Badger Bits: Frederick to be red shirted in 2010

Even though the 2010 football season has just begun, the Wisconsin coaching staff has begun to think about the team's overall depth going into 2011. With several key players graduating or becoming eligible to leave for the NFL after this season, most notably senior left tackle Gabe Carimi and redshirt junior running back John Clay, the coaching staff has started discussing which players will be red-shirted during 2010 to preserve a year of their NCAA eligibility.

News broke last week that senior running back Zach Brown was on track to be redshirted because true freshman James White had passed him on the Wisconsin depth chart, and now sophomore offensive lineman Travis Frederick is on track to use his red shirt season as well, according to Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Frederick is apparently set to be red shirted because of the wealth of experience Wisconsin boasts on the offensive line this year. Frederick started 2 games each at center and left guard in 2009, and would have 3 years of eligibility remaining after this season if he uses his red shirt. It seems like a smart move by the coaching staff to me- the Badgers currently have two linemen that are set to move on to the NFL after graduation in Carimi and left guard John Moffitt, and the team will need linemen with starting experience to take their places in the years to come.

More Badger Bits after the jump!

UWBadgers.com has their 'Know the foe' preview of San Jose State up on the website- make sure to check it out for some interesting info on Wisconsin's opponent in the home opener this Saturday!

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has their roundtable discussion about the UNLV game up on their website. The roundtable features B5Q's fearless leader Adam Hoge, so be sure to check it out!

Speaking of San Jose State, their head coach is Mike MacIntyre and he thinks that the Badgers are 'very similar' to an Alabama squad that defeated them 48-3 on last Saturday, according to Tom Mulhern of Madison.com.

Wrapping up some injury notes- Chirs Borland's aggravated shoulder should not keep him from playing this Saturday, according to Jeff Potrykus from the Journal-Sentinel. Potrykus also notes that there is a possibility that linebacker Mike Taylor and quarterback Curt Phillips could both see action against San Jose State.

The Badgers have renewed their '1-0' catch phrase from last season- which is the mentality that the only game that matters is the next one on the schedule. It certainly seems to have helped in changing the culture of the program for disappointing seasons in years past.

Former Badger safety Chris Maragos was cut from the 49er's roster, but then signed a deal to work with their practice squad. Peter Jackel of the Journal-Times doesn't think we've heard the last of Maragos.

And finally, Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien is up for the Davey O'Brien award! For the first time in the history of the award, fans can go to http://www.voteobrien.org/ and vote for which quarterback they view as being the most deserving. You can vote once per day, so get out there and give Scott a hand! 

3 days until the home opener!