Camping with the Badgers 2013: Secondary

T-minus one day to go until camp opens up and we get a glimpse of what this team looks like after a full summer spent in the playbook and sorting positions out. Well, today here at MTB the one day to go signal means it's time to wrap up our "Camping with the Badgers" series with a triple dose of all things Bucky. 

Starting it off is the position group almost every fan I've talked with is most worried about and that's the secondary. Can Dez Southward lead a group of inexperienced but potential laden players? It's just one of the questions we'll attempt to answer and preview as we break down what's going down in the Badgers defensive backfield. 

So, let's get right to it, shall we? 

Good News: 

Dez Southward is back and to some is a real candidate to be an All-Big Ten caliber player. With no Shelton Johnson next to him, it's his turn to shine in the backfield where he's the only returning starter.

Bad News: 

The fact that UW has all of 4 starts returning besides Southward, and none of them at corner, should give fans and coaches a bit of pause. Call it the fear of the unknown if you will. Things would've looked better had it all played out the way it should've. Instead UW lost Reggie Mitchell to his hometown of Pittsburgh and then expected JUCO transfer Donnell Vercher didn't make it into school. So, it's back to the drawing board opposite of Southward for the 2nd time in this offseason.

Questions Entering Fall Camp:

Who the heck makes up the two-deep at safety? Later on you'll see our best guess, but if Vegas were taking odds on who will end up behind Southward and who are the two-deep at strong safety they'd be raking in the dough because it's a wide open competition – about as wide open as I've ever seen at any position in the past decade. Good luck to us and to you in getting the guesses right.

Can Youth Bring Depth? The Badgers have to hope that depth comes from youth this season, especially at the corner spots. The trouble with that is the lack of experience. So far it appears that the overall depth of this group comes from a bunch of really talented youngsters that just need a chance to prove themselves when things count for real. It's a good thing when your likely defensive captain, Chris Borland, gives you the old "vote of confidence" like he did last week and a lot had to do with him seeing the young guys in action this summer.

Players to Watch:

Sojourn Shelton – He was unquestionably one of the biggest stars of the spring game and that was as a 168lbs. freshman. Fast forward to now and he's put on close to 15lbs. already and is over 180lbs according to our conversation on Friday at media day. That's more than enough to help his case for playing time in the fall. Shelton has the talent to be a major force in the secondary, the question is just how big his role will be. Could he end up a surprise starter or will he be a nickel type back for this team? I wouldn't be too shocked to see him earn significant playing time and even push the likes of Peniel Jean for a starting role at all, but the smart money is on him playing more of a nickel role to start this season.

Michael Caputo – Caputo has one of the rarest of things to offer the safety position – EXPERIENCE. He played in all 13 games last season and ended 2012 with 10 tackles. Not huge numbers, but their numbers the vast majority of the rest looking to battle don't have. Question is… Is Caputo the type of player that fits into the aggressive 3-4 scheme Aranda and Andersen are looking to implement. If he can show the athletic ability this 6-1, 206lbs. player could be looking at a starting position opposite Southward.

Jeff Lewis – He's one of three players that have made the switch from offense to the defensive secondary and this could be Lewis' last shot to really impress and see the field. Coach Gary Andersen has talked about the need he could fill and if he's caught on quickly in the backfield opposite of what he used to play expect him to get every chance to win the strong safety battle because he's got the size and clearly the speed to be a difference maker. It's all about the mental reps and his ability to learn fast that will matter for Lewis. Watching his growth at the position will be one of the better things to watch in camp. 

T.J. Reynard – Last season the JUCO transfer was a safety at Independence (Kansas) CC and his fit into this program will be interesting to say the least. He's a bit of a tweener, as he has the speed to play corner and the size to play at safety as well. His role may be more defined by events around him than anything he does. Either way, expect Reynard to be a name you hear often this season in the secondary. My gut tells me he ends up starting the season as a safety and if there's an injury at corner he'll take over there. 

Probable Depth Chart:

Previous Position Previews:

Offensive Line
Special Teams
Defensive Line
Running Backs
Linebackers
Wide Receivers