B5Q Blogopean Union: Former Badgers making waves in the NFL

Good morning! This is going to be a daily(ish) post that discusses the goings on of the rest of the Big Ten Conference, and the country as needed. Much like the European Union, the Big Ten is a loosely confederated group of entities that sometimes have the same goals (like free movement of people between countries or not winning national titles in football or basketball) and sometimes accept new members that they later regret (Estonia or Rutgers).

We hope that you will use this post to comment on things happening around the conference and also as a sort of daily open thread to discuss breaking news or argue about Spotted Cow.

While the Badgers probably (read: definitely) won’t see any players drafted in the upcoming NBA Draft, the NFL Draft was an entirely different story. A number of former Wisconsin players heard their names called during the draft and a few more signed on with a team as undrafted free agents.

Winning bowl games and conference titles and the like are nice, and do help with recruiting, but what really gets the kids going is an NFL contract. The Badgers have proven that their program will get you to “The League” even if you aren’t a highly rated recruit. If this trend continues, hopefully Paul Chryst and Co. start pulling in some higher rated classes.

• John Newby of 247Sports has some good news about Alec Ingold’s chances to make the Oakland Raiders roster as the starting fullback. Ingold is basically what a Gruden Grinder looks like in Jon Gruden’s wildest fantasies.
• Rookie linebacker Ryan Connelly is impressing New York Giants coaches so much that he is being called out in position meetings for doing exactly the right thing all the time.
• Another former Badger linebacker is turning heads in the NFL. Andrew Van Ginkel is learning three different linebacker positions in the hopes of sticking with the Miami Dolphins this season.
• !!!COMMIT ALERT!!! The Badgers picked up their eighth verbal commitment for the 2020 class Monday afternoon. Cade McDonald plays defensive end and can almost certainly dunk on you if the opportunity presented itself.
• The Big Ten Conference will be announcing its next commissioner Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. central time. There are reports that someone outside of college sports will be tabbed as the leader of the B1G.

• NEW BOWL TIE-INS! WHAT’S UP @BELKBOWL!?!?

• Iowa will continue to play Iowa State in football until, at least, 2025. Thank goodness.
• Maryland senior goalie, Megan Taylor, became the first goalkeeper (in men’s or women’s lacrosse) to ever win the Tewaaraton Award. The Terps won the national title too. Not a bad year for them.
• I do not understand how the NCAA College Baseball Tournament works, and I will not learn until Wisconsin gets a team, but it appears as though Michigan is doing well. I’m sure Cal State-Fullerton or some dumb SEC team will win the whole thing, but I sure as hell won’t know about it!