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Stave, Caputo, Clement and Chryst to Attend Big Ten Media Day

By Jim Oxley

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The Wisconsin football team will be well-represented at Big Ten Media Day when Joel Stave, Michael Caputo, Corey Clement and Paul Chryst head to the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago Thursday and Friday for the annual event.

READ ALSO: Wisconsin Offensive Line: Players Who Need to Step Up

For head coach Paul Chryst, Big Ten Media Day will be his first appearance as Wisconsin’s head coach. Chryst will be joined by three of the most important players on the team, junior running back Corey Clement and a pair of redshirt seniors — quarterback Joel Stave and safety Michael Caputo.

The narrative for Chryst is simple to imagine. The last time he was at UW, he ran an offense that featured Russell Wilson, Montee Ball, Jared Abbrederis and Nick Toon. That was a historic offensive group that churned out five draft picks that year alone (Wilson, Toon, Kevin Zeitler, Peter Konz and Bradie Ewing).

Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers /

Wisconsin Badgers

While no one expects this year’s Badgers to produce to that same level, the stakes are high heading into 2015. With no Melvin Gordon on the roster and a passing game that needs major work, Chryst has his work cut out for him.

Luckily, a couple of the guys accompanying him at media day are set for a big season.

Corey Clement might be the most hyped college football player in the country who has only started one game in his career. The notoriety is warranted, as in a backup role, Clement has done nothing but succeed. Two seasons ago as a third-stringer he totaled 547 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, and last year behind Gordon ran for 949 yards and another nine scores. He’s expected to be among the top running backs in the conference.

Handing him the ball this year will be Joel Stave, who faced a rocky road in 2014 after jumping onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2012. Stave battled through some struggles last season, earned back the starting job, and had an average year. He struggled on deep balls and his decision-making was questionable at times.

Still, there’s no doubt he can do the job, as we’ve seen it happen. He’s 21-7 as the Badgers starting quarterback, and all indications say he’s off to a great start in spring and summer sessions.

The third Badger in attendance is the rock of the defense, safety Michael Caputo. He has already been named a captain for Wisconsin heading into 2015 after leading the Badgers in more ways than one last year. In addition to being a vocal presence and an on-field leader, he led the Badgers with 106 tackles last season.

Big Ten Media Day will be aired on Big Ten Network, beginning with coaches press conferences from 12-2 p.m. Thursday. From 2-6 p.m. Thursday coaches and players will visit the BTN set. Coverage on Friday begins with press conferences at 8 a.m., leading up to a press conference with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney at 10:15 a.m. Friday afternoon will also feature coaches and players visiting the BTN set.

Next: Where Does Corey Clement Rank Among Big Ten Backs?

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