Badgers abandon the TE position, RB Mellusi head injury, star OL transfer still out

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swingman

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Looks like Fickell is running his TE scholarship athletss out of the program to make more room for WRs. Young TE, OL, and RB recruits should all be aware if you want to be an NFL style TE, OL or RB, Madison is no longer a good destination....if you want to be an arena league or CFL type plaer, go for it.

MADISON – Wisconsin tight ends coach Nate Letton is running out of bodies.

Redshirt sophomore Jack Pugh, who has been among the top three tight ends in camp, did not attend practice Thursday at Camp Randall Stadium.

Head coach Luke Fickell was not available Thursday and a UW official said there was no update on Pugh’s status.

In addition to the absence of Pugh, freshman Tucker Ashcraft spent most of practice Thursday working on the side with one of the trainers.

UW opened camp minus Clay Cundiff and Jack Eschenbach. According to Fickell, Cundiff and Eschenbach left the team shortly before camp. In addition, Cam Large is rehabbing from an unspecified injury and according to Fickell may not play this season

...Tailback Chez Mellusi, who had been held out of practice the last three days after suffering a head injury, wore a no-contact jersey but got minimal work. Mellusi spent most of practice working on the side with a trainer.

....Through eight days of camp, Tanor Bortolini continues to work at center on the No. 1 line, with Cincinnati transfer Jake Renfro on the No. 2 unit.

Renfro was an all-conference center in 2021 but missed last season because of a knee injury and missed most of spring practice because of a stress fracture in his lower left leg.
 


The Athletic has been printing quite detailed daily reports from training camp.
To contrast with the past, the WI offense has multiple real threats at WR, multiple talented CBs, new offensive, and defensive schemes, the OL seems to have adapted to the new scheme as have the RBs, and the three QBs in the depth chart are competent.
The RBs are listed as possible award winners and are happy with how the new offensive scheme gives them more options.
There is a different approach to PR compared to Chryst by letting the practices so far be open to the press and Fickell and his coaches are readily available.
This is a brief summary of the multiple, very long articles available to anyone with a The Athletic or NY Times subscription.
Their articles on the Big Horn Network, realignment, soccer, etc are first rate so if you are really intereted in sports writing, get a subscription..
 


My best hope is Fickell in Madison is like Rich Rod/Michigan or Minnesota switching from the zone running scheme of the late 90s/early 2000s to the spread.

My biggest fear is Wisconsin makes a seamless transition and Fickell has success similar to his time at Cincinnati.
 




I think the article states that WI is running out of healthy TEs for practice purposes, in part due to injuries. Fickell lets more of his practices be observed that Fleck does. Despite the TE "shortage" WI is apparently practicing some heavy sets with 2 and 3 TE packages. Might be de-emphasizing TEs, but not abandoning.
 




Plato said:
The Athletic has been printing quite detailed daily reports from training camp.
To contrast with the past, the WI offense has multiple real threats at WR, multiple talented CBs, new offensive, and defensive schemes, the OL seems to have adapted to the new scheme as have the RBs, and the three QBs in the depth chart are competent.
The RBs are listed as possible award winners and are happy with how the new offensive scheme gives them more options.
There is a different approach to PR compared to Chryst by letting the practices so far be open to the press and Fickell and his coaches are readily available.
This is a brief summary of the multiple, very long articles available to anyone with a The Athletic or NY Times subscription.
Their articles on the Big Horn Network, realignment, soccer, etc are first rate so if you are really intereted in sports writing, get a subscription..
Click to expand...
Sounds like desperation to me.
 

MNfootballfan said:
My best hope is Fickell in Madison is like Rich Rod/Michigan or Minnesota switching from the zone running scheme of the late 90s/early 2000s to the spread.

My biggest fear is Wisconsin makes a seamless transition and Fickell has success similar to his time at Cincinnati.
Click to expand...
I hope Fickell is like Fickell was at OSU.
 

