Wisconsin Football Stock Report: Mid-Season Risers and Fallers

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football team currently sit at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play at the midway point of the 2024 season and appear to have bounced back and turned a corner after what many fans initially viewed as an underwhelming start.

"This is a team that's getting better... but it's exciting to see things continue to grow in front of our own face, and that's where I'm as happy and as proud as anything," Fickell said . "I think that's where we're starting to see this culture continue to form in front of our face."

Here are the risers and fallers from the Badgers' first half of the season.

Riser: WR Vinny Anthony

One of the biggest stock risers on the Wisconsin football team's offense has been junior wide receiver Vinny Anthony, who is emerging as the Badgers' top downfield threat.

Through six games, the Kentucky native has caught 11 passes for a team-high 287 yards and two touchdowns.

Albeit a small sample size, Anthony currently leads the country in yards per catch (26.1) among receivers who have registered at least 10 catches. Additionally, Anthony has accounted for six explosive plays, which are defined as plays of 15+ yards.

"I would say where he was when we walked in the door just physically to where he is now is a far cry, and that happens because guys mature," Fickell said of Anthony. “He's gotten bigger, he's gotten stronger, he has gotten faster, I think he's quicker, I think he's more explosive… and now we're giving him some more opportunities.”

With injuries hampering Bryson Green, Anthony has stepped up and given Wisconsin a viable — and much-needed field-stretcher on the boundary in the passing game. The 6-foot wideout has 4.3 speed on the outside and has been a pleasant surprise thus far.

Faller: LB Jake Chaney

The Badgers coaching staff talked up senior inside linebacker Jake Chaney quite a bit for the ways he grew both physically and as a leader during the offseason. Unfortunately, it hasn't materialized into impactful production.

Chaney has started all six games and registered 23 tackles, eight pressures, two TFLs, and a pass deflection. That said, tackling has been an issue for the 5-foot-11, 233-pound linebacker, who, according to Pro Football Focus, has six missed tackles (23.1% of attempts).

Coverage has also been an issue. Opponents have targeted Chaney 15 times this season, and he's allowed 11 receptions for 65 yards. While not the end all be all, Chaney has only graded out as a net positive contributor once this season in their win over Purdue.

Overall, some of the players behind Chaney on the depth chart, like Tackett Curtis and Christian Alliegro, have done more with their opportunities, so it might be time to consider reducing his snap count for the final six games.

Riser: DL Elijah Hills

When the Badgers landed senior defensive lineman Elijah Hills in the transfer portal from Albany, it was with the hopes that he could serve as a rotational piece on the defensive line.

To say that Hill has surpassed those initial expectations for coach E.J. Whitlow would be an understatement.

Through six games, Hills ranks second among Badgers defensive linemen in snaps (186), trailing only Curt Neal. He's also tied for the team lead in sacks (2.0) and sits second in pressures (10).

"I can tell you, he's continued to grow. He had confidence, but you can see that confidence is continuing to grow," Fickell said. "It gives him an opportunity to make some more of those havoc plays because he is a little bit different than the other guys playing up front.”

The 6-foot-3, 283-pound defensive end has proven to be a disruptive presence for Wisconsin on the interior, and that's one of the hardest things to find in the portal. Hills is firmly considered a riser as far as his stock is concerned.

Faller: OLB John Pius

Former FCS All-American pass-rusher John Pius was considered one of the splash pickups of the offseason for the Wisconsin football team.

Nevertheless, it's starting to feel like the Wisconsin Badgers should consider posting a "missing" picture of Pius somewhere on the side of a milk carton because he has yet to produce in a meaningful way on the field.

So far, the New Jersey native has totaled eight pressures, seven tackles, and 0.5 sacks in 160 total snaps. In the spirit of being fair, Wisconsin's pass rush as a whole has been underwhelming, but Pius, in particular, hasn't been as advertised at the midway point of the season.

Riser: RB Tawee Walker

When the Badgers added Tawee Walker in the transfer portal, in some ways, it felt like a head-scratcher given the number of scholarships allocated to the position group heading into 2024. At most, it felt like an insurance policy for Chez Mellusi, who has dealt with plenty of injuries throughout his career.

Six games into the season, that's looking like one of the best portal additions because business is booming for Walker, who is now the Wisconsin Badgers RB1 . That materialized because, wouldn't you know it, Mellusi stepped away from the football program to deal with injuries.

Despite battling through some bumps and bruises of his own early in the season, Walker appears to be healthy again, and the results speak for themself. In the 42-7 win over the Scarlet Knights, Walker carried the ball 24 times for a career-high 198 yards and three touchdowns.

That brings Walker's season total to 439 rushing yards — 292 of which came after contact — on 81 carries (5.4 YPC) and nine touchdowns in five games. According to PFF, Walker has a 76.7 grade for the season.

"I think he's getting healthier," Fickell told reporters. "I also think that he's getting himself into a groove. I think that there is an ability for the offensive line and the running backs to kind of work hand in hand."

Moving away from the running back by committee approach has allowed Walker — who had never been on scholarship before joining the Badgers — to shine for Wisconsin, and the offense has started forming an identity.

Faller: WR Bryson Green

The emergence of players like Vinny Anthony in the WR room, in some ways, came at the expense of others like senior wideout Bryson Green.

Since transferring to Wisconsin last season, the Badgers coaching staff has struggled to utilize Green's skill set in the passing game. Green was brought in through the portal to be a physical presence on the outside who could theoretically be a field stretcher capable of winning 50/50 balls. In short, that hasn't been the case, and he's still not producing.

Thus far, Green has recorded 12 catches for 154 yards. And with a few different players stepping up at receiver now that Green has been out due to injury, his stock could continue to plummet, with younger players starting to do more with their opportunities.

There is plenty of time for things to turn around, but Green has yet to establish himself as a reliable weapon.

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