Wisconsin football mailbag: Improvement in 2024? Will the offensive line be better?

MADISON – Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell and his staff wrapped up spring practice recently with a spirited session on the grass field north of Camp Randall Stadium.

Fickell and the returning players didn't hold back this spring when asked about a disappointing 2023 season in which the Badgers finished 5-4 in the Big Ten and 7-6 overall.

In short, they're still peeved.

The Big Ten meetings are set for July 23-25 in Indianapolis, and UW opens the season Aug. 31 against visiting Western Michigan.

Until then, we'll answer any questions you have.

And, we're off...

Kevin K. How much is the team becoming Coach Fickell’s team? What I mean is that last year, most of the guys weren’t his recruits, and the transition of both play style and attitude felt like it was going to take another year or two. Is the team on board this year?

Jeff Potrykus: No one will know how good this team is and/or whether everyone is on board until UW hits the field and faces adversity. Fans were treated to a bunch of preseason chatter/videos in 2023 but the results on the field didn’t match the talk.

But lack of talent didn’t prevent UW from winning the Big Ten West Division last season. The Big Ten Network crew hit every school during camp and said before the season UW had the most overall talent in the division.

The coaches have since acknowledged that one issue was failing to quickly identify the team’s playmakers and knowing how best to use them.

Another issue involved preparation. Slow starts on defense contributed to losses against Washington State, Indiana and Northwestern.

Is this his team? Of course it is. The staff brought in another 12 players from the transfer portal, pushing the two-year total to more than two dozen. Eleven of the 22 freshmen participated in spring ball.

When the team concludes preseason camp in August, the staff needs to know what players can lead the way during difficult times and how to put the players in the best position to succeed.

Lucas Pfeiffer:Do you think the Badgers will run more slot and wide receiver jailbreak screens next year.? They seemed to be effective early on last season.

Jeff Potrykus: They worked on those plays in the spring a little bit but I’m not sure you’ll see a steady diet unless they tinker with it early and find teams can’t cover it. They’ll be deeper at tailback this season so the running game should be option No. 1. They should – should – be able to take more vertical shots in the passing game. And I’m not talking about the sideline fades that generally are 50-50 balls. And their slot receivers – Will Pauling and Trech Kekahuna – should be effective working intermediate routes.

Mason Matthew.Jeff, based on what you have seen so far, can we expect more involvement from the TEs in the offense this year? Will Wisconsin be able to get back to churning out TEs for the NFL?

Jeff Potrykus: Not sure yet about the tight ends. At the close of spring ball they had three guys who stood out – Tucker Ashcraft, Riley Nowakowski and LSU transfer Jackson McGohan. Ashcraft can get open down the field and blocks well enough. Nowakowski is a good in-line blocker who has good hands but isn’t going to run away from defenders in the passing game. McGohan is fast as hell. At just 225 pounds he more of a lanky wide receiver than a tight end. He isn't going to blow you up at the line of scrimmage but he should be a receiving threat.

Jim Sadowski:Given the chaos over the portal, NIL, and additions to the conference, how has UW fan interest been impacted, as best demonstrated by football season tickets being renewed? Thank you.

Jeff Potrykus: UW won't announce season-ticket renewals until later this year. If I were to try to categorize fans' anticipation for 2024 it would be this way: Hopeful for a better record than in 2023 but wary of a schedule that appears, on paper, to be daunting.

Robert Dries: I believe most would agree the Badgers will always field a solid, competitive team. Do you think with all the NIL money big time college programs are able to secure for their five-star recruits, the thought of Wisconsin winning a national championship is just a dream?

Jeff Potrykus: Best we can decipher so far regarding NIL is that men’s basketball faces a greater challenge. Hoops programs are throwing around Monopoly money because one or two players can change a season. That isn’t necessarily the case in football. My thinking regarding UW football recruiting hasn’t changed over the years. The question has been and continues to be: Can UW out-recruit Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State? And now you can add Oregon and USC to the mix.

Tom:The Badgers always seem to have had third- and fourth-string quarterbacks who never see the field. (For example Evers, LaCrue, Vanden Boom), They must be good athletes. If they’ll never do more than hold a clip board, why don’t they get a shot at another position?

