Jake Byrne was among the more unsung components of the Wisconsin offense; a blocking tight end who rarely if ever drew attention to himself unless he missed a block that blew up a running play. Outside of the team meeting room, who would know? Such was his anonymity.

Byrne had one reception last season and six overall during his 51-game UW career. Yet he was a key contributor to the success that the Badgers have had moving the chains. Nobody realizes that more than Sam Arneson, who's competing for Byrne's job on the line of scrimmage.

"I learned a lot from watching him (Byrne),'' said Arneson, a freshman from Merrill, Wis. "I think people underestimated how good of a blocker he was. He got the job done; time-in and time out.

"That's who we're trying to replace -- being that consistent blocker on the edge. That's what you need to get the offense to go and the tight end is such a pivotal blocker.

"You don't realize that until you have a guy who can't make that block.''

Arneson has gotten a chance to prove himself with the No. 1 offense during spring drills due in part to an injury to tight end Brian Wozniak. The Badgers are looking for a complement to H-back Jacob Pedersen who's coming off an injury and began practicing for the first time this week.

While there's little experience behind Pedersen and Wozniak, both of whom are juniors, there's plenty of promise in the mix that includes Arneson and Brock DeCicco, a junior transfer from Pitt, and Austin Maly and Austin Traylor, redshirt freshmen from Waunakee, Wis., and Columbus, Ohio, respectively.

Even though Arneson is completing only his second semester on campus, he conceded shyly, "You feel a little older. You feel like the guys around you don't view you as that real young guy anymore. You feel like you can say something to a teammate and he'll take it with some respect.''

Arneson has begun to mature physically. Last fall, he reported to training camp at about 245 pounds. He got up to 260 this winter. "I focused on eating a little healthier to maybe shed a little fat and build some muscle,'' he said, crediting UW assistant strength coach Brian Bott for adding "good weight.''

Good how? Well, good from the respect where he said, "I think I'm faster than I was.''

Good also from another very important respect to his position.

"We have to be able to move people,'' said Arneson, speaking for the tight ends who are considered an extension of the offensive line. "It's definitely helping my blocking. I'm moving people better than I was in the fall, not only with my strength but with my (additional) weight.''

In high school, he acknowledged, "Run blocking was easy; it's something you could do.''

But he learned, "You get here as a freshman and they're all pretty much stronger than you.''

Arneson understood what had to happen next.

"You get in the weight room,'' he said, "and you put in the work over the winter.''

Arneson has been auditioning this spring under the watchful eye of a new tight ends coach, Eddie Faulkner, who has replaced Joe Rudolph. Comparing one to the other, he said, "Great coaches, but different coaches with different personalities.''

Asked specifically about Faulkner -- a former Badger running back -- Arneson, whose dad is a former UW tight end, said, "He (Faulkner) is someone you respect right away. He knows his stuff.''

The offense has been tweaked to a degree by coordinator Matt Canada. Along with the coaching turnover, Arneson pointed out, the personnel has also turned over. "We have some different play calls,'' he said, "and different players executing them. It's a lot of the same stuff with different terminology.''

There was the sense that some steps have been taken "and we'll continue to progress as we get more comfortable'' with the offense, he said; particularly given his own youth and inexperience. Arneson is striving "for consistency on every play and being the guy they can really count on.''

If he can get to that point, he would like to consider "maybe taking another step as a leader.''

Byrne took that route in his own quiet way and proved it's not a bad path to follow.

It is probably becoming an annual advisory, but as the Badger football team continues its spring practices leading up to the annual Wisconsin Football Spring Game on April 28, once again I offer the following free advice -- do not get too wound up about what you see, hear or read.

Certainly there are some interesting story lines. Believe it or not, some of them do not include the quarterbacks, but it is dangerous for any Badgers fan to draw conclusions from what you might see on a given day.

In the nearly quarter of a century that I have been around this program, I can't remember one spring game where I walked out of the stadium thinking, "Man, this team looks great!"  It is a practice. If the defense has a good day, fans worry about the offense. If the offense lights up the scoreboard, the defense must be bad, right?

That is not to say the game has been devoid of memorable moments, such as the snow storm during the 1994 spring game. When snowball fights started breaking out on the field, you just knew the day was a little unusual.  The worst moment was in the 2002 scrimmage, when star receiver Lee Evans suffered a season-ending knee injury. The coaches wanted to throw him one deep ball, after which Evans' day would be done. It was, only not in the way anyone intended.

Let us hope nothing close to that happens on the 28th, or ever again in a spring game.

