Though it shouldn’t strike anyone as surprising, after almost a full week of fall camp, many of the questions surrounding the 2012 edition of the Badgers football team seem to remain unanswered.
That should all change in the coming weeks, as the players are donning full pads and the media will be granted more access to the practices and begin drawing their own conclusions. With Sunday being media day, here are some of the headlines surrounding the team at this point:
Quarterback competition is the real dealHead coach Bret Bielema turned heads when he announced that Danny O’Brien would have to earn his starting spot. Bielema also affirmed his confidence in Curt Phillips’ ability to compete for the starting role. After a handful of practices, Bielema has kept his word. O’Brien, Phillips, and walk-on Chase Knox have emerged as the top-three and,according to Bielema, have splitting the reps equally.
Refshirt sophomore Joe Brennan’s stock is quickly fading. Bielema has already met once with the former No. 2 man and stated during his press conference on Saturday that he intends to meet with Brennan again. With grumblings of unrest, it is possible that Brennan may pursue opportunities
elsewhere.
Montee Ball eases into the year
It was reported this week that the Heisman hopeful will return to practice Monday, but will see limited contact. Bielema confirmed that statement on Saturday and added that Ball’s road to recovery will be dictated by feedback from Ball as well as the UW medical staff.
Familiar faces in new places
Both Bielema and offensive coordinator Matt Canada have discussed their desire to find new ways to incorporate James White in the offense. At this point, it still isn’t clear (at least to us in the media) how they plan on doing that.
Wide receiver Jared Abbrederis’ increased role in the passing attack will likely lead to fewer responsibilities in the return game. A host of candidates including Ball and even linebacker Chris Borland have been mentioned as possible candidates to pick up the slack in the latter half of games.
Who will replace Brad Nortman?
Punters typically do not get much ink and when they do, it usually isn’t a good thing. Thus is the case so far in camp for the Badgers who seem to be still seeking to find a reliable leg at punter. Drew Meyer and Matt Salerno have both had their problems throughout spring and the beginning of
fall camp. One will need to buckle down and produce before September 1.
Which freshmen are ready?
As our very own Andrew Coppens noted earlier on Saturday, Bielema was quick to praise several young players during Saturday’s presser. However, it will take more than a few good days of practice to solidy a spot as a contributor. Which of the highly touted young men will remain in the mix after the second week of camp?
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