Wisconsin’s offensive performance in the ReliaQuest Bowl was as effective and entertaining as it had been all season. It didn’t yield the intended outcome during LSU’s 35-31 victory, but it at least provided optimism in a season that did not meet expectations.
The Badgers, who finished 7-6, averaged just 23.5 points per game. That mark represented the lowest for the program in a season in 19 years. Now, Wisconsin must replace two of its most important players with the departures of running back Braelon Allen and quarterback Tanner Mordecai, who accounted for 25 touchdowns.
“There’s definitely lots of things we can build upon,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said after the bowl game. “Ultimately, it comes down to finding ways to finish.”
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The window for entering the transfer portal closed Tuesday night, although Wisconsin players have until Jan. 6 to enter because they played a Jan. 1 bowl game. Backup left tackle Nolan Rucci, a former five-star recruit, entered the transfer portal on Thursday. But while there is still likely to be movement out before preseason practices begin — as well as potential transfer additions from players already in the portal — the bulk of the roster should be in place.
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What will the offense look like next season? Here is an early look at the projected two-deep for 2024:
Quarterback
- Starter: Tyler Van Dyke (redshirt senior)
- Backup: Braedyn Locke (redshirt sophomore)
- Other candidates: Nick Evers (redshirt sophomore), Cole LaCrue (redshirt freshman), Mabrey Mettauer (true freshman):
- 2023 snap counts (per Pro Football Focus): Van Dyke 660 (at Miami), Locke 273
Wisconsin has opted for a one-year stopgap at quarterback for a second consecutive season, adding Van Dyke out of the transfer portal from Miami to replace Mordecai. Van Dyke’s best season came in 2021, when he threw 25 touchdowns to six interceptions and earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors while rising up NFL Draft boards to become a projected first-round pick. If that version of Van Dyke shows up in Phil Longo’s offense, Wisconsin has an opportunity to thrive. Van Dyke finished the 2023 season with 2,703 yards passing, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions but was briefly benched following a tough stretch against Virginia and NC State.
Fickell said he wanted to add experience to Wisconsin’s quarterback room because no other player on the roster will be older than a redshirt sophomore. From that group, Locke is the only one with any legitimate playing experience. He played the second half against Iowa after Mordecai broke his throwing hand and then started the next three games. Locke had mixed results, leading a comeback against Illinois but completing 50 percent of his passes for 777 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. Evers, who threw one pass while at Oklahoma, was slow to grasp the offense but possesses tremendous arm strength and athleticism.
Mettauer is a four-star prospect from The Woodlands, Texas, with loads of potential, but a true freshman hasn’t started at quarterback for Wisconsin since Jay Macias in 1991.
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Running back
- Starter: Chez Mellusi (sixth-year senior)
- Backup: Tawee Walker (senior)
- Other candidates: Jackson Acker (redshirt junior), Grover Bortolotti (redshirt junior), Cade Yacamelli (redshirt sophomore), Nate White (redshirt freshman), Dilin Jones (true freshman), Darrion Dupree (true freshman), Gideon Ituka (true freshman)
- 2023 snap counts: Walker 285 (at Oklahoma), Acker 255, Mellusi 112, Yacamelli 97
Mellusi’s decision to return for a sixth season is as big of a deal as any transfer portal addition Wisconsin could have this offseason. When healthy, his skill set pairs well with Longo’s offense because of his speed and versatility. He broke an 89-yard touchdown run in the season opener against Buffalo and averaged 6.0 yards per carry in four games before he suffered a broken leg against Purdue — his best average since he was a freshman at Clemson in 2019. Of course, Mellusi has dealt with injuries for three consecutive seasons at Wisconsin, so having viable reserves is paramount.
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That’s where things could be interesting in the lead-up to the season. Wisconsin snagged Walker from the transfer portal after he ran for 513 yards and seven touchdowns as Oklahoma’s backup. Walker has one year of eligibility remaining and enough experience to push for the No. 2 spot. Acker is the most experienced returning player behind Mellusi and started three games this season, including the ReliaQuest Bowl, where he ran for a career-high 86 yards and a touchdown. It seems unlikely Wisconsin will enter next season with eight scholarship running backs, and Acker said he had engaged in talks with coaches about potentially playing H-back.
The influx of talent in the 2024 recruiting class, coupled with a need for more explosiveness in the backfield, could open the door for any of the three young signees to make a move. Ituka will be an early enrollee, while Jones and Dupree are four-star prospects with the talent to quickly rise up the depth chart.
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Wide receiver
- Starters: Bryson Green (senior), Vinny Anthony II (junior), Will Pauling (redshirt junior)
- Backups: Quincy Burroughs (redshirt sophomore), C.J. Williams (junior), Trech Kekahuna (redshirt freshman)
- Other candidates: Tyrell Henry (junior), Tommy McIntosh (redshirt sophomore), Chris Brooks Jr. (redshirt sophomore), Kyan Berry-Johnson (true freshman)
- 2023 snap counts: Pauling 662, Green 616, Williams 393, Henry 317 (at Michigan State), Anthony 239, Burroughs 83, Kekahuna 20
Pauling had an outstanding season as the top slot receiver, leading the team in receptions (74), receiving yards (837) and touchdown catches (six). Green wasn’t always the consistent big-play threat that many people expected during the season but was excellent in the bowl game and caught a touchdown pass. He and Pauling became the first Wisconsin receivers to record 100 receiving yards in the same game since the 2012 Rose Bowl. Green tallied 32 catches for 480 yards and two touchdowns this season. Anthony, meanwhile, rose up the depth chart late in the season after moving from the slot to the outside and started over Williams in the bowl game.
