Although the quarterback spot was up in the air last spring,
one thing was for certain: senior wide receivers Luke Swan and Paul Hubbard
would be catching passes from somebody come fall. But after Swan’s season came
to a sudden halt after tearing his hamstring against Illinois and Hubbard’s
nagging knee injury sidelined him for a bit, the UW receiver spots became wide
open.
And in stepped freshmen Kyle Jefferson and David Gilreath.
Jefferson saw action in all 13 games last season, including
six starts. Gilreath was named first team freshman All-American, according to
Rivals.com, for his kick return skills — he set a school record for kick return
yards with 967 — but also saw some action at receiver.
Though confident in his abilities to catch the ball,
Gilreath feels privileged to have been able to learn from last year’s seniors.
“Luke and Paul taught me a lot of things,” Gilreath said.
“Like the concepts of the offense, schemes of the defense and all that stuff,
about being focused, more mental. I can play, we can all play, but I think it’s
more of the mental things that get you ready to play.”
The playing time he earned at the end of last season has
also carried over into spring practices.
“As the year went on, my confidence went up,” Gilreath said.
“Here in the spring, with 15 practices, I think I can get better and come into
fall with that confidence.”
Although Jefferson and Gilreath enter the spring as the top
two receivers on the Badgers’ depth chart, head coach Bret Bielema believes
they each have a long way to go before the season opener against Akron.
“I want those two to play better,” Bielema said Tuesday.
“David is really trying to take a step forward as a wide receiver; we saw what
he can do as a return guy a year ago. I want, for the most part, Kyle to
compete. He’s put some balls on the ground and he’s a guy we’re counting on to
do big things. He’s got to understand he can be as good as he wants to be, but
if he starts looking around him, he’s got to focus on himself.”
As sophomores, this receiver duo will continue to experience
some growing pains along the way. That being said, it gives opportunities for
other guys to step up and showcase their talents during spring ball.
“Mo’s (sophomore Maurice Moore) showed some things, Daven’s
(sophomore Daven Jones) showed some things,” Bielema said. “One thing that’s
been big for us is the development of Isaac Anderson. Isaac’s put on — although
it’s not a lot of weight — probably ten pounds, and when you start talking
about somebody that weighs 170 pounds, it’s a significant amount. And in my
opinion, he’s made the biggest jump from the fall to where we are right now.”
Instead of feeling added pressure to succeed, Gilreath
invites the extra competition this spring.
“It’s always competitive,” Gilreath said. “You don’t want
anybody to give it to you. That brings out the best in everybody. I think
that’s, right now, bringing the best out of me. I like guys pushing me and
getting me better.”
Senior quarterback Allan Evridge — the No. 1 signal caller
on Wisconsin’s current depth chart — also enjoys the competition among players
to earn the opportunity to catch his passes come fall.
“They’re just battling every day,” Evridge said. “Those guys
are progressing; they’ve definitely come a long way since the first day. Now we
just got to get consistent and take advantage of all the opportunities and all
the reps. But it’s a good group of guys that are just trying to get better
every day.
“All those guys have really, in their own right, made a play
here or there, every now and then. Daven has run a bunch of good seven routes
and corner routes. A lot of those guys — Mo comes in there and does a good job.
Isaac does a great job — they get in there and have their moments.”
Despite the lingering question marks at the wide receiver
position, at the opposite is true of the tight end spots. Senior Travis Beckum
and junior Garrett Graham, after both exceeding expectations last fall, will be
catching passes in Camp Randall Stadium in 2008, although both are currently
inactive due to shoulder injuries.
Beckum tore his right labrum in the regular season finale in
Minnesota last season, but the future NFL prospect continues to be optimistic
about his return.
“My shoulder’s doing good,” Beckum said. “I’m ahead of
schedule. I’m starting to lift on it.”
Beckum underwent surgery on his shoulder Jan. 4, but he was
running routes and catching passes at practice Tuesday.
With so much youth at the wide receiver position, Beckum
feels obligated to help out the youngsters while he remains on the sidelines.
“I’m the type of person who likes to lead by example, but of
course right now I can’t, so I have to be more vocal,” Beckum said. “But I’m
just out there telling guys that they need to work hard and be patient.
Patience pays off; work your butt off and good things will come tomorrow.”
