What I learned from the 2012 spring practice

The University of Wisconsin and coach Luke Fickell welcomed 11 of the program's 22 signees for the 2024 class into the first semester in early January, giving them a head start with winter conditioning and participation in spring practice. did it. Fickell will probably hit that proverbial wall sooner than other teams in the program and pick up the lumps, as he hinted earlier this month, but he also provided some highlights from the Badgers' 12th practice on Thursday. There are some things.

The true freshmen, other than linebackers Thomas Highberger and Anel Raffaele, built on Tuesday's performance and worked in the backfield. Raffaele's family was in attendance and watched as he and Highberger each recorded two potential sacks during their second-team appearances.

Slot receiver Kyian Berry-Johnson has shown elusiveness and strong hands, making a number of nice receptions with second-team personnel over the past few practices this week. That included quarterback Bradyn Lock's easy touchdown reception from the right flat during Thursday's 7-on-7 period.

Four-star defensive lineman Ernest Wheeler Jr. made back-to-back tackles for a loss on third-team reps on Saturday, and quarterback Marbrey Mettauer remained solid despite throwing an interception on Thursday. , the number of players in the third team has increased and they are showing glimpses of their potential. his belt.

Here are four observations from Wisconsin's 12th spring practice.

Earlier this week, Fickell credited outside linebacker Darryl Peterson, a redshirt junior on Wisconsin's spring roster, with developing assistant Matt Mitchell amid continued competition within the position group. praised.

What sets Peterson apart from other players in the outside linebacker group is his versatility. Mitchell previously said he would use Peterson in both field and boundary positions this spring, but Peterson could also slide inside and function as a pseudo-defensive lineman in certain packages.

Peterson started this week with two strong practices, which are a microcosm of his overall work through 12 practices. He made his presence felt in the first-team series, when the offense was protected near its own goal line. He took a fall, quickly turned his back on Towee Walker, and two plays later broke pass protection to stop the lock and run for a safety.

Peterson shined in subsequent practices as well during his first-team repetitions. The Akron, Ohio, native left quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, a transfer from Miami, untouched and incomplete, and his determination and ability to weave through multiple offensive linemen resulted in Lock being sacked. Brought.

On Thursday, Njie Folkrian made his second pass of the week, with Van Dijk's errant high throw being grabbed out of the air by the former Division Two cornerback. It was also Forkleen's second interception in the past two practices with Van Dyke, and on Tuesday he blanketed and beat receiver CJ Williams during a contested catch, securing a turnover.

Forkleen, now a redshirt senior, has been practicing consistently in a first-team situation through 12 spring practices. He appeared in 12 games (five starts) in his first season of Power Five football, finishing with 39 tackles, 3 1/2 tackles for loss, two sacks, and two pass breakups.

Wisconsin cornerbacks coach Paul Haynes said last week that he expects both Forkleen and Ricardo Hallman to improve in “little things” this season, including preparation and leadership.

“I think when you look at Nijie, when you look at the weight room, his speed, the way he moves, he’s probably improved the most,” Haynes said last Friday. “Last year, he had a rib contract when he got here, so he didn't lift until proper fall camp. Once you get to the middle of the season, the end of the season, you're done. Again. But Grand Valley is a great program, and Division II is great, but it's completely different. And he even said something like, “I'm exhausted.''

“Right now, they’ve done a great job with him in the weight room, so I think his confidence has increased incredibly for us.”

During his time with the Badgers, we saw Vinnie Anthony II thrive in a variety of situations, not just on offense. He can line up as either an outside receiver or slot receiver within Phil Longo's Air Raid pass scheme, and Mitchell, who also serves as Wisconsin's special teams coordinator, announced earlier this month that he and Trech Kekahuna also had a second-half kickoff return. He praised the work of the unit. 2023 season.

Anthony received a few reps in the slot Thursday and was effective in the passing attack. He had back-to-back successes from lock during an 11-on-11 stretch, recording one catch with the second team and one catch with the first team shortly after.

Of those two receptions, the second one was probably the more impressive of the streak. His speed always stood out on the field as a former high school track and field athlete, as he would break and quickly come back for the ball and catch passes.

Haakon Anderson has appeared in 33 career games for Wisconsin since the 2021 season, but his presence has been primarily seen on special teams, according to his Badger profile. He played just six snaps on offense in 2023, according to PFF.

It remains to be seen what kind of impact the former Verona standout can have on the team this season, but he has been playing steady second-team reps throughout the spring and on Thursday he made several appearances. He made the most of it in his reception.

Anderson was a frequent target of Lock on 7-on-7 drives with the second-team offense, and the two had two shots for touchdowns. The second goal came on a dart thrown by Lock into the back of the end zone, keeping Anderson within touchdown range.

The receiver also involved another Lock throw, a contested pass, during the second-team 11-on-11 series after practice. His only glaring blemish on Thursday was an 11-on-11 drive against another second team, where he received separation but dropped an accurate throw from Lock, and the rebound of a missed connection hit the McLain Center turf at 2. I hit it many times.