Badger Football: Confidence Meter For Each Position Group on Offense

The season opener is just a week away, so what is our confidence rating of every position group on offense heading into the season?

Quarterback

Confidence: 80%

Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke, who coaches have been labeling as 1a and 1b all camp, form one of the stronger quarterback duos in the Big Ten. Van Dyke was recently ranked as the 15th best Power conference quarterback in the country, and based on the Badger coaches' comments, Locke my not be too far behind. If Van Dyke falls victim to an injury or poor play, there's reason to think that Locke could step in without any hiccups and hit the ground running. Fans' confidence should be high with this group.

Running Back

Confidence: 90%

The Badgers don't really have a star in this group, but what they lack in star power, they make up for in depth. Chez Mellusi and Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker are known commodities and should play very well, but two true freshman, Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones, have generated a lot of hype during camp. The Badgers may have the luxury of just rolling with the hot hand of these four on a game-to-game basis all season.

Tight End

Confidence: 40%

Tucker Ashcraft and Riley Nowakowsi lead a young group that has more questions than answers at this point. There isn't a true go-to offensive guy and, behind the two starters, it's a bit of mystery as to who might step up. Maybe there's a diamond in the rough buried on the depth chart, but don't expect huge production from this room.

Wide Receiver

Confidence: 65%

Will Pauling in the slot is a certified baller. Unfortunately, if he misses any time this season, the rest of the group may struggle to replace his production. Bryson Green, Vinny Anthony and CJ Williams are solid guys, and even backup slot receiver Trech Kekahuna could emerge, but there's no doubt that if Pauling misses games, the offense will be hurting. The group is strong overall, though, and Van Dyke may elevate their play more than we think.

Offensive Line

Confidence: 75%

The offensive line had an up-and-down 2023, but with another year in the system and with Jake Renfro back at center, the room has a lot of upside. The two tackles, Jack Nelson and Riley Mahlman, will almost certainly hear their names called in the draft next year, and freshman Kevin Heywood is a very highly-touted tackle of the future. This group will be one of the best in the conference if they play up to their potential.