It should be an enjoyable day in Madison, with the 31st-annual Crazylegs Classic starting at 10 a.m., and the spring game getting started at 4 p.m. Consider it a Homecoming in late April.

As for some things to watch during the scrimmage, there appears to be a good battle going on at right guard, where Robert Burge, Casey Dehn and Kyle Costigan are getting turns. Costigan is catching the eyes of many as the sophomore makes the switch back to offense. Offensive line coach Mike Markuson has been doing a fair amount of mixing and matching during drills. With Rob Havenstein recovering from shoulder surgery, Dehn also is getting some run with the first group at right tackle.

A very young group of wide receivers continues to try to make an impression, including Chase Hammond, Marquis Mason, Isaiah Williams, A. J. Jordan and Kenzel Doe. If you watch the spring game, just sit back and see who among them can make a play or two.

You might be fairly familiar with a couple of the running backs, specifically Mr. Ball and Mr. White. But you should also enjoy seeing Melvin Gordon, who has turned in some very good work so far this spring.

Defensively, an encouraging sign has been the gradual return of cornerback Devin Smith. The 2011 season started in promising fashion for the senior, as he played well in the opener against UNLV and was off to an excellent start the next week against Oregon State. Then he broke his foot, ending his season. His return this fall should give the secondary a good lift. In the meantime, Marcus Cromartie gained priceless experience last season, and Peniel Jean is working the other side. A pair of redshirt freshmen, Terrance Floyd and Darius Hillary, show promise as well.

That just scratches the surface of things to watch. Beat reporters Tom Mulhern of the Wisconsin State Journal and Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel do an excellent job of examining each position group, and no doubt both will continue to do that in the next week and a half.

I encourage you to gather all the information you can, but remember, it's springtime. Yes, the practices matter -- perhaps especially this year with a new-look coaching staff gathering firsthand knowledge of the players, and vice-versa.

Enjoy the day. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, and everyone can have a great time. Just don't let yourself get too excited or concerned about what you see in one scrimmage.

There was little time to rest following Saturday's scrimmage, as the Badgers returned to practice Monday to open a week that will see them drill four times in six days.

Despite the quick turnaround, the team was greeted with a brief session inside the McClain Center -- due to windy conditions outside -- and were on the field for just over an hour.

The practice, conducted in half-pack (helmets and shoulder pads only) focused primarily on special teams work, but the Badgers also spent time making corrections from Saturday's scrimmage as the offensive units went head-to-head with the defensive units.

The team returns to full pads for its ninth practice of the spring on Tuesday before closing out the week with a practices on Thursday and Saturday

Head coach Bret Bielema met with the media after Monday's practice, and his complete comments are below:

One of the most meaningful endorsements that a tailback can get is from a linebacker who's entrusted with bringing him down on a regular basis. There's no better measuring stick than the collisions that routinely occur in these situations between the ball-carrier and the tackler.

So listen to what linebacker Chris Borland has to say about tailback Melvin Gordon:

"He's always been an athletic freak since the first day he stepped on campus,'' Borland said of the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Gordon, a redshirt freshman out of Kenosha Bradford High School. "He's a big guy with raw speed. He's got a burst and there are very few guys who can catch him in the secondary.''

Last fall, Gordon saw action in three of the first four games, including eight rushes for 32 yards and his first career touchdown Sept. 24 against South Dakota at Camp Randall Stadium. Overall, he had 28 carries for 98 yards before being sidelined for the rest of the season with a groin injury.

Gordon was able to qualify for a medical redshirt -- thereby preserving four years of eligibility -- because he appeared in less than one-third (4) of the UW's regular season games. During Rose Bowl practices, Gordon returned and got reps simulating Oregon's LaMichael James for the Badgers' No. 1 defense.

This spring, Gordon has reclaimed his own identity all the way to his jersey number: No. 25, which he wore at Bradford when he rushed for over 2,000 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior. In the 2011 training camp, there was the expectation that Gordon would help the Badgers on special teams.

Gordon switched to No. 3 to avoid a potential duplicate number situation with Adam Hampton, a senior defensive back, who was one of the UW leaders on special teams. Hampton was also No. 25.

"Coach B (Bret Bielema) said that he would give me my number back, so No. 3 was temporary,'' Gordon said.

Yes, and no. Last Saturday, Gordon was once again No. 3 -- on the depth chart at tailback -- behind Heisman finalist Montee Ball and James White, a 1,000-yard rusher as a true freshman in 2010. Competing with Gordon for that No. 3 slot is Jeff Lewis, who sat out the scrimmage because of an injury.

