Wisconsin Football 2024

[Playing Catch]

Sounds like the portal is trecherous.

I'll see myself out.

[CheezWizHed]

On 12/12/2024 at 8:29 AM, Playing Catch said:

Sounds like the portal is TRECHerous.

I'll see myself out.

Fixed. Got to lean into some of those puns... don't want people to overlook them. 😂

  

On 12/11/2024 at 9:40 PM, wallus said:

I'm guessing the new OC and new transfer QB (TBD) plus more NIL money did the trick.

Or the previous QB entering the transfer protocol? 

I'm certainly glad Kekehuna came back.  He has a really nice upside.  Pauly was our best WR last year when healthy... but Kekehuna made bigger plays.  He could be a special WR. 

[Jim French Stepstool]

On 12/11/2024 at 9:40 PM, wallus said:

I'm guessing the new OC and new transfer QB (TBD) plus more NIL money did the trick.

In all likelihood Jeff Grimes' first recruiting success, in a manner of speaking.

[Samurai Bucky]

On 12/12/2024 at 8:29 AM, Playing Catch said:

Sounds like the portal is trecherous.

I'll see myself out.

I see... the intended pun.  Noice!

[JosephC]

As of this morning the Badgers have 77 scholarship players, so room for 8 transfers (there could be late signings from high schoolers, but I wouldn't anticipate any).  And while all the outgoing transfers have probably made their intentions known, we could always lose a couple more early entries to the NFL draft.

There obviously can be position changes between now and the fall, but right now Joe McNamara projects as following-

https://wisconsin.rivals.com/news/football-projected-scholarship-distribution-1

QB - 3 (2 true freshmen)

RB - 5

WR - 10 (1 true freshman)

TE - 7 (2 true freshmen)

OL = 16 (5 true freshmen)

DL = 7 (3 true freshmen)

ILB = 6 (2 true freshmen)

OLB = 9 (3 true freshmen)

CB = 7 (3 true freshman)

S = 5 (3 true freshman)

Special Teams = 2

One QB, multiple defensive linemen and defensive backs all look to be significant and equal priorities.  Some pretty alarming numbers as those spots.  

[LouisEly]

Scholarships are supposedly going to increase to 105 for the 2025 season once the House vs NCAA lawsuit is settled, with roster limits (including walk-ons) limited to 105 as well.  So, there may be room for more than eight transfers, particularly once the spring portal window opens.

As you mentioned, upper-classmen DBs, DL, and a QB are the priorities with an edge rusher and TE already in the fold.  And there are 12 teams in the playoffs this year who have had few players enter the portal (so far almost 2,000 in FBS, or almost 15 per team).  Once they're eliminated, there will be more players available.

[Samurai Bucky]

On 12/14/2024 at 10:49 PM, LouisEly said:

Scholarships are supposedly going to increase to 105 for the 2025 season once the House vs NCAA lawsuit is settled, with roster limits (including walk-ons) limited to 105 as well.  So, there may be room for more than eight transfers, particularly once the spring portal window opens.

Scholarships?  With NIL, I didn't know they existed anymore.  😉

[LouisEly]

UW just got a 2nd DL in Corey Walker from Western Michigan in addition to Parker Peterson from Tulane.

Peterson - 6'4", 300, 5 TFL, 2.5 sacks.  Looks like he came in as an edge rusher and put on 40 lbs of good weight.  Late bloomer.

Walker - more of a DE, listed at 6'5", 270, 15 TFL and 8 sacks over the last two seasons. Might have been initially recruited as a TE out of HS..  Flipping from TE to DE and transferring from a Michigan directional school has worked out well in the past.

Might be getting 2 QBs.  Danny O'Neil from San Diego State apparently has committed.  Started as a true freshman last year.  And Billy Edwards from Maryland visited UW and then canceled his visit to Michigan.

[igor67]

I'm kind of curious to here from any professors these days how classes are going with this amount of transferring.

[nate82]

The Badgers also got Tanner Koziol.  TE is looking to be a plus for next year.