Plato said:
The Athletic has been printing quite detailed daily reports from training camp.
To contrast with the past, the WI offense has multiple real threats at WR, multiple talented CBs,
Click to expand...
Agree
Plato said:
new offensive, and defensive schemes, the OL seems to have adapted to the new scheme as have the RBs,
Click to expand...
Based on?
Plato said:
and the three QBs in the depth chart are competent.
Click to expand...
They have one I know for sure is competent. The two on the bench don’t matter as much unless banking on injury
Plato said:
The RBs are listed as possible award winners and are happy with how the new offensive scheme gives them more options.
Click to expand...
What else are they going to say?
Plato said:
There is a different approach to PR compared to Chryst by letting the practices so far be open to the press and Fickell and his coaches are readily available.
Click to expand...
Brewster was more open with the press
Plato said:
This is a brief summary of the multiple, very long articles available to anyone with a The Athletic or NY Times subscription.
Their articles on the Big Horn Network, realignment, soccer, etc are first rate so if you are really intereted in sports writing, get a subscription..
Click to expand...
Agree. I liked the athletic and had it last fall. Didn’t continue it through winter and spring. Debating re-subscribing for football season
 

MNfootballfan said:
My best hope is Fickell in Madison is like Rich Rod/Michigan or Minnesota switching from the zone running scheme of the late 90s/early 2000s to the spread.

My biggest fear is Wisconsin makes a seamless transition and Fickell has success similar to his time at Cincinnati.
Click to expand...
If Fickell is Cincinnati Fickell is 13-9 against teams that are “power 4” 2024 teams.

The wins:
Indiana (4-8)
Indiana (2-10)
Notre Dame (11-2)
UCF
Houston
Houston
UCF
UCLA (4-8)
UCF
Houston
Boston college (6-7)
UCLA (3-9)
Virginia Tech (6-7)


The one win against 11-2 Notre Dame was a Notre Dame team who was 3-2 against teams with winning records and one of those 3 was 7-6 Toledo.



If Fickell has success similar to his success at Cincinatti. He will be perennially 6-6 to 9-3 type teams.


My fear is he exceeds his success at cincinatti.

In his career including Ohio state he has 3 wins against 2023 power 5 opponents that finished with winning records.
2 of them while at Ohio state
 



conventional wisdom says that a team making a major change in its offensive philosophy generally needs at least a year or more to make the transition.

but today, with the transfer portal, a team can turn over personnel much quicker than the old days.

so WI is definitely going to look different on offense.

but - what happens to the defense now that Jim Leonhard is no longer calling the shots? I think that is just as big a question as the offense.
 

PJ Fleck has a lot of new tough hombres to contend with. Don’t expect the Gophers to raise the white flag.
 


Plato said:
The Athletic has been printing quite detailed daily reports from training camp.
To contrast with the past, the WI offense has multiple real threats at WR, multiple talented CBs, new offensive, and defensive schemes, the OL seems to have adapted to the new scheme as have the RBs, and the three QBs in the depth chart are competent.
The RBs are listed as possible award winners and are happy with how the new offensive scheme gives them more options.
There is a different approach to PR compared to Chryst by letting the practices so far be open to the press and Fickell and his coaches are readily available.
This is a brief summary of the multiple, very long articles available to anyone with a The Athletic or NY Times subscription.
Their articles on the Big Horn Network, realignment, soccer, etc are first rate so if you are really intereted in sports writing, get a subscription..
Click to expand...

Ever heard of year zero? /s

The fake enthusiasm, smiling, backslapping of Fickell and Co at “The Launch” was just too much. A little wierd, to be honest. We’ll see how they look later this fall. Who knows, maybe it all comes together and I’ll have to eat my shoe. Given the newer restrictions on practice, the turnover most teams will probably look pretty bad early on.
 

The pot calls the kettle black. Is PJ not a "little weird"?
 

Plato said:
The pot calls the kettle black. Is PJ not a "little weird"?
Click to expand...

Hey, Fickell isn’t Chryst. He’s trying to be Mr energy but it doesn’t work as well. We’ll see how it goes. Massive expectations. Delusional, maybe. McIntosh swinging for the seats and he might connect if not this year with the relatively friendly schedule then at some point.
 

PJ could not swing into the seats last year with a schedule as easy as WI's is this year so at the end of the season, it will all become more clear.
 


Plato said:
PJ could not swing into the seats last year with a schedule as easy as WI's is this year so at the end of the season, it will all become more clear.
Click to expand...

Yes, I’d say they missed a golden opportunity. It will be interesting to see how Luke does at a higher level of conference competition than at Cincinnati, and without anywhere near Ohio State’s talent. I don’t know.
 


Again, one of the many reasons that Chryst is gone.
I have a suspicion it will be harder to hold onto this year.
 

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