White and Gordon each had some explosive downfield runs.

"I'm just out here every day trying to grind and catch up from last year,'' said Gordon, who conceded that he has been able to close some of that ground that he lost to the others "with a new playbook'' under offensive coordinator Matt Canada. "It kind of evened it out for me,'' he said.

Asked for specifics on how the mix of four new assistants on offense may have impacted the play-calling, Gordon said, "It's a little simpler. The terminology has changed a little bit but when it comes down do it, we're still doing the same things, we're still playing Wisconsin football.''

In retrospect, Gordon feels like he got the most out of his disjointed freshman season. "Even though I wasn't participating, I was mentally preparing myself by knowing the plays,'' he said. "I definitely felt like I got mentally stronger. Being a young player, it comes with maturity.''

Borland saw the same things happening with Gordon.

"Early on, he epitomized the young guy,'' Borland recalled. "He came in and didn't quite know how to work. But he has picked up great tips from Montee and James and I definitely think he's going to play and contribute this year.''

Ball, in particular, has been a guiding light for the more inexperienced players on the roster. "Montee is a natural leader just by the way he goes about his business,'' said Borland. "Over the last season and into the spring, Montee has kind of a developed a voice, too, for the offense.''

Gordon paid Ball the ultimate compliment. "I try to compete against Montee,'' he said, singling out Ball's leadership and "how he carries himself in the workouts'' and on the practice field. "I'm just trying to learn how he works so when he leaves I'll know what to do and how to get there.''

Another Bradford product, freshman Vonte Jackson, has joined the "family'' of UW tailbacks. "That's how it is -- it's a brotherhood,'' Gordon said of the position group. "We're real close, we're together all the time outside of here (the stadium). If one needs help the other is there to provide that help.''

Based on the early results, Gordon is a strong candidate to help the Badgers wherever and whenever needed. Besides honing his receiving skills this spring -- what he calls "working on my craft'' -- there is Gordon' recognition that "Montee and James are the top guys'' in the backfield.

So does he feel like that he has something to prove?

"Yes sir,'' Gordon said. "It's important to get my name out there.''

So far, so good

"He's the real deal,'' Borland said.

The Badgers reached the halfway point of spring drills Saturday, using their seventh practice session to conduct a full-contact scrimmage inside Camp Randall Stadium.

"Did it feel good to get out there and play some football?" head coach Bret Bielema asked his team after the 24-period practice held under sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s. Bielema met with the media after practice, and video of his complete remarks can be found above.

The tailback tandem of junior James White and redshirt freshman Melvin Gordon stood out, with each breaking long runs, including one that saw White slip through a hole opened on the right side of the offensive line by RT Casey Dehn and RG Robert Burge. The other offensive highlight was a leaping touchdown catch for TE Sam Arneson as the Badgers operated their offense in the red zone late in the scrimmage.

On the defensive side of the ball, LB Derek Watt found himself in on several plays, while DB Dezmen Southward picked off a pass that he returned down the sideline.

With two weeks remaining until the 2012 Wisconsin Football Spring Game, the Badgers resume practice Monday with a session in half-pack before returning to full pads for practices Tuesday, Thursday and next Saturday.

After an 11-day hiatus for spring break, it was back to practice for the Wisconsin football team Tuesday. UW's fifth session of spring practice had the Badgers back in full pads, through a cold snap forced practice into the McClain Center.

The Badgers drilled for 26 periods, with a number of younger players -- including RB Melvin Gordon and WR Chase Hammond -- standing out.

What drew the most attention, however, was the Badgers' use of a two-tailback setup, with senior Montee Ball and junior James White lining up in the backfield at the same time.

"We're going to get our best players on the field," first-year offensive coordinator Matt Canada said. "We've got guys who can catch it, who can run it. And again, let's try to maximize our best."

It's no wonder the UW coaching staff wants to maximize each player's impact. In the past two seasons, Ball and White have combined for 4,684 rushing yards and 6,000 all-purpose yards.

Following practice, head coach Bret Bielema met with the media. His full remarks can be found below:

Would a proven offensive guard like Kevin Zeitler, a first-team All-Big Ten selection at that position for Wisconsin, have any reservations about playing center, if that's what was asked of him by a pro team? "I wouldn't hesitate,'' he said. "I'd run on the field to play.''

He'd run through a wall first, if that's what it took to play in the NFL.

"Without a doubt,'' he said.