Jeff Potrykus: Players have to be willing to change positions. See Owen Daniels back in the early 2000s. Nick Evers wants to play quarterback. Thus, he transferred to UConn. (Cole) LaCrue is a redshirt freshman who missed all spring (injury). If he doesn’t see the field at UW, my guess is he will look for another place to play quarterback.

John B: Are any of the qb’s capable of having a 9/10 win year?

Jeff Potrykus: `They have two quarterbacks ready to play this season. They are Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke. Neither one is going to put the team on his back and get to nine or 10 victories alone. UW has to address issues on both lines, get off to better starts on defense, cut down on turnovers and get more big plays on special teams.

Harry Hodag:Is it clear that Fickell and staff are having a difficult time recruiting players from the transfer portal? Seemed like many players wanted to leave but not that many want to come to Wisconsin.

Jeff Potrykus: They've landed more than two dozen transfers in the last two off-seasons. Their struggles were at certain positions. They missed on a bunch of cornerbacks before last season and missed on defensive linemen after last winter.

Dennis Harkins:Hi Jeff. By the end of spring practice, were you able to notice any O-line differences in schemes or technique compared to last season?

Jeff Potrykus: The greatest revelation came from talking to the linemen. AJ Blazek tweaked some fundamentals for both tackles. Riley Mahlman talked about some changes with his outside (right) leg on pass-sets. I go into more detail in a story leading into camp. In general, I get the impression the linemen last season had way too much on their plates and weren't sure what the hell was going on. Blazek, according to the players, has been much more concise in his teaching.

Liam Lucas:Jeff, have you noticed any changes Fickell made between his first year and now as far as the way practice is run? Obviously there were also some coaching changes, so wondering if the new coaches this year brought in some differ.ent practice approaches that Fickell decided to adapt ?

Jeff Potrykus: Mentioned this during our spring coverage and will highlight it in a story that will run sometime in the summer. Fickell noted they didn't do enough hitting in the first spring and then in camp last summer. Then when the games started, the staff discovered some shortcomings (tackling in space, ball security) that could have been identified with more hitting before the season. As a result, they hit more this spring and plan to do the same in camp.

Vernon Theresa: Jeff, other than the typical football mantra of finding bigger, faster, taller players, what particular traits are Badger coaches looking for in their football players? How has that been different in the Chryst era vs, this new Fickell era?

Jeff Potrykus: Well, first and foremost they want more wide receivers because of the offense Phil Longo runs. Defensively, they are big on taller, longer guys at outside linebacker and more speed at inside linebacker. They want taller corners as well, though it must be noted that their best corner last season (Ricardo Hallman) doesn't come close to fitting that profile.

Raymond Apple: Jeff, which position coaches or assistant coaches have been the most prolific and active in the Badger football team recruiting efforts ? Which geographic areas of the country have the Badgers improved their reach since Fickell has been the coach?

Jeff Potrykus: The guy involved in winning a lot of recruiting battles was Colin Hitschler, who is currently at Alabama. Fickell noted in December (signing day) the staff has been able to spread a wider net than he anticipated when he took the job. Some "new" states in which they've been active: Tennessee, Arizona and Maryland. They've also hit Texas, in part because of Longo's ties there.

Robert:Jeff, what’s your overall impression of the direction of Wisconsin football under Luke Fickell and his staff? It seems to be somewhat adrift.

Jeff Potrykus: Robert, my impression is that determining the overall direction of any program after 13 games is premature. They underachieved in 2023. Schedule is tougher – on paper – in 2024. Will I pick them to win the league? No. What fans need to see: A better, more efficient offense; a defense that is ready in the opening quarter; and the staff maximizing the skills of the playmakers.

Tim Bald: I was curious as to how many Taco Bell stores you can hit on your drive from Milwaukee to Madison???? Hope you are doing well my friend!

Jeff Potrykus: Not as many as I would like, of course. And with that, I need a taco or six.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin football mailbag: Will the Badgers flourish in 2024?