In one day, the University of Wisconsin football team lost 3,942 rushing yards, 42 rushing touchdowns and one of the most recognizable Badgers in recent memory.
Despite having one more year of eligibility, running back P.J. Hill opted to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, though it was not without much discussion with the coaching staff.
“When I got to talk to P.J., he just felt that this was his time,” UW head coach Bret Bielema said. “He’s done a lot here at the University of Wisconsin, but he’s always dreamed of playing in the NFL, and he wanted that shot now.”
Ending his tenure at UW in fitting fashion, Hill culminated his Wisconsin career with a big game against Florida State, rushing for 140 yards in his final game.
In the following weeks, Hill met with Bielema to discuss his future in the NFL and his projected draft status. While the Badgers would have surely welcomed their top back for his senior year, Hill decided to go straight to the NFL.
“I was trying to give him all the information we had,” Bielema said. “Not only did I talk to the same committee he did, but I reached out to other people in the NFL that I’ve become close with.
“I talked to scouts, coaches and GMs that I know,” he continued. “In PJ’s case, I received a variety of different answers and angles to help him make his decision.”
Looking forward, the Badgers will have to make up for the loss of PJ but will still have tight end Garret Graham, who will be returning for his senior year. Graham was Wisconsin’s leading receiver last year, but a few injuries and a chance at major improvement led to his decision to remain at UW for another year.
“The bottom line is that he’s a player with a lot in front in him,” Bielema said. “I think that another year in our program will make him play at a higher level which will allow him to be a higher draft prospect a year from now.
In terms of the remaining members of the Wisconsin backfield, Bielema still has redshirt freshman John Clay, who was a more than serviceable backup, rushing for 884 and averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Last year, Jack Ikegwuonu’s departure left the Badgers with a serious hole in the secondary. This year, despite Hill’s exit, the running back situation will be in good shape, especially with Clay and Zach Brown moving up on the depth chart. Bielema also believes players are only as good as they want to be, and if Hill were forced to stay, he wouldn’t be as effective as he could be.
“I think that anyone who’s doing something that they don’t want to do can be not only detrimental to themselves, but to the team as well. … P.J. just thought it was his time to go,” Bielema said.
With redshirt Clay unable to produce against the Seminoles, Hill’s performance in the Champs Sports Bowl may have been a precursor for what lies next for Badger football. Regardless, Bielema is not worried about his other running backs’ production next season.
“I think that’s a concern any time you have a great player leave your program,” Bielema said. “When P.J. came up his freshman year, nobody knew who he was, nobody knew anything about him, and he went on to have some very productive numbers. … Whoever the next guy is, whether it’s John or Zach or Bradie (Ewing), whoever it is will be able to come up with those same kind of numbers.”
