 12/13/2022 at 7:39 PM, LouisEly said:

UW picks up another commit in 3-star TE Tucker Ashcraft, a Colorado decommit.  Still hoping they get that DII TE who is in the portal.

Supposedly this is one of two commits tonight...

Yahtzee. Christian Alliegro, a LB from Connecticut. Had a number of B10 offers, a couple ACC schools, and a couple SEC.

[homer]

 

[RedStickBrew]

3 hours ago, homer said:

 

Evers is a great athlete and has a strong arm.  It will be nice to see that true dual-threat QB play in Madison.  I also saw that Brennan Armstrong from Virginia is visiting this weekend.  He would be another nice addition to the team as Evers has only played one college game.

[UpandIn]

Is there nothing about Evers actually committing to Wisconsin? The #4 duel threat, #7 pocket passer from his class?

A QB who can run the power run game(Adding a component to it) as well as get the ball to the WRers?

 

This is a BIG deal...

[madbad2000]

4 hours ago, UpandIn said:

Is there nothing about Evers actually committing to Wisconsin? The #4 duel threat, #7 pocket passer from his class?

A QB who can run the power run game(Adding a component to it) as well as get the ball to the WRers?

 

This is a BIG deal...

It's a huge deal based on talent and position, but an even bigger deal once we see who he brings with him.  Look for some talent at WR and other offense to follow him.  There is so much value in getting that stud QB early for another level of recruitment.  Evers in a Longo offense is ridiculous to think about.