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The Wisconsin Badgers officially released their 2018 spring roster on Monday before the first of 15 spring practices begin on Tuesday morning.
B5Q will be there as some new faces enter their first spring as a Badger, along with some old players in new positions and some who reportedly will miss some time.
Here’s the positional breakdown of the spring roster, with the roster itself displayed at the bottom of the article.
- Quarterback (4)
- Running back (8)
- Fullback (2)
- Tight end (6)
- Wide receiver (12)
- Offensive line (17)
- Defensive line (11)
- Outside linebackers (9)
- Inside linebackers (7)
- Cornerbacks (8)
- Safeties (11)
- Kickers (4)
- Punters (3)
- Long snappers (2)
Bucky’s 5th Podcast, Ep. 11: Jake and Owen break down the spring roster
New names (early enrollees in bold)
CB Donte Burton (No. 4)
WR Aron Cruickshank (No. 11)
S Reggie Pearson (No. 19)
S Ryan O’Connell (No. 22)
S Jake Benzing (No. 34)
S Brad Laufenberg (No. 39)
WR Taj Mustapha (No. 81)
NT Bryson Williams (No. 91)
P Conor Schlichting (No. 96)
Not on spring roster
The following players are not on the spring roster:
- FB Jake Whalen
- WR Peter Roy
- DE Billy Hirschfeld (report)
- ILB Nick Thomas
- S Blake Mielke
Position changes
- Arrington Farrar for OLB from ILB
- Paul Jackson to OLB from WR
- Jake Collinsworth to FB from ILB
- Deron Harrell to CB from WR
Garrett Rand was listed as a nose tackle on last year’s roster. He is now listed as a defensive end, although in the last game notes of the year for the Orange Bowl, he was also listed as an end.
Walk-on Kobe Knaak was listed as a safety on the 2017 roster and a defensive back in the game notes from last season. Now, he is slated as a cornerback.
Who will be out/limited for the spring?
B5Q has reached out to UW for confirmation, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jeff Potrykus reported on Monday afternoon that the following players will be out for potentially a portion or all of spring camp:
Just received a text from a high-ranking #Badgers official noting that Deiter will be held out because of a leg injury.
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) March 12, 2018
#Badgers spring injury updates: As expected, Cephus, Neuville, Shaw still out while recovering from injuries. But Deiter (upper body), Dietzen (ankle), Dixon (shoulder) also out. Groshek and Mason Stokke out as well.
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) March 12, 2018
More #Badgers spring injury updates: CB Dontye Carriere-Williams, WR Danny Davis, WR Cade Green and RB Mark Saari not expected to go tomorrow. Unclear how much they will work this spring.
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) March 12, 2018
Observations
- Jack Coan switched his number to No. 17, which appeared to be teased earlier this month:
Jack coan new number is 17 going back to his roots wanted it and finally earned it number is not given you have to earn it at wisconsin
— Mike Coan (@MikeCoan17) March 7, 2018
- After initially being listed as an athlete on National Signing Day, Cruickshank is officially noted as a wide receiver on the spring roster.
- Based on some of the updated weight figures compared to last year’s roster—and remember, UW only updates the players’ weights on the website twice a year (though they do weigh players more than that throughout the year)—some of the class of 2017 appeared to take advantage of the first year. Tyler Beach (up to 301 pounds from 290), Logan Bruss (292 from 281), Jake Collinsworth (234 from 225), Scott Nelson (207 from 194), and Danny Vanden Boom (212 from 197) are all up significantly in weight. Again, those gains very well could have started during the season itself.
