Freshman Of The Year
The Winner: Running Back Bradrick Shaw
Other Nominees: Quarterback Alex Hornibrook
In the early parts of the season it appeared as though this award was all but sealed up for runner up Alex Hornibrook, until a new face emerged in a big way. Bradrick Shaw got his first touches against Akron after a pile up of injuries, and eventually emerged as the third head of a dominating running game. Wisconsin always has quality runners in the stable, and the tradition continued when Shaw broke out. It appeared as though Shaw would not see much of the field in the early parts of the season, but the four star recruit from nationwide dominating program Hoover High School emerged when given the opportunity.
Shaw finished the season with 88 carries for 457 yards and 8 touchdowns, and while the stats may not blow you away, the impact he had sure does. Shaw was able to provide a secondary power/speed combo to match Corey Clement that other backs like Ogunbowale and Deal could not. He was able to lessen the load of Clement when needed, and in turn it kept Corey healthy and powerful all season long. Clement will now pass the torch to Shaw as he will likely be the next great back in a long line for Wisconsin Football. With Clement and Ogunbowale graduating, Shaw will be the Big Back on Campus next fall as he will get a bulk of the carries along with Running Back Chris James next season.