Draft Scout Wisconsin Player News, College Football: Wisconsin

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Wisconsin

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09/12/21 - Chez Mellusi, rSr/2025, Wisconsin + More +

Wisconsin tight end Jake Ferguson likes the direction that the Badgers' running backs are going. And, he thinks Chez Mellusi is similar to former Badgers backs. Mellusi ran for 144 yards and a touchdown as No. 18 Wisconsin routed Eastern Michigan 34-7 Saturday night. "Chez is just that new edition," Ferguson said. "He runs hard and reminds me of Garrett Groshek and Jonathan Taylor at the same time - kind of shaking off a couple tackles and getting some extra yards." Wisconsin (1-1, 0-1 Big Ten) piled up 352 rushing yards and also dominated on defense against Eastern Michigan (0-2), which had 92 total yards on offense. The Eagles had three first downs.

Wisconsin controlled time of possession for 40 minutes. "Offensively, we couldn't get any kind of breathing room," Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton said. "We couldn't get anything going offensively, so our defense was on the field forever." Mellusi, a Clemson transfer, became the first Wisconsin running back to record consecutive 100-yard rushing games in his first two contests since Corey Clement in 2013. The Badgers, typically known for their explosive running, also had breakout performances from Isaac Guerendo and Jalen Berger. Berger, who missed the opener, had 15 carries for 62 yards and one TD. - Wisconsin/AP College Football

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RB Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin
News Source: Wisconsin/AP College Football
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09/12/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin + More +

Tanner Mordecai passed for 312 yards and four touchdowns and SMU dominated the second half for a 35-12 victory over North Texas in nonconference play on Saturday. Neither team had much offense in the first half. North Texas managed two Ethan Mooney field goals to grab a 6-0 lead. The Mustangs (2-0) didn't score until Mordecai found Rashee Rice for a 62-yard TD with 3:50 left in the second quarter. SMU never trailed again. Mordecai fired a 58-yard scoring strike to Danny Gray on the Mustangs' second possession of the third quarter for a 14-6 lead. Jace Ruder had the answer for the Mean Green (1-1) - connecting with Isaiah Johnson for a 23-yard TD - before seeing his two-point pass attempt fall incomplete, leaving North Texas trailing 14-12.

Mordecai stretched SMU's lead to 21-12 by the end of the third quarter with a 29-yard TD strike to Grant Calcaterra. Ulysses Bentley IV took over in the final quarter - scoring on a 19-yard pass from Mordecai before ripping off an 85-yard TD run to cap the scoring. Mordecai completed 21 of 33 passes with two interceptions. Bentley rushed just 10 times and finished with 141 of SMU's 226 yards on the ground. Ruder was 32-of-51 passing for 366 yards with two picks. Roderic Burns had 12 catches for 141 yards, while Jyaire Shorter hauled in six passes for 107. The two teams combined for 1,044 yards of offense. - SMU/AP College Football

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QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: SMU/AP College Football
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09/07/21 - Chez Mellusi, rSr/2025, Wisconsin + More +

Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi devoted his offseason to preparing for a greater workload than he'd ever experienced in two seasons at Clemson. Little did he know just how many more carries he'd end up getting with his new team. Mellusi had more rushing attempts in one game with the Badgers than he did in the entire 2020 season with the Tigers. In his Wisconsin debut, Mellusi ran for 121 yards on 31 carries and scored the Badgers' lone touchdown in a 16-10 loss to Penn State.

It was just the kind of responsibility Mellusi wanted. He transferred from an annual College Football Playoff contender in part because he was intrigued by Wisconsin's tradition of producing top running backs. "It kind of speaks for itself when it comes to the history, with the guys coming through here and the success they've had," Mellusi said. "That kind of drew me in. And being able to run the football a lot kind of gives you the opportunity to showcase your talent." The only Football Bowl Subdivision player with more carries last week was Central Florida's Isaiah Bowser, who ran 33 times for 172 yards in a 36-31 victory over Boise State. Mellusi's emergence has given a new look to No. 18 Wisconsin's ground attack heading into its Saturday night matchup with Eastern Michigan (1-0). - AP College Football

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RB Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin
News Source: AP College Football
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09/06/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin + More +

