Omillio Agard could have been a star for the Wisconsin Badgers, but after a four-win season, he took his talents to Virginia, and it's already working out for him. Agard is getting first-team reps and is getting praised by his head coach, Tony Elliott. The vibes are high for the former Badger, and it looks like whatever he learned at Wisconsin is crossing over into a starting position at Virginia.
According to Steve DeShazo of On SI, Agard is already billed as the starting cornerback alongside Donovan Platt. DeShazo says that Agard "has impressed coaches with his speed and aggressiveness and could be a factor in the pass-happy ACC."
It's not just that Agard went from Wisconsin to Virginia and immediately started making an impression as a potential starter. He's getting high praise from head coach Elliott. As mentioned, Elliott at the start of camp said this about Agard: "He brings a ton of energy. He's a student of the game. So when I'm in here asking questions about situational football, he sits about second row, two seats in, and he's answering the questions. He's got a ton of ability. He's a good teammate. He's a competitor."
Former Wisconsin Badger Omillio Agard is receiving high praise in Virginia
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Elliott is impressed with the skills he brought to camp and his energy, work ethic, and the fact that he only wants to get better. The redshirt sophomore from Philadelphia transferred out of Wisconsin last season looking for a new opportunity and a place to win, grow, and even compete to start.
Agard, a former 4-star recruit, played in 10 games for Wisconsin last year and had three starts. He was a key part of the future of the cornerback room and was a relative surprise to see him transfer out. Especially as he was earning his way into the starting cornerback position. He changed the way that Wisconsin approached the portal when Agard jumped into it.
The question that follows is: does Wisconsin regret losing him? He was seen as a cornerback of the future, an energizer bunny, and someone who brings a lot of vocal energy to the room, even as a young player. However, the Badgers found new answers.
The Badgers then went out and added a ton of help in the cornerback room with Bryce West, Cai Bates, Eric Fletcher Jr., and Javan Robinson. All of them either have starting/playing experience or are former 4-star recruits. So, the Badgers were able to replace Agard and, hopefully, even better the room.
All that to say, it's good to see Agard find his spot, get high praise from a coach, and earn a starting spot. It also shows in some way that the development he got at Wisconsin last year was better than many fans would give the Badgers credit for. Agard jumped after his redshirt freshman year to the ACC and became a starter. That's big news.
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