Wisconsin Football: Most underrated returning Badgers

Running Back – Bradrick Shaw

Shaw was going to be ‘the guy’ in the backfield in 2017 until an injury made him ‘questionable’ for the second game of the 2017 season. Freshman Jonathan Taylor stole the show against FAU rushing for 223 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. He never gave the starting job back to Shaw.

Shaw struggled to get going in 2017 after his injury. He wasn’t given many carries and often couldn’t get going with what he did get. His best game came against Iowa where he had 10 carries for 47 yards and a score.

The knee injury that shut Shaw down for the 2017 season might delay his impact on the 2018 season. He’s on track to begin practices, but may not be ready for full contact until close to the season-opener. Shaw should be 100% by conference play.

Shaw is on this list because I think he can still contribute to the rushing attack in a big way in 2018. And there probably aren’t very high expectations for him due to his injury. He showed the flashes as a freshman and should be confident going into the season even if he won’t get a bulk of the snaps. He’s a tall runner and can provide a different style than Taylor for opposing defenses. Taylor also had some ball security issues as a freshman, which could provide more carries for other backs if it isn’t resolved.

Wisconsin does a good job of dividing up carries for its backs. The hot hand will surely get the bulk of them, but there are going to be opportunities for other guys. Shaw has the experience and the talent to take advantage of those carries and put the Badgers’ rushing attack over the top.