Wisconsin spring practice report: March 25, 2023

MADISON — For the first time of the Luke Fickell era, the Wisconsin football team hit the field for practice inside the McClain Center on Saturday.

Play of the Day:

There weren’t a ton of big plays on the first day of practice, as the coaches worked to install the offense. The one that did stand out came courtesy of Nick Evers and Chris Brooks Jr. during a 7-on-7 period, as the quarterback ripped a 40-yard dart to the wide receiver, who leaped up to grab it despite solid coverage.

Evers didn’t get a ton of reps, but the arm talent the Oklahoma transfer possesses is clear. The redshirt freshman has the best looking arm mechanics among the quarterbacks and the ball jumps off his hand. We also got a taste of his athleticism on an RPO that he turned into a nice gain.

The good: The pace

After 30-plus seasons of dominating the time of possession and taking full advantage of the play clock, Wisconsin will pick up the pace on offense this year under new coordinator Phil Longo. The pace of practice mirrored that change, with players seemingly always in motion from one snap to the next or from drill to drill. Offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini said last week that the offense is going to be like a constant two-minute drill and it sured looked like it on Saturday.

The not so good: Injuries

There wasn’t anything that stood out as bad on Saturday, so we’ll focus on those that weren’t on the field. We knew a few guys wouldn’t take part — tight ends Clay Cundiff and Cam Large, outside linebacker Aaron Witt — prior to practice starting. A few other notable players joined them on the sidelines. That included wide receiver Bryson Green and defensive tackle Darien Varner. Green has been limited in pre-spring sessions but was able to do some half-speed work with Mordecai after practice. Varner, though, could miss extended time. The Temple transfer was in a boot and on crutches Saturday.

Standouts:

CB Ricardo Hallman — We saw very little of Hallman after a tough afternoon at Michigan State last October, but he’s the second-most experienced cornerback on the roster behind Alexander Smith. His spring got off to a nice start, coming up with a couple big plays. Among them was driving on a short Mordecai pass for what should have been an interception and a touchdown for the defense. Instead, they had to settle for the pass breakup.

Brooks Jr. — He had the highlight play of the day, as noted above, but the redshirt freshman seemed to pop up several more times in practice. At 6-foot-2, 225-pounds, Brooks Jr. provides a big target that isn’t afraid of getting physical. It’s just one day, but he might be able to find a role among what is suddenly a very crowded wide receiver room.

WR Will Pauling — Speaking of wide receivers, Pauling was with the second-team offense as the main slot receiver much of the day. He’s an electric athlete and getting him in space could be a treat to watch for fans. The Cincinnati transfer also had a highlight grab in one-on-ones, toasting the defensive back and then hauling in a pass over his outside shoulder as he fell just inside the pylon for a would-be touchdown.

Seen from the sideline

— Here is the list of players not practicing due to injury. Many of them were rehabbing off to the side during practice.

QB Cole LaCrue (left arm in sling)
WR Bryson Green
OLB Aaron Witt
OL Sean Timmis
CB Max Lofy
LB Aidan Vaughn
LB Luna Larson
DL Darien Varner (In a boot)
TE Clay Cundiff
TE Cam Large
LB Ross Gengler

— It’s just one day, but here is how the first- and second-team units looked on both sides of the ball.

First-team offense

QB Tanner Mordecai
RB Braelon Allen/Chez Mellusi
WR Chimere Dike
WR Skyler Bell
WR Keontez Lewis
TE Jack Eschenbach
LT Jack Nelson
LG Tanor Bortolini
C Jake Renfro
RG Michael Furtney
RT Riley Mahlman

Second-team offense

QB Braedyn Locke
RB Jackson Acker/Cade Yacamelli
WR Chris Brooks Jr
WR CJ Williams
WR Will Pauling (slot)
TE Hayden Rucci
LT Nolan Rucci
LG Joe Brunner
C Dylan Barrett
RG Joe Huber
RT Trey Wedig

First-team defense (2-4-5)

DL Isaiah Mullens
DL Rodas Johnson
OLB CJ Goetz
ILB Maema Njongmeta
ILB Jordan Turner
OLB Daryl Peterson
CB Alexander Smith
S Hunter Wohler
S Travian Blaylock
CB Ricardo Hallman
Slot Jason Maitre

Second-team defense (2-4-5)

DL Gio Paez
DL James Thompson Jr
OLB Kaden Johnson
ILB Jake Chaney
ILB Tate Grass
OLB Jeff Pietrowski/TJ Bollers
CB Avyonne Jones
S Kamo’i Latu
S Austin Brown
CB Jonas Duclona/Jace Arnold
Slot: Amaun Williams

— We didn’t see any kicking during practice but did see all four potential options — Nate Van Zelst, Vito Calvaruso, Nathaniel Vakos and Gavin Lahm — working afterwards.

— The McClain Center isn’t conducive to punting, but Jack Van Dyke and Gavin Meyers, in that order, handled those duties. Wide receivers Chimere Dike, Will Pauling and CJ Williams got time as punt returners.

What’s next?

Wisconsin will return to the field on Tuesday for the second practice of spring.