It’s hard to believe summer is almost over, but the good news is college football season is right around the corner.
The Wisconsin Badgers will open their season in just over a week with a Friday night game against Utah State at Camp Randall. The Badgers begin the season ranked ninth in the AP Top 25, their highest ranking in the preseason poll since 2007 when they were ranked seventh.
With a favorable schedule and 15 returning starters from last year’s 11–3 squad, expectations are rightfully high for the Badgers. But every season there are surprises, both good and bad, and it is always fun to predict things most fans and media don’t necessarily see coming. Below are five bold predictions I see happening during the 2017 campaign,
Wisconsin will finish with two 1,000-yard rushers
For the first time since 2013, the Badgers will have two different running backs rush for over 1,000 yards. Pitt transfer Chris James will get to the coveted mark first, but will quickly be joined by redshirt sophomore Bradrick Shaw. The duo will be just the third pair of Wisconsin running backs to accomplish this feat, joining Melvin Gordon and James White in 2013 and John Clay and White in 2010. With a schedule that features five teams (Utah State, FAU, Illinois, Purdue, and Maryland) that allowed 200-plus rushing yards per game in 2016, James and Shaw should feast on the majority of defenses they face. Add in the fact that Wisconsin returns five offensive linemen who started at least seven games a year ago and it’s conceivable that James and Shaw will both finish with over 1,000 yards on the season.
Quintez Cephus will haul in at least seven receiving touchdowns
Expectations are high for Cephus, a 6-foot-1 sophomore wide receiver who showed flashes of potential in games against Iowa and Western Michigan last year. He’s big, fast, and will be one of Alex Hornibrook’s favorite red-zone targets in 2017. A former basketball recruit, Cephus has a knack for catching balls in traffic and was impressive during spring practices. Defenses will be keying in on preseason All-American tight end Troy Fumagalli in the red zone, opening the door for Cephus to display his one-on-one talents in the end zone. Hornibrook’s inevitable improvement, coupled with Wisconsin’s need for a red-zone target on the outside after the graduation of Robert Wheelwright, will allow Cephus to shine and become a reliable, trustworthy target for Paul Chryst and offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph.
T.J. Edwards will be an All-American
Despite being one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten and leading Wisconsin in tackles each of the past two seasons, Edwards has yet to be recognized as an All-Big Ten selection beyond consensus honorable mention in 2016. However, this year Edwards will not only be named first-team All-Big Ten, but the redshirt junior will be recognized nationally and selected to an All-American team. Coming off of a dominant performance (10 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble) that earned him the Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP, the 6’1, 244-pound middle linebacker will continue to be one of the leaders of Wisconsin’s defense in 2017. Edwards is arguably the Badgers’ most important defensive player and I believe he has a monster year under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
The secondary will be the strength of the defense
Let me preface this by saying that Wisconsin’s linebackers will be awesome in 2017, just as they are almost every season. In fact, the Badgers’ recent linebacker units have been the backbone of a defense that has finished in the top-25 in scoring defense each of the past seven seasons, a remarkable statistic when you really think about it. But this year I believe the secondary will shine. Senior cornerback Derrick Tindal will be joined by Hawaii transfer Nick Nelson on the outside, creating one of the best cornerback duos in the Big Ten. Tindal plays with the swagger of a No. 1 corner, has improved every year on campus, and I expect 2017 to be his best season in a Wisconsin uniform. Nelson brings legitimate Division-I experience and at 208 pounds is Wisconsin’s heaviest, most physical corner. The nickel cornerback is one of Wisconsin’s biggest question marks, but senior Lubern Figaro has loads of playing experience, while redshirt freshman Dontye Carriere-Williams is poised to breakout.
On the back end, Wisconsin returns third-team All-Big Ten strong safety D’Cota Dixon, who finished with 60 tackles a year ago and has been named to the 2017 Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list. Converted cornerback Natrell Jamerson will start alongside Dixon at free safety after missing six games due to a broken left fibula in 2016. A healthy Jamerson provides the secondary with top-end speed and a centerfielder who can create turnovers. This unit got exposed in last year’s Big Ten Championship Game and there will surely be some hiccups along the way, but this unit is much improved from a year ago and will push Wisconsin’s defense from very good to great.
The Badgers play in a New Year’s Six bowl
I’m not sure how bold of a prediction this is considering Wisconsin played in a New Year’s Six bowl last season, but a lot needs to go right in order to be one of the 12 teams selected. The College Football Playoff is the ultimate goal and there is a very good chance Wisconsin is 12–0 heading into the Big Ten Championship Game. Even if the Badgers drop a game early at BYU, or lose a hard-fought battle to Nebraska, Iowa, or Michigan, an 11–1, Big Ten West champion Wisconsin team will be in a great position to be selected to play a New Year’s Six Bowl.