Wisconsin preparing for the worst while star DB practices at fall camp

Nyzier Fourqurean was spotted at fall camp, in full pads, and practicing as if he's playing next season. The problem is, as of now, he isn't. Fourqurean lost his eligibility battle with the NCAA after the United States Court of Appeals ruled in the NCAA's favor. The last-ditch effort was Wisconsin filing an appeal on a case-by-case basis and hoping that the human side of things would allow Fourqurean to play.

However, Luke Fickell says that the team is preparing for the NCAA to be cold-hearted and shoot down the appeal and leave Fourqurean without any Wisconsin options. For now, he practices in case he can play on August 28.

Luke Fickell says they are preparing for the NCAA to shoot down Nyzier Fourqurean's appeal

The Badgers opened fall camp yesterday, and there were a lot of media notes and nuggets from things seen on the field and notes taken in the media sessions. One of the big questions for the Wisconsin Badgers still exists around Fourqurean's eligibility. The late buzzer-beater decision by the appeals court left Fourqurean in a terrible position.

This is actually the case that Wisconsin is trying to make with the NCAA. They hope that laying out the timeline will help them understand there's a human element at play. Fourqurean won his case against the NCAA in a Wisconsin court, and that initial decision led Fourqurean to decide not to pursue the NFL draft or other post-college options.

The NCAA then decided to appeal it and take it to the highest appeals court, and it went into limbo for months. Fourqurean and Fickell assumed it would work out, and everything was a go for the season. Then just last month, right before the start of fall camp, the decision came, and now Fourqurean is up a creek without a paddle, as they say.

This final appeal to the NCAA is to help them see the human side of this and how maybe the decision to deny eligibility was fair, but the timing was brutal.

There's still a chance that he can play this season, it's a low one, but just in case, he's at practice.