SEPT 6 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tanner Mordecai, Jr., QB, SMU,...Mordecai set a school record and tied the American Athletic Conference mark with seven touchdown passes in SMU's 56-9 win against Abilene Christian. Mordecai completed 24 of 30 passes for 317 yards for the game and had five first-half TDs to help stake the Mustangs to a 35-3 halftime lead. - American Athletic Conference Football

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QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
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09/04/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin + More +

Tanner Mordecai threw a school-record seven touchdowns - five coming in the first half - and SMU broke it open in the second quarter and went on to beat Abilene Christian 56-9 on Saturday in a season opener. A transfer from Oklahoma, Mordecai's seven touchdowns tied the American Athletic Conference record. Mordecai threw scoring passes of 21 and 8 yards to Grant Calcaterra in the first quarter, and early in the second, for a 14-0 lead.

Later, in the second, he connected with Danny Gray on scoring plays of 30 and 27 yards. Then, with 29 seconds before halftime, Mordecai threw a 30-yard score to Rashee Rice and the Mustangs led 35-3 at intermission. Mordecai completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 317 yards while seven different ball carriers tallied 171 yards on the ground. Stone Earle threw for 176 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats. - SMU/AP College Football

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QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: SMU/AP College Football
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09/03/21 - Antwan Roberts, So/2025, Wisconsin + More +

Just four days before Wisconsin is set to open its 2021 Big Ten football season, head coach Paul Chryst had to deal with a pair of disciplinary issues. UW officials announced Tuesday that freshman tailback Loyal Crawford has been dismissed from the team and freshman tailback Antwan Roberts has been suspended. Neither player was expected to play in the opener Saturday against Penn State. Crawford on Twitter accused Roberts of breaking into his dorm room and attacking him. "I was treated so unfairly in all of this," he wrote. "I want everyone to know that. They didn't even want to hear my side. He literally broke into my dorm room and tried to jump me while I was sitting on the couch with my back turned to him. He started it all." - Journal Sentinel

So/2025

RB Antwan Roberts, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/21/21 - Danny Davis III, rSr/2022, Wisconsin + More +

Head injuries limited Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor to a combined five games played last season, stripped Wisconsin's wide receiver corps of its top two playmakers and diluted UW's overall offense. Head coach Paul Chryst and his staff will have to function without Davis for an indefinite period of time. UW officials announced Friday that Davis is out because of a head injury.

Davis practiced Wednesday and showed no signs of injury. UW was off Thursday. Although it is difficult to measure the severity of head injuries, it is worth noting that Davis was at practice Friday and was not wearing sunglasses. He rode a stationary bike for a few minutes early in practice and then watched the rest of the day with the other wide receivers. Players who suffer concussions often are told to remain indoors, sometimes in darkened rooms. Davis has 15 starts and 39 games played at UW. He has 99 catches for 1,164 yards and 12 touchdowns. - Journal Sentinel

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WR Danny Davis III, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/17/21 - Keeanu Benton, Sr/2023, Wisconsin + More +

Keeanu Benton doesn't have a taste for alphabet soup. NFL? Yes, Wisconsin's mammoth junior nose tackle started dreaming of playing in that league long before he attended Janesville Craig High School. But for now, Benton is trying to keep that dream in storage. "I just need to keep my head on straight," he said. "I feel I'm on the right route." NIL? Sure, a player with the talent and personality of the 6-foot-4, 317-pound Benton could profit off his Name, Image and Likeness if he chose. But for now, Benton isn't interested. "I'm just really focused on school and football," he said. "All that NIL stuff can wait. We didn't have it in previous years so that doesn't matter now. "I'm not trying to build a brand or anything like that." What he is trying to do is help UW's defense shut down foes and help his team win a Big Ten title. "We (coaches) expect and his teammates expect a ton from him," head coach Paul Chryst said after practice Tuesday. "I think that comes from respect. Huge, huge respect for Keeanu." Benton has started 11 games and played in a total of 20 in his two seasons at UW. Nose tackles aren't necessarily judged by the individual numbers they record but Benton knows he made more plays behind the line of scrimmage in 2019 than he did last season. - Journal Sentinel

Sr/2023

DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/11/21 - *Nick Herbig, Jr/2023, Wisconsin + More +

