How the Badgers Rank at Every Position in the Big Ten

How do the Badgers stack up agaisnt the rest of the conference?
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CBS tallied up positional rankings from the 247Sports series and added in their own rankings for Big Ten coaches. The result is a complete ranking of every position group plus coaches in the Big Ten. So how do the Badgers stack up?

Quarterback - 7th

Tyler Van Dyke, the presumed starter, was ranked as the 7th best signal-caller in the Big Ten. At Miami, he had Heisman hype, and was also benched, so which TVD Wisconsin gets will have a huge impact to the season.

Skill Players - 7th

Running back Chez Mellusi and receiver Will Pauling lead the way here for the Badgers. Pauling is one of the best slot receivers in the country, but the lack of top end talent on the outside is what drags this ranking down.

Offensive Line - 4th

The Badger line is a veteran-led group that wants to show a down 2023 was an anomaly. Tackles Riley Mahlman and Jack Nelson could hear their names called in the first few rounds of next year's draft.

Defensive Line - 11th

The Badgers' defensive is a glaring weakness. James Thompson Jr. leads this group, but Wisconsin will rely heavily on outside linebacker for generating pressure this year.

Linebackers - 9th

The Badgers brought in several new transfers to the group for 2024. John Pius from William and Mary can wreck havoc on opposing quarterbacks while senior Jake Chaney, who was the team's second leading tackler in 2023, will help hold down the middle of the field.

Secondary - 6th

Safety Hunter Wohler and cornerback Ricardo Hallman are two of the best in the conference. It will be up to the other members of the secondary to step up and justify a higher ranking.

Coach - 5th

Luke Fickell earning the 5th best coach in the conference after only a year is little surprising. He still has a lot to show in year two if he wants to earn the trust of the fanbase.

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