Wisconsin’s 2018 Spring Football Roster
| # | NAME | POS. | HT. | WT. | YR. | HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL/LAST SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | POS. | HT. | WT. | YR. | HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL/LAST SCHOOL |
| 2 | Patrick Johnson | S | 5-11 | 202 | Jr. | Washington, D.C. | The Bullis School |
| 3 | Kendric Pryor | WR | 5-11 | 179 | So. | Hazel Crest, Ill. | Homewood-Flossmoor |
| 4 | Donte Burton | CB | 5-10 | 182 | Fr. | Loganville, Ga. | Loganville |
| 4 | A.J. Taylor | WR | 5-11 | 199 | Jr. | Kansas City, Mo. | Rockhurst |
| 5 | Chris James | RB | 5-10 | 219 | Sr. | Chicago, Ill. | Notre Dame College Prep/Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Danny Davis III | WR | 6-0 | 194 | So. | Springfield, Ohio | Springfield |
| 7 | Bradrick Shaw | RB | 6-1 | 211 | Jr. | Birmingham, Ala. | Hoover |
| 10 | Seth Currens | S | 6-3 | 212 | So. | Pickerington, Ohio | Central |
| 11 | Aron Cruickshank | WR | 5-9 | 152 | Fr. | Brooklyn, N.Y. | Erasmus Hall |
| 12 | Alex Hornibrook | QB | 6-4 | 220 | Jr. | West Chester, Pa. | Malvern Prep |
| 13 | Evan Bondoc | S | 6-1 | 200 | Sr. | Madison, Wis. | Edgewood |
| 14 | D'Cota Dixon | S | 5-10 | 200 | Sr. | Oak Hill, Fla. | New Smyrna Beach |
| 15 | Anthony Lotti | P | 6-0 | 185 | Jr. | Flowery Branch, Ga. | West Hall |
| 15 | Danny Vanden Boom | QB | 6-5 | 212 | Fr. | Kimberly, Wis. | Kimberly |
| 16 | Jack Dunn | WR | 5-7 | 173 | So. | Madison, Wis. | Edgewood |
| 17 | Jack Coan | QB | 6-3 | 206 | So. | Sayville, N.Y. | Sayville |
| 17 | Andrew Van Ginkel | OLB | 6-4 | 233 | Sr. | Rock Valley, Iowa | Rock Valley/Iowa Western C.C. |
| 18 | Arrington Farrar | OLB | 6-2 | 242 | Sr. | Atlanta, Ga. | Woodward |
| 19 | Karé Lyles | QB | 6-0 | 207 | So. | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Saguaro |
| 19 | Reggie Pearson | S | 5-10 | 187 | Fr. | Inkster, Mich. | River Rouge |
| 20 | Faion Hicks | CB | 5-10 | 183 | Fr. | Miami, Fla. | Flanagan |
| 21 | Mark Saari | RB | 6-0 | 206 | Sr. | Montreal, Wis. | Hurley |
| 21 | Caesar Williams | CB | 6-0 | 183 | So. | Grand Prairie, Texas | South |
| 22 | Cade Green | WR | 5-11 | 186 | Fr. | Austin, Texas | Lake Travis |
| 22 | Ryan O'Connell | S | 5-11 | 199 | Fr. | Green Bay, Wis. | Notre Dame |
| 23 | Mason Stokke | ILB | 6-2 | 226 | So. | Menomonie, Wis. | Menomonie |
| 23 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | 5-11 | 216 | So. | Salem, N.J. | Salem |
| 24 | Madison Cone | CB | 5-9 | 180 | So. | Kernersville, N.C. | East Forsyth |
| 24 | Adam Krumholz | WR | 6-1 | 198 | So. | Stoughton, Wis. | Stoughton |
| 25 | Scott Nelson | S | 6-2 | 207 | Fr. | Detroit, Mich. | University of Detroit Jesuit |
| 26 | Eric Burrell | S | 6-0 | 187 | So. | Severn, Md. | McDonogh School |
