Badgers say there’s reason to like young roster
August 29, 2016 | Football, Andy Baggot
Being short on experience at some positions brings excitement, not excuses
BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — On paper, the Wisconsin football team is preciously young.
The 114-person roster shows 13 seniors — fourth-fewest among Power Five schools — and only eight in the offensive and defensive two-deep.
Seventeen of those players have started eight career games or fewer heading into the season-opener Saturday vs. fifth-ranked LSU at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
The projected starting offensive backfield — senior quarterback Bart Houston, senior tailback Corey Clement and sophomore fullback Alec Ingold — have a combined two career starts. Clement has both.
The projected starting offensive line for the Badgers has three players with six or fewer starts, including junior left tackle Ryan Ramczyk (zero) and sophomore right tackle Jacob Maxwell (three).
The projected starting safeties — junior D'Cota Dixon and senior Leo Musso — have three starts between them. Musso, the free safety, has them all.
The projected starting linebackers include juniors T.J. Watt (zero starts) and Jack Cichy (four) and sophomore Chris Orr (six).
Three true freshmen are included in the defensive depth chart: free safety Patrick Johnson, nose tackle Garrett Rand and cornerback Caesar Williams.
During his inaugural press conference of the season Monday, UW coach Paul Chryst was asked if all that youth suggests a major void of some kind.
A half-smile creased his face.
"I think we've got an interesting makeup," he said. "We're going to be counting on some young players and that's all right.
"I like this team. I like the way they're been working; appreciate that. I think they're a group that wants to come out each day and get better. That makes it fun to be around them."
The most experienced players on the UW roster are senior outside linebacker Vince Biegel (42 games, 28 starts), senior cornerback Sojourn Shelton (40 games, 37 starts) and junior defensive end Chikwe Obasih (27 games, 20 starts).
The next tier has senior tailback Dare Ogunbowale (35 games, 10 starts), senior wide receiver Rob Wheelwright (33 games, 8 starts), senior wide receiver Reggie Love (32 games, 3 starts).
Biegel was asked if he could sense that he's surrounded by youngsters.
"I think we are young, but I think we've got guys who've played a lot of games," he said. "Look at our offensive line as a great example."
Ramczyk, a transfer from UW-Stevens Point, is projected to make his Division I debut vs. the Tigers. But the rest of the unit — Maxwell, sophomore left guard Micah Kapoi, sophomore center Michael Deiter and sophomore right guard Beau Benzschawel — all worked together down the stretch last season when UW had its most consistent rushing attack.
Biegel is enamored with the newly arrived freshmen. In addition to Johnson, Rand and Williams on defense, a trio of wide receivers — Quintez Cephus, Kendric Pryor, A.J. Taylor — raised eyebrows during preseason training camp.
"Since I've been here this is one of the strongest freshmen classes I've seen," Biegel said.
Shelton is in full agreement.
"It's a case where, yeah, we might be young, but the guys here don't act young," he said. "And there are so positions you can look at."
Shelton pointed to all the linebackers, a young group that includes sophomore T.J. Edwards. He led the Badgers in tackles last season, but is recovering from a stress fracture in his foot and won't play against LSU.
"Their maturity was growing last year and this year those guys are ready to have a commanding role," Shelton said.
The young receivers got Shelton's attention because he lined up across from them throughout camp.
"Those guys made a lot of plays," he said. "All camp those guys have pushed themselves even though they're freshmen."
Shelton believes the youth movement is a good thing for the Badgers.
"I'm excited overall, not just for the back end or the defense, but the team in general," he said. "These guys don't play timid. They don't act a certain way. They're just excited we're a team and everyone is ready to get everything rolling. It's going to be a fun year."
