PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — Wisconsin has entered its second week of preseason practices at UW-Platteville as it creeps closer to an Aug. 30 opener against Western Michigan. Here are five Badgers takeaways from practices this week:
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Wisconsin preseason camp: 5 observations from a 75-plus-play scrimmage
1. Quarterbacks Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke continue to rotate snaps between the first- and second-team offenses, as they have done since the spring. And while both appear capable of leading the offense this season, there are moments during each practice that indicate why Van Dyke could gain the edge. His arm strength is outstanding, and what has stood out most is how effective of a runner he can be in the RPO game.
During practice Tuesday, he fooled the defense on a read option, gained a great block from tight end Tucker Ashcraft and ran around the right side for what would have been a touchdown of more than 60 yards. He was at it again Wednesday, stepping up in the pocket under pressure during a red zone drill and taking off up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown run. During an 11-on-11 sequence, Van Dyke picked up 14 yards to the defense’s 5-yard line when he escaped pressure. Later, with the ball starting at the defense’s 25-yard line, he ran around the right side for a touchdown.
In the spring, Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said Van Dyke was showing the kind of mobility he had as a redshirt freshman at Miami in 2021. Van Dyke has carried that into the preseason.
Van Dyke tossed a pair of interceptions Wednesday — one in skeleton drills over the middle to safety Hunter Wohler and one in 11-on-11 to safety Preston Zachman. But overall, he is showing better playmaking ability and a greater comfort level with the offense. It began Monday when he completed all of his passes in a four-play sequence. Van Dyke evaded pressure, stepped up in the pocket and completed a pass over the middle to slot receiver Trech Kekahuna for more than 30 yards through the air. On the next play, he rolled out of the pocket to his right and completed a pass to a diving Bryson Green along the right sideline.
On Wednesday, Van Dyke delivered a pair of perfect passes to receiver CJ Williams, who beat cornerback Amare Snowden down the right sideline. One went for a gain of 20-plus yards. The next went for more than 25 yards when Van Dyke hit Williams on a back-shoulder fade, with Williams diving for the catch at the 5. Van Dyke also threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Green in the front right corner of the end zone on cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean.
Fourqurean praised Van Dyke’s knowledge and accuracy earlier this week.
“There are sometimes in zones I’m trying to get underneath and he just throws it right over my head to where I can’t get it,” Fourqurean said. “Or maybe even in man. I think (Monday) I had a rep with CJ Williams and even the other day with Bryson Green. I might be on the inside, but he might throw it right to the outside where only the receiver will get it or it will go out of bounds. Just little things like that are very impressive to me.”
The good news for Wisconsin is that Locke has legitimately pushed Van Dyke and continues to deliver quality moments. On a fourth-and-7 from the defense’s 22 during practice Wednesday, Locke completed a pass over the middle to slot receiver Tyrell Henry for a first down. That drive was capped by a 4-yard touchdown run up the middle from freshman running back Darrion Dupree. On the next series, Locke threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Green, who dove in the front of the end zone.
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2. Kicker Nathanial Vakos has made 34 of 38 field goal attempts from inside 50 yards during his two-year career at Ohio and Wisconsin but is just 3-for-8 eight on tries of 50-plus yards. That’s an area he believes he can significantly improve this season. Vakos buried a 52-yard field goal from the right hash during a scrimmage sequence Tuesday, which was his longest attempt of the preseason.
During live reps Wednesday, he made a 32-yard field goal and then a 49-yard field goal. Vakos’ final field goal attempt came again from 49 yards on the last play of practice. He made the initial attempt, but Fickell called a timeout and forced another try that fell short and wide left. Gavin Lahm and Gianni Smith each made a field goal attempt from 50 yards, with Smith’s clearing the bar with plenty of room to spare.
Last season, Vakos made 14 of 15 field goals inside 50 yards and was 1-for-4 on attempts of 50-plus. Vakos said he tweaked his back while tying his shoe right before the start of the Indiana game. It was an injury that lingered and prevented Fickell from being confident in using Vakos from long distance. Fickell bypassed three field goal tries of 50 yards or more against Indiana alone. Vakos said he also strained an oblique muscle before Wisconsin’s bowl game.
“Something we’ve been working on all offseason is obviously from deep, from 50-plus,” Vakos said. “That’s something that I feel I need to get better at, and it’s really just keeping my mindset clear. I’m not trying to hit the biggest ball. I used to always try and hit the best ball to look on TV like I have a 65-plus leg. But, really, I just need to make it and I’ve got to keep myself calm and fluid and swing downfield. I have the distance, so I just can’t really worry about that.”
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3. Atticus Bertrams finished his freshman season at Wisconsin ranking 10th in the Big Ten in punting average at 41.3 yards per attempt and came away disappointed in his performance. He appears to be hitting the ball this preseason with more consistency and length. During a punting sequence Tuesday, he boomed kicks of 52 and 54 yards and a third punt pushed returner Tyrell Henry backward from his spot. Bertrams continues to work on both his straight-on punts and rugby-style rollouts.
“It’s just those bad misses showing up in times where the team needs me,” Bertrams said. “I think I faulted way too many times for my liking and I know Fick’s not happy with how I was last year. I’m always going to be my hardest critic and I’m the first one to come out and say I wasn’t good enough last year. I think I’ve done a lot of work to redeem myself. Hopefully, that shows this season.”
4. Wisconsin’s outside linebacker depth took a hit early this preseason with injuries sustained to Aaron Witt and Thomas Heiberger. Fickell said Saturday that Witt could miss at least 7-10 days but that he would return. Outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell said Wednesday that Heiberger didn’t have a season-ending injury but would return at some point this season. Mitchell acknowledged that Heiberger did enough as a freshman to warrant playing time this season.
Those ailments left Wisconsin with just four healthy scholarship outside linebackers, so coaches moved true freshman defensive lineman Ernest Willor Jr. to the position. Willor has worked the past two days at outside linebacker with both his hand on the ground and as a standup edge rusher. He created a couple of pressures Wednesday, which included one that led Van Dyke to throw an interception on a pass over the middle.
“He’s got violent hands,” Mitchell said. “He’s got a good get-off. There’s definitely a lot of tools there. It’s obviously a completely new position with a ton of new calls. Some of the other freshmen came in January and they’ve got eight months and I’ve had 48 hours (with him). So there’s some mistakes that he’s working through. But I think he’s loving the position and there’s some things where I’m cautiously optimistic.”
5. One of the reasons Mitchell said coaches were comfortable moving Willor is because of the depth the staff believes it has on its defensive line. Ben Barten and Brandon Lane are two players who have shown up as playmakers.
Barten batted down two Locke passes in a three-play span Tuesday. Lane stuffed freshman running back Dilin Jones on a run up the middle and later split right guard Colin Cubberly and right tackle Merson Mandell for what would have been a sack of Locke. Lane also created another sack off the edge on Van Dyke. Lane has yet to earn snaps with the first-team defense but figures to be a key rotational piece.
(Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Athletics)
