The Wisconsin Badgers are riding a great start to the season, sitting at 4-1 and 2-0 in conference play. The team has vastly exceeded expectations as a group, but of course that's a bunch of individual players who are exceeding expectations through five games. In fact, it was hard to just choose three. It was also hard to choose three players who have been underwhelming so far, but for the opposite reason.
This is one of those articles where you can choose your own of each. Here's what I have though:
Exceeded Expectations
1. Jacob Harris
There's no doubt that Harris came in and stole the show over four weeks. He's been the most clutch player on the team, and his final-seconds touchdown against Penn State may be one of the most memorable in a long time. Coming from Bowling Green, there was hope he could translate his game, but he's for sure exceeded them.
2. Gavin Lahm
I wrote a whole article about how I thought Lahm would be bad this season, but I was wrong through five games. He didn't have the greatest camp, but he's come out and under some very high-pressure situations from all sorts of distances and made kick after kick.
3. Sebastian Cheeks
Of course, Cheeks was expected to be good this season, and so maybe you disagree. But did anyone truly think he was going to be THIS good? Leading the nation in quarterback pressures, disrupting an offense snap after snap? Cheeks needs to get home more often than he has, but he's absolutely crushing the opponent's left tackles so far this season.
Underperformed (so far)
1. PJ Wilkins
Wilkins is the first starter to get benched this season. He's got a very high ceiling, but so far he seems to lack the drive to push himself in all facets of the game. He wasn't on the starting line for the offense against Michigan State, and it seems as if the line took a big step forward.
Wisconsin can still use his talent, but he has to earn it, not expect it to be handed to him.
2. Justus Boone
Boone hasn't been terrible, but he hasn't provided the pass rushing that Wisconsin needs outside of Sebastian Cheeks. Boone has 12 tackles through five games but hasn't really shown up as a pass-rushing force. He's playing in the rotation behind Tyrese Fearbry, and thus maybe Fearbry should be the one here. And easily could be, but there was hope that Boone would be that force to wreck offensive lines and get to the quarterback.
3. Abu Sama III
The final choice was tough, which is a good sign. There's just not that many underperformers thus far. I debated about Jaylon Domingeaux since he's been injured the whole season and was expected to be one of the top receivers on the team. However, that didn't feel overly fair, and maybe Sama isn't either. Yet, if you had to ask what part of Wisconsin football has been disappointing this season, it would be the rushing attack.
Sama being out for multiple games and then not really being the dominant force when he is in the game (yet) lands him as the final player on this list. There's a strong belief he won't be on this list for long.
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