Asked to evaluate his performance as a freshman in 2020, Nick Herbig responded with the same speed and ferocity he displays on the football field. "I was definitely not happy at all with the impact I made on the team last year," the talented outside linebacker said. "I feel like I could have (done) so much more in many ways." Although Herbig's self-scout is surprisingly harsh considering he finished fourth on the team in tackles with 26, the determination to improve bodes well this season for UW, which opened camp Friday. "I need to be better and work harder," he said, "because obviously what I was doing last year wasn't enough. "I had that feeling at the end of the season like I didn't leave it all out there and I kind of let my team down." Herbig impressed his coaches and teammates in camp and started all seven games. He recorded 23 solo tackles, the No. 2 mark on the team behind inside linebackers Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal. His total of six tackles for loss was tied for the team lead with Chenal.

He had three tackles for loss and five total tackles in UW's 49-11 victory at Michigan and had seven solo tackles in the overtime victory over Minnesota. What bothered Herbig most was his inability to get to opposing quarterbacks. He had one sack, in the opener against Illinois, and UW finished with just 11. "I feel like last year the pass rush as a whole wasn't what Wisconsin is about," he said. "At Wisconsin, you're expected to have double-digit sacks. That is a big part of the game I need to focus on and really bring that edge to our team." - Journal Sentinel

Jr/2023

OLB *Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/10/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin + More +

SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai believes in the idea that success happens when preparation meets opportunity. It's a simple formula when everything aligns, but that last element - opportunity - has eluded the Oklahoma transfer through his first three collegiate years. With the Mustangs, an opportunity is finally in Mordecai's grasp, and the Waco native plans to make the most of it. Mordecai, a transfer from Oklahoma, started the first day of SMU's fall practice with the first-team offense on Friday. Head coach Sonny Dykes said there will be some rotation between Mordecai, former walk-on Derek Green, and true freshman Preston Stone, but it was Mordecai that got the first nod.

Meaningful? Perhaps, but it doesn't change Mordecai's mission. He committed to SMU hours after he entered the transfer portal last December because this, he believes, is where his preparation will finally meet an opportunity. "It's a quarterback competition, but I'm completely confident in myself that I'll be the starter Week 1," Mordecai said after Friday's practice. "Going with the 1s is who I trained with all summer. There's nothing different. Tomorrow if I go with the 2s I'm going to do the exact same thing and have the exact same approach, so it doesn't matter." - Dallas Morning News

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QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: Dallas Morning News
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08/08/21 - Jack Dunn, rSr/2023, Wisconsin + More +

There was a major hole in the wide receiver position when seniors Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis III were injured last season. Enter Jack Dunn, who may not have added much statistically but helped change the narrative of what it means to contribute to the University of Wisconsin football team. Dunn served as the Badgers' main punt returner and had a blocking role in the second unit for most of his career. That was his expected role last season. Dunn instead filled the void created by the absence of Davis and Pryor.

The Madison native has posted career highs in catches and yards the past two games. "We were in a tight pinch last season," wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted said. "He stepped up and showed that he can be the guy and be a leader just by doing what he normally does. He didn't have to do anything special." He entered last season with six receptions - a number that grew significantly with the increased playing time. He averaged 9.1 yards on 28 receptions last season. Dunn's role is going to change again with Davis and Pryor healthy again. He likely won't be a starting wide receiver, but Badgers coach Paul Chryst expects Dunn to accept his new role. - Wisconsin State Journal

rSr/2023

WR Jack Dunn, Wisconsin
News Source: Wisconsin State Journal
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08/08/21 - Chez Mellusi, rSr/2025, Wisconsin + More +

Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst and his staff used the transfer portal judiciously after the 2020 season. UW added three players and it is possible two could contribute this season. The Badgers added tailback Chez Mellusi from Clemson, defensive end Isaac Townsend from Oregon and defensive end/outside linebacker Thomas Brunner from Northern Illinois. Mellusi, who averaged 6.3 yards per carry and 5.6 yards per carry, respectively, in his two seasons as a backup at Clemson, could vie for the starting job at UW.