Williams has much to prove after seeing his role substantially decrease the last three games, when he played a total of 19 snaps. Henry certainly is a candidate to be a part of the two-deep, as is Burroughs. Henry caught 24 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns last season at Michigan State and so far is the only transfer portal addition this offseason.
Kekahuna looked like a future star while playing his first offensive snaps in the bowl game, catching four passes for 64 yards from the slot. McIntosh and Brooks showed brief glimpses during practices but enter their third seasons with the program still looking to make an impact.
Tight end
- Starter: Tucker Ashcraft (sophomore)
- Backup: Riley Nowakowski (redshirt senior)
- Other candidates: JT Seagreaves (redshirt sophomore), Jackson McGohan (sophomore), Rob Booker II (true freshman), Grant Stec (true freshman)
- 2023 snaps counts: Ashcraft 230, Nowakowski 200, Seagreaves 16, McGohan 8 (at LSU)
Wisconsin’s leading receiver at tight end during the season was fifth-year senior Hayden Rucci, who finished with 11 catches for 125 yards. The Badgers are going to need a whole lot more production from not just their top tight end, but from everyone who is part of the rotation. Ashcraft and Nowakowski are the top returning players at the position, but the pecking order is far from guaranteed, particularly with three additions joining the program.
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McGohan was a top-25 tight end out of high school in the 2023 class who ended up at LSU but was committed to Fickell at Cincinnati for nearly a year until Fickell left for Wisconsin. Stec and Booker bring much-needed versatility to the offense. Stec’s physicality and size (6-feet-6 and 247 pounds) could give him a chance to play early.
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Left tackle
- Starter: Jack Nelson (redshirt senior)
- Backup: Barrett Nelson (redshirt sophomore
- Other candidates: Kevin Heywood (true freshman), Derek Jensen (true freshman)
- 2023 snap counts: Jack Nelson 908, Barrett Nelson 6
Nelson is coming back for another season, which was a decision many people did not anticipate before the season began because of his NFL potential. But Nelson is seeking a more consistent campaign after he gave up a pair of strip-sacks at Washington State and committed 13 penalties during the season. That decision likely played a role in backup left tackle Nolan Rucci entering the transfer portal. Rucci, a former five-star prospect in the 2021 class, earned his most significant action in the bowl game, playing 24 snaps after Nelson sustained a lower-body injury. Nelson’s younger brother, Barrett, could be a backup option at tackle. He was listed as the backup right tackle during the bowl game.
Left guard
- Starter: Joe Brunner (redshirt sophomore)
- Backup: JP Benzschawel (redshirt junior),
- Other candidates: Emerson Mandell (true freshman), Colin Cubberly (true freshman)
- 2023 snap counts: Brunner 7, Benzschawel 7
What does Wisconsin do at guard next season? With right guard Michael Furtney using up his eligibility, a starting spot is open. Brunner earned first-team snaps at left guard during bowl practices and earned positive reviews from teammates and coaches but didn’t take a snap in the bowl game. Nelson called Brunner, the highest-rated player in Wisconsin’s 2022 recruiting class, a “physical player” and a “mean guy” on the field. If he is ready, it could move Joe Huber over to right guard next season.
Benzschawel could be another option. With nine returning scholarship offensive linemen, there also could be room in the two-deep for a true freshman. Mandell is someone whom director of scouting Casey Rabach described as physical, tough and ruthless.
Center
- Starter: Jake Renfro (redshirt senior)
- Backup: Joe Huber (redshirt senior)
- Other candidates: James Durand (redshirt freshman), Ryan Cory (true freshman)
- 2023 snap counts: Huber 826, Renfro 75
After waiting two years because of injuries, Renfro finally returned to the field by starting for Wisconsin in its bowl game. The pace on his snaps was evident, and a full offseason to train while healthy likely will be tremendously beneficial for him. Huber was listed as the backup center for the bowl game, though he started at left guard. Options will likely emerge from younger players who have yet to earn snaps, including Durand and Cory.
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Right guard
- Starter: Joe Huber (redshirt senior)
- Backup: JP Benzschawel (redshirt junior)
- Other candidates: Emerson Mandell (true freshman), Colin Cubberly (true freshman)
- 2023 snap counts: Huber 826, Benzschawel 7
If Brunner is considered to be one of Wisconsin’s best five linemen, then Huber could be a candidate to flip over from left guard to right guard next season. Huber is versatile and started 12 games at right tackle for Cincinnati in 2012. Benzschawel has yet to break through into the playing rotation but was listed as the backup right guard to Furtney for the bowl game.
Right tackle
- Starter: Riley Mahlman (redshirt junior)
- Backup: Barrett Nelson (redshirt sophomore)
- Other candidates: Kevin Heywood (true freshman), Derek Jensen (true freshman)
- 2023 snap counts: Mahlman 944, Nelson 6
Mahlman started every game for Wisconsin this season at right tackle and figures to have the role locked down again next season. He was the best run blocker among the team’s starting offensive linemen, according to PFF, and was one of the better pass blockers. Nelson moved into a backup role for the bowl game following the transfer of Trey Wedig. This is an offensive line group that must bring more consistency to help Wisconsin in Year 2 of the Fickell/Longo era.
(Top photo of Chez Mellusi and Jack Nelson: Dan Sanger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)