Wisconsin Badgers beat writer Jesse Temple will be analyzing the 30 most important players to the Badgers' success in the 2015 season. Check back each weekday to see the latest player on the list.
Note: This is not a list of the team's 30 best players or a series about past success, but rather which of them means the most to how Wisconsin will fare this year. Criteria such as depth at that player's position, general expectations and overall importance of that player having a good season are all highly considered. The list does not include incoming freshmen because their potential impact is unknown at this time.
No. 18 -- Dare Ogunbowale, running back
Why he's No. 18
Ogunbowale was one of the surprise performers last season given that he began the year as a defensive back. He showed natural instincts and athleticism at running back and wound up as the team's third-stringer there because of injuries to Taiwan Deal and Caleb Kinlaw. This season, with a full year to prepare for playing the position, Ogunbowale figures to be an important part of Wisconsin's rushing attack.
Expectations for 2015
Ogunbowale showed off his capabilities during the team's April spring game, when he carried 11 times for 89 yards with two touchdowns. Granted, his carries came against some of the Badgers' defensive reserves, but it was enough to leave UW fans satisfied with the direction of the run game.
Ogunbowale scored on a 55-yard touchdown run that demonstrated his speed, when he cut back across the field from right to left and outran the rest of the team midway through the third quarter. He closed the quarter with a 20-yard touchdown run in which he beat safety Leo Musso and then squeezed past safety Lubern Figaro, diving over the goal line in the front left corner of the end zone.
"Dare's a guy that's been around it," Badgers head coach Paul Chryst said after the spring game. "(He's) a little bit more mature. A guy that I think can contribute in a number of different ways and certainly had a couple big runs today and did some good things. So I think we might have started to develop some depth there."
Last season, Ogunbowale carried 34 times for 193 yards with a touchdown. Though he generally carried during mop-up duty late in blowout games, his 5.7 yards per carry average was impressive. It'll be difficult to match that production if he's a more utilized tool in the backfield, he would provide a nice change of pace from either Corey Clement's blend of power and speed or Taiwan Deal's all-out brute downhill strength.
Ogunbowale will enter the fall as the No. 2 tailback, but don't be surprised if Deal overtakes him by the time the season begins. Both tailbacks said they expected to be used as part of a three-man running back rotation, which certainly would help to keep the players fresh during the grind of a Big Ten season.
"We've been making sure we push each other on the field and off the field all spring," Ogunbowale said. "Taiwan is like a little brother to me, and he's a great running back. He's going to be a great running back. I'm just excited to see him doing well, and we're just making sure that we both compete going against each other."
What would they do without him?
Ogunbowale has put himself in position to be a key contributor behind Clement. Perhaps Wisconsin won't have a truly defined backup if Ogunbowale and Deal continue to impress, as each player could be used depending on the situation. If something happened to Ogunbowale, Deal would be the clear-cut No. 2 -- and he still may be when it's all said and done.
The bigger area of concern would be which player would emerge as the third-string tailback. Incoming freshman Jordan Stevenson could be that player. Other tailbacks on the roster right now are Caleb Kinlaw, Austin Ramesh and Mark Saari.
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