We've reached the home stretch of the college football
season, and so we're coming down to the wire on Badgers football mailbag
questions. This week, we discuss possible future replacements for Jacob
Pedersen and Jared Abbrederis, Tanner McEvoy as a long-term defensive option
and the prospects of running back Melvin Gordon returning for his junior
season.
If you have a question and missed out this week, we'll post
a submission link Saturday night following Wisconsin's game against Indiana.
As always, thanks to everyone who submitted questions this
week:
Q: Who is the coaching staff high on to fill the shoes of
Pedersen and Abbrederis when their time is done in Madison? Doesn't seem to me
replacements are being developed, but it's hard to tell from my couch on
Saturdays. Great job as always.
-- Mike, Lake Geneva, WI
A: To say that any player will be able to fill the
shoes of tight end Jacob Pedersen or wide receiver Jared Abbrederis is a
stretch. Let's consider that Pedersen is the reigning conference tight end of
the year, and Abbrederis is about to pass Brandon Williams for second on UW's
career receiving yards list. There simply aren't guys who will step in and
fully replace that type of production.
Still, Wisconsin has to put guys out there, so who will they
be? Sam Arneson seems to be a prime candidate at tight end. The junior has five
catches this season for 56 yards and caught a touchdown pass against Ohio State
while filling in for the injured Pedersen. He's the only player with a proven
track record on the field that will be back next season. But let's not forget
how deep and talented the Badgers always seem to be at tight end. They still
have Austin Maly and Austin Traylor -- both will be redshirt juniors next year
-- and young guys such as T.J. Watt and Troy Fumagalli. I think the future is
bright at tight end.
As for receiver, this is one of the biggest questions moving
forward. We've been talking about Abbrederis' value to the team for the past
three years, and he's excelled the last two seasons without a solid No. 2
threat. You'd like to think someone like Jordan Fredrick will have learned
enough from Abbrederis to take over as the top guy. Alex Erickson also has
shown lots of promise and shares a similar story as Abbrederis -- walk-on
quarterback to wide receiver.
In reality, Wisconsin probably will need to use a
receiver-by-committee approach. To expect any player to suddenly start
averaging 100 yards receiving per game is unrealistic. The Badgers need to hope
their recruits develop enough consistency to make an impact on game day.
Q: Tanner McEvoy has been a terrific defensive addition.
Do you think that they might just keep him there for next year? He could be
all-Big Ten by senior year, at this rate of improvement.
-- Chris Van Wagner, Madison
A: McEvoy has told the media on several occasions
that he still considers himself a quarterback. But it seems hard to believe he
could come in during the spring or fall and unseat Joel Stave as Wisconsin's
starting quarterback. And if he's going to be a backup quarterback, why not put
him in a place where he can be of use? Besides, Bart Houston is plenty capable
at quarterback and would make for a great backup option.
We know defensive coordinator Dave Aranda loves McEvoy at
safety. McEvoy is listed at 6-foot-6, 223 pounds, so he's got the size to be a
top-level Big Ten safety. I actually agree with your assessment that he could
develop into one of the best players at his position in the Big Ten when it's
all said and done. Consider that the coaching staff basically threw McEvoy
right into the fire after he already tried quarterback and wide receiver in the
fall. Now, he's a key piece to the puzzle and has 17 tackles with an
interception.
The coaches have said all along that they want to get the
best players on the field any way they can. McEvoy has a better chance to
contribute on defense, and given the strides he has made in just a few short
months, perhaps it's best for the team if he stays there.
Q: Looking ahead to next season, I think the most
important question is whether Melvin Gordon will be back. Has he given any
indication about his plans for 2014, or do you have any sense whether he'll
enter the draft or come back? Thanks!