"I think it is certainly something that you have to be aware of," Chryst said of the transfer portal, "(but) there is a bit of a fine line. You're not looking at someone unless you have availability, a scholarship position. "But then you have to ask whether this player is worth it or do you reward a walk-on? That is where you have to balance it. "Because the immediate eligibility, in my opinion, adds a whole other dimension. You have to know who it is you're getting and they have to know who it is they are joining." - Journal Sentinel

rSr/2025

RB Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/05/21 - Andy Vujnovich, rSr/2023, Wisconsin + More +

Andy Vujnovich wasn't disappointed to perform in empty football stadiums in 2020. Punting at Wisconsin after transferring from Division III Dubuque, Vujnovich embraced the sounds of silence and lack of prying eyes. "Honestly, with COVID and everything, that was the perfect first year leading up to a bigger stage," Vujnovich said. "No fans. It was like (easing) into the DI level." Vujnovich averaged 41.6 yards per punt in his first season at UW. That was the No. 10 mark in the Big Ten, just one-half yard off the No. 8 mark of Maryland's Anthony Pecorella (42.1).

Vujnovich, a graduate of Columbus High School, believes he is ready to improve his numbers this season. "Now I'm just easing into the next (step), which would be adding fans, and I'll have the experience from last year," he said. "So I'll feel pretty comfortable going into this year." Vujnovich punted a total of 33 times in seven games last season. He had five punts of 50 yards or longer and 13 punts that pinned the opponent inside its 20-yard line. He accomplished both feats on his first punt of the season, a 60-yarder that was downed at the Illinois 7. He mishit his second punt, however, and the result was a 36-yarder that went out of bounds at the Illinois 44. "The next punt I kind of got in my own head," he said. "I felt like I needed to match that. I've just got to remember to relax, enjoy the moment, do the same thing and not think about the past. The only thing that matters is the next kick." - Journal Sentinel

rSr/2023

P Andy Vujnovich, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/03/21 - Jake Ferguson, rSr/2022, Wisconsin + More +

Jake Ferguson could have turned pro after the 2020 college football season. Wisconsin's most experienced and accomplished tight end insists he realized long before the Badgers closed a disappointing season in the Duke's Mayo Bowl that he would be back in 2021. "I just didn't feel like it was my last year yet," Ferguson said. "I didn't like 2020. I think it was a pretty easy decision for me." Ferguson shared the news with his teammates, some of whom inquired hesitantly about his future, in the locker room after the 42-28 victory over Wake Forest. He shared his intentions publicly on Jan. 3 on Twitter. Camp is set to start Friday, and Ferguson enters his fifth college season with 23 starts and 34 games played and at least 30 catches in each of the last three seasons after redshirting in 2017.

The 6-foot-5, 242-pound Ferguson is without a doubt the leader of the unit. "This is the first time I've seen him just on a day-to-day basis have the consistency of attitude that he has had," tight ends coach Mickey Turner said during spring ball. "He is making plays at practice. He is doing a lot of things right. He is being a leader. "But every other time I've been with him there was a day or a period where there was a little bit of let-off. He would have to regroup and I would have to bring him up. "He has been an absolute pro from Day 1." In seven games last season, Ferguson finished with 30 catches for 305 yards and four touchdowns. The touchdown mark tied his personal best, set in 13 games in 2018, and his per-game averages of 4.3 catches and 43.6 yards were both personal-best marks. - Journal Sentinel

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TE Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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07/28/21 - Danny Davis III, rSr/2022, Wisconsin + More +

Alvis Whitted's second season at Wisconsin is on track to be much better than his rookie campaign. Consider that barely more than a week after Whitted was hired to coach UW's wide receivers in March 2020, the NCAA shut down its winter and spring sports because of COVID-19. That meant no spring practice for UW and no in-person coaching for Whitted until preseason camp.

Then, after Big Ten teams finally got up and running in October, concussions limited UW's Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis to a combined five games and 11 receptions. "We missed the experience of guys that know game situations, that know how to make plays in those tough situations," Whitted explained. "We missed those down-the-field throws because they can take the top off of the coverage. "When those guys are out there, they're different and they add a different dimension to our passing game." Whitted should have a deeper and more experienced unit when UW opens camp Aug. 6. Davis and Pryor both opted to return for their final seasons. Davis has 15 starts and 39 games played at UW. He has 99 catches for 1,164 yards and 12 touchdowns. Pryor has 24 starts and 40 games played at UW. He has 67 catches for 849 yards and four touchdowns. - Journal Sentinel

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