Fact is, Zeitler has fielded questions about his willingness to play center. "It seems like everyone asks, it only makes sense,'' he said. "In the NFL, the backup interior lineman, no matter who it is, has to play all the positions. You have to be ready for anything.''

Zeitler has spent a lot of time getting ready for this moment, the NFL draft.

"You can't be just some guy who wants to get drafted because you did well in college,'' he elaborated. "You have to show them that you're here for their team now and nothing you've done before matters. It's what you do from now on.''

Prior to the start of his freshman year, there was some speculation that Zeitler could wind up at center. So he worked out diligently at that spot on his own. "That's the story that Coach B (Bret Bielema) always tells about me snapping three hours a day,'' he said, smirking.

True or false? "It was clearly true, I was right there snapping against the wall,'' he said, pointing to a corner of the McClain Center, "while Coach was filming a car commercial over there (in an opposite corner). That's what I did all summer. But I got the right guard spot.''

And that's where he started 36 games for the Badgers.

"He stuck with me,'' Zeitler said of Bielema.

Here's a twist of irony: Zeitler worked out Wednesday in front of over a dozen NFL teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and their offensive line coach, Andy Moeller, who had recruited Zeitler while he was an assistant at the University of Michigan.

"He offered me (a scholarship),'' Zeitler said of Moeller, a former linebacker for the Wolverines and the son of ex-Michigan head coach Gary Moeller. "But he called back and said they couldn't take me because they had committed to too many interior linemen.

"I committed here two hours later. It kind of worked out,'' he said, smirking again.

Are there any questions that Zeitler still needs to answer in advance of the draft? "Right now, I guess, can I be a first rounder?'' he posed. "The key is that I want to show them that I'm athletic and try to prove to them that I'm worth a high pick.''

Regarding mock drafts, Zeitler has attempted to keep everything in perspective.

"It's the people who don't ever talk to you who draft you,'' he rationalized of the process. "It's going to be a nice surprise whenever I do get taken. I'll be happy no matter where it is.''

Would a proven offensive center like Peter Konz, a Pro Football Weekly All-American at that position for the Badgers, have any reservations about playing guard, if that's what was asked of him by pro teams?

Well, first of all, nobody has formally asked yet.

"But what they've had me do,'' Konz said, "is some teams have had me snap, some teams have had me in a right-handed or a left-handed stance to get a feel for it (guard). In the NFL, they have seven spots; five for starters, one for an inside player, one for a tackle.''

In other words, Konz's words, it doesn't hurt to be flexible. If you can play center and guard or guard and center it will enhance your marketability. Wednesday's workout was really all about Konz, though Zeitler and UW offensive tackle Josh Oglesby took part in the drills, as well.

After managing only 18 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press at the NFL scouting combine, Konz needed to put up a bigger number -- which he did, 23 reps. Konz gave all the credit for his improvement to UW strength coach Brian Bott, who works with the O-line.

"Getting above 20 reps is important for everybody to make sure there are no red flags, as they say,'' Konz said. "Here at Wisconsin, we don't rep in the 2os at 225 pounds. We're not looking for 225, we're looking for 375, one to eight reps. It's a lot different.

"This will be the only time in my life I do this (reps at 225).

"But you do what your bosses tell you to do.''

Konz felt good about the agility tests and bag drills. More than anything, he wanted to do a little cutting and running (sans 40-yard sprints) so that interested teams could see that he's at least 90 percent recovered from his late-season ankle dislocation.

All he really wanted to do, he said, was show that he can "play football.''

Konz is a potential first-round pick based on what he has shown on tape alone.

"You try to get a feel,'' he said of his draft status and where he might wind up. "My family always asks, and I want to know, too. At the end of the day, it depends on who gets drafted and what trades are made and what a team needs (at a position).

"You may be the best player on the board -- according to some people -- but if the team doesn't need you, they're not going to pick you.''

The last few months, Konz has been adjusting to a different lifestyle.

"One of the strangest things is when you kind of lose that structure of school,'' he said. "For the most part, you don't push yourself as hard because you don't feel the pressure to do so. Kevin and Brian Bott worked me out every day. They were the fire (under him).

"Like Coach Bielema always says, 'When you feel like you're focused in school, you feel more of a drive to feel focused on the field, too.' I'm finishing up an 18-page paper on renewable energy and whether it's feasible. I'm going to get it done before the draft.''

Oglesby had his own motivation for working out Wednesday. "In my position,'' he said, "the more eyes, the better. I'm just trying to put my best foot forward for everyone. A lot of people say they have clues (on the draft) and things like that. I have no idea.''

