Badger of Honor
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Wisconsin Football: Junior Running Back Bradrick Shaw

By Joe Orlofski

MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 11: Bradrick Shaw #7 of the Wisconsin Badgers avoids a tackle by Joshua Jackson #15 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter of a game at Camp Randall Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 11: Bradrick Shaw #7 of the Wisconsin Badgers avoids a tackle by Joshua Jackson #15 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter of a game at Camp Randall Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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In the last installment of the elements of Wisconsin’s running back depth, we discussed sophomore Taiwan Deal.  Continuing the mini series, Badger of Honor dives into the career of junior running back Bradrick Shaw.

Bradrick Shaw saw his first action as a Badger in 2016 after redshirting for the 2015 season.  In his first game against Akron, he rushed for 74 yards and one touchdown on nine carries.  The game already was a blowout at the point Shaw saw some action, but he still impressed fans with this big run:

Shaw continued his strong efforts against Georgia State the following week, where he rushed 15 times for 62 yards.  Unfortunately for him it wasn’t enough to get considerable playing time during the tougher games against Ohio State, Iowa, and Nebraska.

When given the chance against lesser foes, however, Shaw made the most of every opportunity given to him.  He finished his Freshman season with 457 yards and five touchdowns.

As a sophomore, Shaw had a relatively disappointing 2017 season.  He started off hot with an 18 carry, 84 yard and one touchdown effort in the opening game, but tailed off the rest of the year.  He finished with 365 yards and four touchdowns, and only had a 3.8 yards per carry.

To make matters worse, Shaw injured his leg at the end of the year and was pulled for the season.

Recruitment

Shaw was a three-star recruit out of Alabama and was the 72nd-ranked running back in the 2015 class.  Shaw held 8 offers, including ones from Alabama, South Carolina, and Nebraska.  Even with an in-state offer from Alabama, Shaw still chose to take a shot at continuing the run of great running backs at Wisconsin.

Looking Forward to 2018

The spring has come and gone, with no sight of Shaw.  Not all hope is lost, however.  Shaw is continuing to rehab his knee and looks to be on the field in the summer camps.  He may not be full contact initially, but it’s still a good sign for this coming August 31st.

Hopefully Shaw will be able to overcome the injury and find his freshman year form once again.  If he stays healthy, he should be third in the depth chart behind Jonathan Taylor and Chris James.  If he plays well, he may be able to sneak into that second spot.

Season prediction : 90 attempts, 550 yards and six touchdowns.