As the season quickly approaches, there are still a few position battles that need to be sorted out. So here is our final projection of the Badgers' depth chart before the season opener on August 30th.
Quarterback
Starter: Tyler Van Dyke
Backup: Braedyn Locke
Van Dyke was officially announced as a the starter last week, and Locke will be one of the better quality backups in the Big Ten.
Running Back
Starter: Chez Mellusi, Tawee Walker
Backup: Darrion Dupree
Mellusi and Walker will most likely begin the season with a pretty evenly split workload. Darrion Dupree is a true freshman who has flashed all camp and is a star in the making.
Wide Receiver
Starters: Bryson Green, Vinny Anthony, Will Pauling Jr.
Backups: C.J. Williams, Quincy Burroughs, Trech Kekahuna
Pauling Jr. and Green are the two surefire starters. Any one of Anthony, Williams or Burroughs could emerge as the third receiver, so that spot may experience some fluctuation early on.
Tight End
Starter: Tucker Ashcraft
Backup: Riley Nowakowski
The tight end group won't look too different from last season and isn't expected to be a huge part of the offense.
Offensive Line
Starters: Jack Nelson, Joe Brunner, Jake Renfro, Joe Huber, Riley Mahlman
Backups: Kevin Heywood, J.P. Benzschawel, Barrett Nelson
The offensive line will return most of a group that had an up and down 2023 season. The return of Renfro from injury will be a huge boost at center. Freshman tackle Kevin Heywood has looked good in camp and will be a key piece in 2025 and beyond.
Defensive Line
Starters: Curt Neal, James Thompson Jr., Brandon Lane
Backups: Ben Barten, Cade McDonald, Elijah Hills
Lane and Barten may duke it out for the third spot along the defensive line which will see a fairly deep rotation regardless.
Outside Linebacker
Starters: John Pius, Darryl Peterson
Backups: Leon Lowery, Anelu Lafaele, Aaron Witt
Pius and Lowery are two transfers who will see significant playing time in an effort to reach the quarterback more than last year. Lafaele is a promising freshman who could also see snaps right away.
Inside Linebacker
Starters: Jake Chaney, Jaheim Thomas
Backups: Christian Alliegro, Tackett Curtis
Cornerback
Starters: Ricardo Hallman Jr. Nyzier Fourqurean, Max Lofy (nickel)
Backups: R.J. Delancy, Xavier Lucas, Austin Brown (nickel)
One of the better secondaries in the Big Ten, this unit is deep as Delancy could start for most programs.
Safety
Starters: Hunter Wohler, Kamo’i Latu
Backups: Austin Brown, Preston Zachman
Austin Brown could see some time at safety again this year if Lofy can hold down the nickel spot.
Special Teams
Starters: Nathanial Vakos, Atticus Bertrams, Cayson Pfeiffer
Vakos and Bertrams will return at kicker and punter respectively, and new transfer Pfeiffer will take over the long snapping duties after seeing Peter Bowden leave for the NFL.