 

https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2024/12/14/24321134/breaking-wisconsin-badgers-land-commitment-from-ball-state-tight-end-tanner-koziol-transfer-portal

[nate82]

Both Lockes won’t be at UW in 2025.  One uncommitted and the other entered the transfer portal.  I am assuming both were told they didn’t have a position on the team. 

[yourout]

16 minutes ago, nate82 said:

Both Lockes won’t be at UW in 2025.  One uncommitted and the other entered the transfer portal.  I am assuming both were told they didn’t have a position on the team. 

I think that was inevitable once Longo was let go.

[nate82]

50 minutes ago, yourout said:

I think that was inevitable once Longo was let go.

Inevitable yes but the two recent transfers coming in plus Carter Smith probably had more to do with it.  Plus the younger Locke had a torn ACL so he was unlikely to even play this year and was probably going to be limited in practice.  Not much of a path to starting for the younger Locke.  I wonder if Mettauer will now transfer.  He looks like he will behind both of the transfers.

[LouisEly]

Big day, got their likely starting QB in Billy Edwards from Maryland.  Edwards the likely starter, O'Neil the backup.  More evidence that the coaches don't think that Mettauer will be ready next year.

Also picked up a 3rd DL, UT-Martin's Charles Perkins.  FCS Freshman All-American in 2023.  64 tackles, 29 pressures, 13 TFLs, and 6.5 sacks over his freshman and sophomore seasons.  Listed at 6'3", 300.  Two years of eligibility remaining.

And picked up a much-needed DB in Richmond's Matthew Traynor.  6'1", 200, safety w/69 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and 2 INTs last year as a redshirt freshman.  Three years of eligibility remaining.

Lastly got their long snapper in Eli Stein, a Wisconsin native and transfer from Arkansas.

Got QB and DL shored up, need to grab a few more DBs.

[Jim French Stepstool]

38 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

Big day, got their likely starting QB in Billy Edwards from Maryland.  Edwards the likely starter, O'Neil the backup.  More evidence that the coaches don't think that Mettauer will be ready next year.

Also picked up a 3rd DL, UT-Martin's Charles Perkins.  FCS Freshman All-American in 2023.  64 tackles, 29 pressures, 13 TFLs, and 6.5 sacks over his freshman and sophomore seasons.  Listed at 6'3", 300.  Two years of eligibility remaining.

And picked up a much-needed DB in Richmond's Matthew Traynor.  6'1", 200, safety w/69 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and 2 INTs last year as a redshirt freshman.  Three years of eligibility remaining.

Lastly got their long snapper in Eli Stein, a Wisconsin native and transfer from Arkansas.

Got QB and DL shored up, need to grab a few more DBs.

As you mentioned about TE-to-DL guys from MAC schools in the state of Michigan working out, hopefully we also have continued success with FCS DL re Perkins. Eligah Hills wound up being a guy that could make plays, wish he had another year.

Might O'Neil back up Edwards & actually NOT transfer? Having the same starting QB in successive years (26 & 27), I've forgotten what that's like. I agree it's not a good look for Mettauer, signing a couple QBs after watching him every day since August.

Hard to know for sure w/o actually seeing him play but the numbers suggest Traynor is a physical safety. Much needed post-Wohler.

[CheezWizHed]

Thoughts on where Wohler lands in the draft?  Seems like a pretty natural football player and leader, but not sure about his physical capabilities.  Seems like he might be an Evan Williams type player. 

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[nate82]

4 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

Thoughts on where Wohler lands in the draft?  Seems like a pretty natural football player and leader, but not sure about his physical capabilities.  Seems like he might be an Evan Williams type player. 

---

 

I think he goes undrafted but talent wise probably a 6th or 7th round projection with maybe a 5th round if he does extremely well at the combine.  

[Samurai Bucky]

Pauling and Williams enter the Portal.  Pauling was hit and miss.  Williams was a disappointment for me.

