Time to continue our countdown of the Top 25 players on the Badgers this season.
If you missed No. 21-25, you can find it here. Also, as a reminder, if you'd like to see the entire Top 25 sooner, you can order a copy of Badger Kickoff 2011. The full rankings are already in there but you will find that the rankings from this point on will be slightly adjusted online because a certain someone transferred to Wisconsin since the magazine was printed.
Once again, last year's rankings are in parentheses:
20. Jared Abbrederis - Sophomore wide receiver (NR)
My guess is that Bret Bielema will reward Abbrederis with a scholarship by the end of fall camp. After all, he will be the team's No. 2 wide receiver this season. He caught 20 catches in limited action last season and will receive a lot more targets this season. With Russell Wilson in fold, Abbrederis is set up to have a big year.
19. Louis Nzegwu - Senior defensive end (20)
In the last two seasons, Nzegwu has watched two teammates at the same position (O'Brien Schofield and J.J. Watt) turn themselves into NFL players with one monster off-season. The UW coaching staff is hoping he has done the same over the summer. Wisconsin is in desperate need of an explosive pash rusher and Nzegwu needs to step up in his senior year.
18. Jacob Pedersen - Sophomore tight end (19)
At first glance, Pedersen's eight catches as a freshman don't seem like that big of a deal. But when you consider he racked up 16.5 yards per catch and two of them were for touchdowns, you realize that Pedersen established himself as a reliable weapon last season with limited targets. This year, it appears the Badgers lack an NFL-caliber tight end for the first time in maybe 10 years. They need Pedersen to have a big year.
17. Bradie Ewing - Senior fullback (NR)
Ewing, whose career changed last season when he developed a mean streak, is starting to garner attention from NFL scouts and is currently Mel Kiper's No. 1rated fullback. His position is crucial to the Badgers' offense and considering he does it all (block, run and catch) one could easily make an argument that he should be even higher on this list.
16. Antonio Fenelus - Senior cornerback (24)
After a shaky sophomore year in which the entire secondary struggled, Fenelus was one of the team's most improved players last season and developed into a reliable cornerback. Assuming he put just as much effort into this off-season, the Badgers might actually have their first shutdown cornerback since Jack Ikegwuonu.
Read: Badgers Preseason Player Rankings: No. 21-25
Order: Badger Kickoff 2011
So, what do you think about No. 16-20?