One year ago, the Wisconsin football team entered the fall as a damaged product. The team underachieved in 2008, head coach Bret Bielema appeared to be on the hot seat, and many expected another lackluster year. What a difference 10 wins can make.
This year, expectations are right back through the roof as the Badgers return talent on both sides of the ball, including last year's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, junior running back John Clay. He will garner the most attention, but there are many other key positions and players to keep an eye out for this fall in Camp Randall.
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Quarterback
Senior signal-caller Scott Tolzien is returning after a junior season in which he led the Big Ten with a 143.0 quarterback efficiency rating. That level of success came as somewhat of a surprise, as Tolzein had to beat out both senior Dustin Scherer and sophomore Curt Phillips for the job.
Phillips, now a redshirt sophomore, will miss the entire season after tearing his ACL in spring practice. The injury compromises the Badgers' depth at the position and means redshirt freshman John Budmayr will be the primary back up.
Running Back
This is the position where the Badgers should make their living this year. Led by last year's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Heisman hopeful, John Clay, UW has a stable of running backs capable of controlling any game. Clay rushed for a Big Ten-best 1,517 yards and 18 touchdowns.
In his freshman season, Montee Ball asserted himself as the No. 2 back and has risen to heir-apparent status behind Clay.
Wide Receiver
The Badgers will also have a talented corps of pass-catchers this season. Junior Nick Toon leads the unit, coming off a sophomore campaign in which he caught 54 passes for 804 yards and four scores.
Senior Issac Anderson provided another reliable target for Tolzein last year, hauling in 30 passes. Fellow senior David Gilreath remains a threat to make big plays across the middle with his standout speed, and senior Kyle Jefferson will be a big target if he can stay healthy.
Tight End
The Badgers may have lost another tight end to the NFL in Garrett Graham, but they will once again be dangerous from the position. Senior Lance Kendricks exploded on to the scene last season, catching 29 passes for 356 yards and three scores and leading the team with seven catches for 129 yards in UW's 20-14 victory over Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl last December.
Behind Kendricks, the Badgers will be inexperienced, with junior Jake Byrne being the only other member of the unit to see playing time last season.
Offensive Line
With a running game as dynamic as Wisconsin's, it figures that the offensive line would be dominant. The Badgers return all five starters and have enough bodies to produce back-ups that could start at many other Division I schools.
Anchored by First Team All-Big Ten left-tackle and senior Gabe Carimi, this mammoth offensive line has the ability to wear down defensive lines, in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten conference. Junior right tackle Josh Ogelsby will be a wild card, as he possesses the prototypical size of NFL tackles but has yet to put it all together on the field.
Defensive line
The defensive line suffered more key losses than any other position this offseason. In addition to losing the heart and soul of the defense in O'Brien Schofield, UW graduated it's two starting tackles. That may prompt junior J.J. Watt to move inside to tackle, where he is more likely to face double teams and making plays on the edge will be more difficult.
Junior Lewis Nzegwu will need to step up and contribute as a defensive end. If the youngsters can form a serviceable rotation, UW should be alright up front.
Linebacker
This linebacking corps has a chance to be as dynamic as any in the league. Borland put together a stellar freshman season in which he recorded 10.5 tackles for loss, forced five fumbles and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
If fellow sophomore Mike Taylor can return to form coming off of knee surgery, this will be a formidably athletic group of playmakers.
Cornerback
With junior Aaron Henry moving to free safety, it will be up to juniors Devin Smith and Antonio Fenelus and senior Niles Brinkley to find consistency and keep opposing passing games in check.
The corners provided a bright spot on an otherwise dull Spring Game, and will probably play a slightly more aggressive style under new secondary coach Chris Ash.
Safety
The Badgers lose the quarterback of their defense with the departure of Chris Maragos, although athleticism will be in no short supply for UW's last line of defense. Henry moves over from cornerback and will have a lot to learn, but his raw ability is obvious.
Senior strong safety Jay Valai can get caught out of position at times, but will be one of the most feared hitters in the country this year. The development of these two as a unit will be pivotal to the Badgers success.
