NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Five Wisconsin Badgers were included among Phil Steele’s preseason All-Big Ten teams in his recently-published 2024 college football preview magazine.
Zero of those players made Steele’s All-Big Ten first team. Star safety Hunter Wohler was the lone representative on the second team, star cornerback Ricardo Hallman was the one Badger to make the third team and the trio of WR Will Pauling, OG Joe Huber and OT Riley Mahlman all earned fourth-team honors.
Related: Wisconsin class of 2025 vaults up national rankings after addition of four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr.
Wohler, Hallman and Pauling are Wisconsin’s most accomplished returning players on defense and offensive respectively. All three are coming off big 2023 seasons with the Badgers. Wohler led the team with 120 tackles, Hallman recorded a whopping seven interceptions and Pauling led Phil Longo’s offense with 74 catches and 837 receiving yards.
That trio should again set the stage for the team’s success this season.
Huber and Mahlman, meanwhile, anchor an offensive line that underwhelmed last season. Both are expected to lead a resurgent season for the offensive line, though cannot do so with strong play from left tackle Jack Nelson, left guard Joe Brunner and center Jake Renfro. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nelson joins that top duo in all-Big Ten contention.
Notable Wisconsin players omitted from Steele’s four teams include kicker Nathanial Vakos, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, running back Chez Mellusi and linebacker Jake Chaney. Those players figure to be a big reason why things will turn around for the 2024 Badgers — that obviously if they do.
Ohio State leads Steele’s All-Big Ten teams with seven inclusions. Next is Michigan with five, then Iowa, Minnesota and Oregon with three.
Wisconsin ranks No. 9 in Steele’s preseason Big Ten forecast. He sees…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/five-wisconsin-badgers-given-preseason-183508359.html
Author : Badgers Wire
Publish date : 2024-06-16 18:35:08
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
