MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (Aug. 6–13)
College football: Wisconsin training camp at UW–Platteville

By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial

Badgers hold open practice at UW–Platteville

PLATTEVILLE — The Wisconsin Badgers returned to Platteville two weeks ago to hold its 2024 training camp on the UW–Platteville campus  for the second consecutive season. 

The Badgers held closed practices from July 29 to Aug. 12, and held meetings, meals and other team bonding experiences during their stay. 

The public got a sneak peak look at this year’s team Saturday morning when UW head coach Luke Fickell and his squad held an open practice. 

After two hours of on-field work, Wisconsin players took the time to sign autographs and pose for pictures with young Badgers fans in attendance. 

UW–Platteville and Wisconsin have agreed to terms to hold the first two weeks of UW training camp in Platteville for the next two seasons as well.

Last fall, in his first season in Madison, Fickell brought his team to Platteville for the first week of fall camp.

It went so well that Wisconsin and UW–Platteville agreed to a three-year deal to hold the first two weeks of practice in the City of the Mound.

Fickell used a similar approach in his previous coaching job at Cincinnati where he maintain a tradition of holding fall training camp 22 minutes away just across the Indiana border at Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center, a church camp located in West Harrison, Ind. 

The Badgers have plenty questions entering year two under Fickell and plenty of holes to fill after posting a 7–6 overall mark and a 5–4 mark in the Big 10, which was good for a second-place tie in the West division. 

Wisconsin lost starting running back Braelon Allen (181 carries, 984 yards, 12 TDs in 2023) and center Tanor Bortolini to the NFL draft. Allen, who had a year of eligibility remaning, was a fourth round pick of the New York Jest, while Bortolini was a fourth round pick of the Indianapolis Colts.

The Badgers also lost starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai  (San Francisco), linebacker Maema Njongmeta (Cincinnati, 59 tackles, 3 sacks), tight end Hayden Rucci (Miami, 11 rec., 125 yards) and long snapper) Peter Bowden (Green Bay) to graduation, who each signed undrafted free agent contracts with NFL teams. Mordecai (204-314, 2066 yards, 9 TD, 4 Int) battled through injuries in his only season at UW after two years as a starter at SMU.

Wisconsin also lost starting inside linebacker Jordan Turner (61 tackles, 3 sacks), backup defenisve lineman Rodas Johnson (19 tackles) and wide receivers Skyler Bell (38 rec., 296 yards, 1 TD) and Chimere Dike (19-328-1) to the transfer portal.

Chez Mellusi sits atop the depth chart at tailback after rushing for 306 yards and 4 TDs in four games last year before suffering a season-ending injury broken leg. Mellusi will run behind returning starters Riley Mahlman (RT), Jack Nelson (LT) and Joe Huber (RG). Mahlman was a second-team All-Big 10 selection a year ago.

The Badgers also return their top two wide receivers from a year ago in Will Pauling (74-837-6) and Bryson Green (32-480-2). 

Perhaps the biggest battle in camp is the competition to become Wisconsin’s starting quarterback.

Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke, has the inside track, but is being pushed by sophomore Braedyn Locke, who passed for 777 yards and 5 TDs in 3.5 games last year filling in for the injured Mordecai.Van Dyke completed 581 of 912 passes for 7,469 yards, 54 TDs and 23 interceptions in three years as a starter for the Hurricanes.

The defense will be led by a quartet of returning starters in senior strong safety Hunter Wohler (120 tackles), senior inside linebacker Jake Chaney (90 tackles, 3 sacks), who finished first and second in tackles last year, junior outside linebacker Darryl Peterson (47 tackles, 4 sacks) and junior cornerback Ricardo Hallman (34 tackles, 7 INT, 152 yards, 1 TD). 

Transfer linebacker Jaheim Thomas could an impact newcomer after spending last year at Arkansas after three seasons at Cincinnati. Thomas posted career-highs with 90 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last fall.

Fickell and company will face one of the Big Ten’s toughest schedules this season. After a non-conference home game with perennial national championship contender Alabama (Sept. 14 at Camp Randall), UW will open conference play Sept. 18 at Big 10 newcomer USC. Wisconsin will also have challenging games at Northwestern (Oct.19), home against Penn State (Oct. 26), at Iowa (Nov. 2) and home against Oregon (Nov. 16). 

The Badgers will open the season at home against Western Michigan on Friday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m.