Chris McIntosh and Luke Fickell have one goal for this offseason, and that's to upgrade the Wisconsin Badgers to elite levels. McIntosh said that the goal is to win championships and claims the problem is the roster, so it's time to put his money where his mouth is and upgrade in the portal as aggressively as possible. Here is a checklist for the most important upgrades.
Two things need to be said first before fully diving in. The first is that upgrading these positions does not mean that development stops for any players currently on the roster. It should be both: upgrade and development. Second, every position should be considered for upgrade without exception, and players should be fighting to keep their spots and take the upgrades as a challenge.
1. Quarterback
The No. 1 need by a long shot is quarterback. The Badgers had one of the most ineffective quarterback rooms in the country, and Luke Fickell played all of the scholarship quarterbacks. None of them was effective. Billy Edwards Jr. and Danny O'Neil both got injured, Hunter Simmons just couldn't execute the offense, and Carter Smith hasn't developed enough to be effective as a passer.
The Badgers have to get a stud quarterback OR two. AND commit to developing Carter Smith, let him compete for the spot, but go get a star to be the main guy.
2. Offensive linemen
The line was miserable to start the year; it's hard not to consider the start of the season and the end of the season as an offensive line problem. Sure, there were other problems, but the Badgers could not establish the run at all, NOR could they protect the quarterback. The Badgers only had one RB go over 100 yards in a game. That's miserable for a program that's famous for the run game.
There are some solid pieces on the roster already, but they need at least 2-3 top-tier OL to put it all together.
3. Cornerbacks
Some of the young guys showed promise, but with Ricardo Hallman graduating, the room needs to add a lot more experience. Two stud cornerbacks would go a long way to help this defense.
4. Defensive line - OLB too
Never stop getting bigger on the defensive or offensive line. While the Badgers added the top transfer DL last week, Luke Fickell should still consider adding about 2-3 more big boys in the trenches and a couple of edge rushers.
5. Playmakers - Wide Receivers
Give the new quarterback some weapons or develop the ones the Badgers already have. It won't be surprising to see a couple of the players on the roster leave when the portal opens, and Fickell will need to add others.