 

[nate82]

Pauling developed the drops this season and Williams just never did anything.  Vinny Anthony passed him by and never looked back.  I think Trech coming back sealed Pauling’s fate.  I would rather have Trech going forward than Pauling for one more year.  

[CheezWizHed]

Pauling was a good "gotta have it" WR because he was good at getting open on shorter routes.  But wasn't much of a long threat (at least not when I was watching) and seemed to be injured pretty often.  Hurst to lose him, but yes... I'll take Trech and Anthony for higher upside. 

[JosephC]

The experts I work with (seriously, people who watch A LOT of football and have opinions that I trust) did not have great things to say about Edwards.  One said, if Locke is a "D," Edwards is probably a "C-."  Other opinion was, "I don't ever remember seeing O'Neil play, but I'm hoping he can beat out Edwards because that guy is nothing special."

I thought Reiger looked the most interesting on paper.  Then did more research and, from what I understand, he was expected to play last year after having a knee injury from 2023, but then developed complications and missed all of 2024.  That doesn't sound good.

Parker Peterson seems to be the big "get" so far.  Have to admit that the additions seem pretty underwhelming to me.

 

[Playing Catch]

My "old" Badger fandom would have me sweating all of these transfers. My "new" Badger fandom says, who cares? The players we bring in can't be any worse.

That sounds negative and cynical, but I promise it's not! It's really more of an optimistic outlook. Look, the roster this season was poor. Someone asked about Wohler's draft profile a few posts ago, and I think most of us agreed with the idea of 6th round to undrafted. He was our BEST player?? Yikes!

Pauling is a loss. But if the Badgers are basically keeping Trech, and replacing Pauling with that Ball State tight end, I am IN. I tried to get on board with the Dairy Raid, I really did. But gosh do I hate that stupid stuff. I want ALL the tight ends.

[LouisEly]

12 hours ago, JosephC said:

The experts I work with (seriously, people who watch A LOT of football and have opinions that I trust) did not have great things to say about Edwards.  One said, if Locke is a "D," Edwards is probably a "C-."  Other opinion was, "I don't ever remember seeing O'Neil play, but I'm hoping he can beat out Edwards because that guy is nothing special."

As of the beginning of this week, according to 24/7 Edwards was tied for the 14th ranked QB in the portal by rating (.8700).  Of the 13 ranked ahead of him, five had already committed.  Of the remaining eight, only three had thrown more than 100 passes in FBS games - Mendoza (Cal), Murphy (Duke), and Salter (Liberty).  Mateer had not officially entered the portal yet (and it's likely he's following his OC to Oklahoma).

If you wanted an experienced starter, your options at the time were Mendoza, Murphy, Salter, and Edwards.  If you wanted someone with P4 experience, scratch Salter.  According to sources, UW reached out to Mendoza to visit, but he declined.

Also, Maryland's OL was ranked in the bottom 5 in all of FBS.  The most popular player on every team is the backup QB.

[nate82]

3 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

Someone asked about Wohler's draft profile a few posts ago, and I think most of us agreed with the idea of 6th round to undrafted. He was our BEST player?? Yikes!

I don’t think Wohler was the best player on the team let alone on defense.  He was probably the most complete player on the defensive side of the team.  Overall he was far from the best player.  Trech and Ashcraft are far better players.  I would put both of them as the best players on the team over Wohler.

[Samurai Bucky]

1 hour ago, nate82 said:

I don’t think Wohler was the best player on the team let alone on defense.  He was probably the most complete player on the defensive side of the team.  Overall he was far from the best player.  Trech and Ashcraft are far better players.  I would put both of them as the best players on the team over Wohler.

Ashcraft could be better, but his presnap penalties were a staple for the Badger offense this year.  Many times, I was calling for Seagreaves to step in because Ashcraft's head wasn't in the game.

I tried to find a site that showed how many times each player was flagged.  I couldn't find one.  What I do know is Mrs. Samurai and I would often say, "Yup -- there is Ashcraft with another penalty."