-- Mitch Cyldeburg, Madison, WI
A: Gordon has given no indication as to whether he'll
return for his junior year in 2014. That probably scares a lot of Badgers fans,
but he does seem to enjoy the college atmosphere. He would be the go-to guy in
the backfield next season with James White gone, and that could appeal to
Gordon as well. Plus, he'd be an early Heisman Trophy candidate in 2014 and
would be on everybody's radar.
The way I see it is if Gordon submits his name to the NFL's
draft advisory board -- and I would expect him to do so after the season -- and
he hears back that he'll be a first-round draft pick, then he has to leave.
I've talked to NFL Draft gurus who say this is not a particularly strong
running back class for seniors, which actually boosts Gordon's draft stock. But
the running back position has been devalued of sorts in a pass-heavy NFL, and
there aren't any tailbacks listed as first-round picks right now.
Still, Gordon is a top-50 type of talent, which would put
him in the second round. Maybe he decides the second round is too good to pass
up. Or maybe he decides to come back for one more season to prove himself as a
leader as Montee Ball did and improve his draft stock.
The one thing Wisconsin may have going for it is the path
Ball chose. Despite being a Heisman Trophy finalist as a junior, he was told
he'd be no higher than a third-round NFL draft pick. He returned for his senior
season, and even though his numbers weren't quite as good, he wound up being
taken in the second round.
Q: How have the additions of Rutgers and Maryland
impacted traditional areas of recruiting for Wisconsin (i.e. New Jersey, where
we've gotten some of our best running backs over the years)?
-- Steven Joseph, Milwaukee, WI
A: If nothing else, it will put Wisconsin on the
radar for East coast recruits when the Badgers play on TV against a local team
(Rutgers or Maryland). At this point, Wisconsin has branched out and become more
of a national player on the recruiting scene. Freshman running back Corey
Clement set all sorts of records as a talented New Jersey prep player. His
success, I believe, is more likely to attract other recruits from the area
rather than the addition of Rutgers and Maryland.
This coaching staff has plenty of national ties,
particularly to the West coast. But running backs coach Thomas Hammock has done
a tremendous job of recruiting out East, and the staff also has ties to
Florida.
Wisconsin currently has 18 commits for the class of 2014.
Two players are from Maryland -- wide receiver Chris Jones and running back
Taiwan Deal. Maybe that's all just coincidence, but the fact Wisconsin can
pluck players from other programs' backyards is a positive sign moving forward.
More exposure to other regions can only help Wisconsin when it comes time to
find the next recruit. But the truest way to lure recruits is for players from
those other states to excel at Wisconsin, which would make high school
prospects want to be a part of something special.
Q: What sort of adjustments have stood out to you from
Andersen as the season progressed? Personnel packages, play calling, schemes?
-- Sven, Denver
A: I think one of the most noticeable changes has
been making a concerted effort to get tight end Jacob Pedersen the ball. Early
in the season, Jared Abbrederis seemed to be the only player quarterback Joel
Stave looked for in the passing game. In the first six games of this season,
Pedersen averaged just 29.7 receiving yards per game. Over the past two, he is
averaging 61.0 yards per game. That's a pretty significant jump, and it makes
life even more difficult for defenses because now they have to worry about
another offensive threat -- in addition to Abbrederis and running backs Melvin
Gordon and James White.
"He's such a mismatch problem, and you see him
continually catch contested balls," Badgres coach Gary Andersen said of
Pedersen on Monday. "He runs great routes. He causes some real issues. I
think we definitely made an effort to get the ball to him more. It's making him
more productive, and it's making our offense better too."
Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig has done a nice job of
keeping much of the old playbook to make the transition to a new coaching staff
easier this season. Left guard Ryan Groy told me last week that "90
percent" of the playbook was the same, although that number seems high to
me.
As the coaching staff grows more comfortable with the
personnel, recruits its own players and has more time to implement its style, I
think we'll see new wrinkles pop up offensively in the next few seasons. But
you can't argue with the success of the team this season. Those 37.1 points per
game are on pace to rank third in program history for a single season.