| 26 | Chris Clementi | WR | 5-11 | 191 | Sr. | Wausau, Wis. | West |
| 27 | Rafael Gaglianone | K | 5-11 | 236 | Sr. | Sao Paulo, Brazil | Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor |
| 27 | Cristian Volpentesta | CB | 5-9 | 186 | So. | Highland Park, Ill. | Highland Park |
| 28 | Taiwan Deal | RB | 6-1 | 225 | Sr. | Capitol Heights, Md. | DeMatha |
| 29 | Dontye Carriere-Williams | CB | 5-10 | 185 | So. | Miami, Fla. | St. Thomas Aquinas |
| 30 | Coy Wanner | TE | 6-3 | 240 | Fr. | Green Bay, Wis. | Preble |
| 31 | Tyler Mais | S | 6-1 | 198 | Fr. | Waunakee, Wis. | Waunakee |
| 32 | Jake Collinsworth | FB | 6-1 | 234 | Fr. | Merrill, Wis. | Merrill |
| 34 | Jake Benzing | S | 5-11 | 193 | Fr. | Delavan, Wis. | Delavan-Darien |
| 34 | Sam Brodner | RB | 5-10 | 212 | So. | Glen Ellyn, Ill. | Glenbard West |
| 36 | Hunter Johnson | RB | 6-0 | 214 | Fr. | Darlington, Wis. | Darlington |
| 36 | Kobe Knaak | CB | 5-9 | 186 | So. | Franklin, Wis. | Franklin |
| 37 | Ethan Cesarz | ILB | 6-0 | 247 | Fr. | Delavan, Wis. | Delavan-Darien |
| 37 | Garrett Groshek | RB | 5-11 | 218 | So. | Amherst Junction, Wis. | Amherst |
| 38 | Sam DeLany | WR | 5-10 | 170 | Fr. | Delafield, Wis. | Kettle Moraine |
| 38 | P.J. Rosowski | P | 6-3 | 226 | Sr. | Stoughton, Wis. | Stoughton |
| 39 | Zach Hintze | K | 6-0 | 185 | Jr. | Fond du Lac, Wis. | St. Mary's Springs |
| 39 | Brad Laufenberg | S | 5-11 | 204 | Fr. | Verona, Wis. | Verona |
| 41 | Noah Burks | OLB | 6-2 | 234 | So. | Carmel, Ind. | Carmel |
| 41 | Paul Jackson | OLB | 6-3 | 229 | Sr. | Miami Gardens, Fla. | Youngstown (Ohio) Ursuline |
| 43 | Ryan Connelly | ILB | 6-3 | 236 | Sr. | Eden Prairie, Minn. | Eden Prairie |
| 45 | Alec Ingold | FB | 6-2 | 246 | Sr. | Green Bay, Wis. | Bay Port |
| 45 | Hegeman Tiedt | OLB | 6-4 | 241 | So. | Burlington, Wis. | Burlington |
| 46 | Gabe Lloyd | TE | 6-4 | 237 | So. | Green Bay, Wis. | Northeast Wisconsin Lutheran |
| 47 | Griffin Grady | ILB | 6-3 | 216 | So. | Dublin, Ohio | Coffman |
| 49 | Kyle Penniston | TE | 6-4 | 236 | Jr. | Orange, Calif. | Mater Dei |
| 50 | Izayah Green-May | OLB | 6-6 | 212 | Fr. | Bolingbrook, Ill. | Bolingbrook |
| 51 | Adam Bay | LS | 6-0 | 227 | So. | Mesa, Ariz. | Desert Ridge |
| 52 | David Pfaff | DE | 6-2 | 272 | Jr. | Mequon, Wis. | Homestead |
| 53 | T.J. Edwards | ILB | 6-1 | 248 | Sr. | Lake Villa, Ill. | Lakes Community |
| 54 | Chris Orr | ILB | 6-0 | 229 | Jr. | DeSoto, Texas | DeSoto |
| 55 | Christian Bell | OLB | 6-4 | 246 | So. | Birmingham, Ala. | Hoover/Alabama |
| 56 | Zack Baun | OLB | 6-3 | 230 | Jr. | Brown Deer, Wis. | Brown Deer |
| 57 | Michael Balistreri | DE | 6-4 | 272 | Fr. | Grafton, Wis. | University School of Milwaukee |
| 58 | Mike Maskalunas | ILB | 6-3 | 230 | So. | Long Grove, Ill. | Adlai E. Stevenson |
| 59 | Tyler Johnson | OLB | 6-3 | 247 | Jr. | Menasha, Wis. | Menasha |