The reality is that Oglesby has had so many knee surgeries over his high school and college football career that "I bring along baggage.'' That didn't prevent the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys from conducting individual workouts with Oglesby.

"A few teams in Indy said it was up to their medical staff on whether or not I'm slotted in the draft,'' he said of his time at the combine. "Hopefully someone can put aside the knee problems and just grade the player. It all depends on who's willing to take a chance.

"I just want the opportunity to show that I'm still a decent football player.''

Sounded like a modest request.

"You always say that you want to be out in the real world,'' Oglesby said. "And now the real world is here and it's kind of fun and scary at the same time.'' Especially knowing, he added, "The end of the month (the draft) is going to determine the rest of my life.''

With four practices down and 10 to go before the Wisconsin Football Spring Game on April 28, the Badgers broke camp Thursday for spring break.

A 24-period practice -- the team's first of the spring in full pads -- served as a send-off for the players, who will take advantage of a week off as part of UW's spring break before returning to the field on April 10.

Photo Gallery: Practice No. 4

Today's links
* ESPN.com: Big Ten's top game
* SportingNews.com: Counting down best NCAA football/basketball schools
* Madison.com: Bielema not worried about O'Brien's transition to team
* JSOnline.com: Bielema thinks QB moves don't hurt UW's image
* FoxSportsWisconsin.com: Bielem gives Badgers a large spring break
* ESPNWisconsin.com: Been there, done that

Head coach Bret Bielema met with members of the media Thursday, prior to the Badgers' final practice session before spring break.

Bielema discussed his impressions from the first week of spring practice, as well as the addition of Maryland transfer QB Danny O'Brien.

The Badgers practice in full pads for the first time this spring on Thursday before breaking camp for spring break. They return to the field April 10, with an additional 10 practices leading into the Wisconsin Football Spring Game on April 28.

If you could build a team using the players that have suited up for the Badgers during Bret Bielema's six years at the helm of the Wisconsin program, who would you choose?

That was the question we posed during three weeks of voting by fans on the official Wisconsin Football Facebook page. The result is a list of the best to line up at each position during the Bielema era, as chosen by the fans -- the All-Bielema Team.

In the last five NFL drafts, a total of 16 UW players have been selected. That number will grow in a big way this year, with a school-record eight players invited to the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine -- the second most of any school in the nation.

Over the past six seasons, the Badgers have had finalists for the Heisman Trophy, Doak Walker Award, John Mackey Award, Rimington Trophy, Ted Hendricks Award, Manning Award and Lou Groza Award. In addition, Scott Tolzien won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, J.J. Watt won the Lott IMPACT trophy, and Gabe Carimi and Joe Thomas both won the Outland Trophy.

Leads to some tough choices, huh?

Tough enough, in fact, that a number of players who have gone on to play in the NFL didn't even sniff inclusion on the All-Bielema Team.

Garrett Graham was a distant third in the voting at tight end, while other pros -- like FB Chris Pressley, LT Carimi, RG Kraig Urbik and QB Scott Tolzien -- didn't make the cut, either.

With that in mind, here's the All-Bielema Team, which was originally released in the March 15 issue of Varsity magazine:

OFFENSE

Quarterback
* Russell Wilson (2011)

Running Back
* Montee Ball (2009-11)

Fullback
* Bradie Ewing (2008-11)

Tight End
* Travis Beckum (2006-08)

Wide Reciever
* Nick Toon (2008-11)
* Jared Abbrederis (2010-11)

Left Tackle
* Joe Thomas (2006)

Left Guard
* John Moffitt (2007-10)

Center
* Peter Konz (2009-11)

Right Guard
* Kevin Zeitler (2009-11)

Right Tackle
* Josh Oglesby (2008-11)


DEFENSE

Defensive End
* J.J. Watt (2009-10)

Defensive Tackle
* Nick Hayden (2006-07)

Defensive Tackle
* Patrick Butrym (2008-11)

Defensive End
* O'Brien Schofield (2007-09)

Outside Linebacker
* Mike Taylor (2009-11)

Middle Linebacker
* Chris Borland (2009, 2011)

Outside Linebacker
* Jonathan Casillas (2006-08)

Corner Back
* Jack Ikegwuonu (2006-07)
* Antonio Fenelus (2008-11)

Strong Safety
* Jay Valai (2007-10)

Free Safety
* Aaron Henry (2007, 2009-11)


SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker
* Taylor Mehlhaff (2006-07)

Punter
* Brad Nortman (2008-11)

Returns
* David Gilreath (2007-10)