Takeaways from Wisconsin football’s second spring practice: Badgers need more offensive line depth, Chez Mellusi injury update and more

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MADISON – Wisconsin held its second practice of the spring on Tuesday inside the McClain Center.

Head coach Luke Fickell, who brought in another dozen transfers and has nine freshmen already enrolled, addressed several topics afterward.

Wisconsin football’s new offensive line coach A.J. Blazek needs more bodies

UW’s No. 1 offensive line Tuesday featured left tackle Jack Nelson, left guard Joe Brunner, center Jake Renfro, right guard Joe Huber and right tackle Riley Mahlman.

The second and third units were littered with inexperienced players.

Freshman Kevin Heywood was the No. 2 left tackle and freshman Colin Cubberly was the No. 3 center.

UW has three more freshmen linemen set to join the team in the summer – Derek Jensen of Arrowhead, Emmerson Mandell of Minnesota and Ryan Cory of Pennsylvania.

“I wish we had others (here),” he said of the freshmen. “I think these guys that choose to come in at this time understand that there are some things that are going to be thrown on their plate that they are going to have to embrace.

“And that is going against some guys that have played a lot of ball in college. They have to understand what and why they are doing things.

“I think for us to get better – the whole program – you have to be able to rep three groups in the spring. And without having some of those guys (here) it makes it really difficult. How do you get enough reps for the third quarterback or the second quarterback or that next tailback?

“It is very critical to try to get some of those guys in early and then baptism by fire.”

Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi is getting more work than the staff suspected

Before spring practice opened last month, Fickell didn’t anticipate tailback Chez Mellusi would get much work coming off a season-ending broken left leg.

Less than six months since suffering the…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/takeaways-wisconsin-footballs-second-spring-195032997.html

Author : Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-04-02 19:50:32

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