| 60 | Logan Bruss | OL | 6-5 | 292 | Fr. | Appleton, Wis. | Kimberly |
| 61 | Tyler Biadasz | OL | 6-3 | 322 | So. | Amherst, Wis. | Amherst |
| 62 | Patrick Kasl | OL | 6-5 | 315 | So. | Wyoming, Minn. | Forest Lake |
| 63 | Michael Deiter | OL | 6-6 | 321 | Sr. | Curtice, Ohio | Genoa |
| 64 | Brett Connors | OL | 6-6 | 297 | Sr. | New Berlin, Wis. | West |
| 65 | Tyler Beach | OL | 6-6 | 301 | Fr. | Grafton, Wis. | Port Washington |
| 66 | Beau Benzschawel | OL | 6-6 | 322 | Sr. | Grafton, Wis. | Grafton |
| 67 | Jon Dietzen | OL | 6-6 | 326 | Jr. | Black Creek, Wis. | Seymour |
| 68 | David Moorman | OL | 6-5 | 306 | Jr. | Northville, Mich. | Northville |
| 69 | Aaron Vopal | DE | 6-6 | 299 | Fr. | De Pere, Wis. | De Pere |
| 70 | Josh Seltzner | OL | 6-4 | 329 | Fr. | Columbus, Wis. | Columbus |
| 71 | Cole Van Lanen | OL | 6-5 | 311 | So. | Green Bay, Wis. | Bay Port |
| 73 | Alex Fenton | OL | 6-4 | 302 | Fr. | Menomonie, Wis. | Menomonie |
| 74 | Gunnar Roberge | NT | 6-4 | 291 | Jr. | Seymour, Wis. | Seymour |
| 75 | Micah Kapoi | OL | 6-3 | 321 | Sr. | Kapolei, Hawaii | Kapolei |
| 76 | Kayden Lyles | OL | 6-3 | 323 | Fr. | Madison, Wis. | Middleton |
| 77 | Blake Smithback | OL | 6-2 | 298 | Fr. | Waunakee, Wis. | Waunakee |
| 78 | Jason Erdmann | OL | 6-6 | 330 | Jr. | Richfield, Wis. | Slinger |
| 79 | David Edwards | OL | 6-7 | 319 | Jr. | Downers Grove, Ill. | North |
| 81 | Taj Mustapha | WR | 6-0 | 192 | Fr. | Southfield, Mich. | West Bloomfield |
| 82 | Emmet Perry | WR | 6-2 | 182 | Fr. | Grand Prairie, Texas | DeSoto |
| 84 | Jake Ferguson | TE | 6-5 | 240 | Fr. | Madison, Wis. | Memorial |
| 85 | Zander Neuville | TE | 6-5 | 251 | Sr. | Waupaca, Wis. | Waupaca |
| 86 | Luke Benzschawel | TE | 6-6 | 250 | So. | Grafton, Wis. | Grafton |
| 87 | Quintez Cephus | WR | 6-1 | 206 | Jr. | Macon, Ga. | Stratford Academy |
| 89 | Deron Harrell | CB | 6-2 | 177 | Fr. | Denver, Colo. | East |
| 90 | Connor Allen | P | 6-0 | 173 | Jr. | New Berlin, Wis. | Brookfield East |
| 91 | Josh Bernhagen | LS | 6-2 | 236 | So. | Madison, Wis. | La Follette |
| 91 | Bryson Williams | NT | 6-2 | 306 | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Southeast |
| 93 | Garrett Rand | DE | 6-2 | 278 | Jr. | Chandler, Ariz. | Hamilton |
| 94 | Matt Henningsen | DE | 6-3 | 271 | Fr. | Menomonee Falls, Wis. | Menomonee Falls |
| 95 | Keldric Preston | DE | 6-4 | 249 | So. | Tampa, Fla. | Robinson |
| 96 | Conor Schlichting | P | 6-2 | 212 | Fr. | Madison, Wis. | East |
| 97 | Isaiahh Loudermilk | DE | 6-7 | 297 | So. | Howard, Kan. | West Elk |
| 98 | Kraig Howe | DE | 6-3 | 277 | Jr. | Dayton, Ohio | Archbishop Alter |
| 98 | Collin Larsh | K | 5-10 | 182 | Fr. | Marshall, Wis. | Monona Grove |
| 99 | Olive Sagapolu | NT | 6-2 | 338 | Sr. | Pago Pago, American Samoa | Mater Dei (Calif.) |