Just a few days from the start of camp, the Wisconsin Badgers released their 2017 fall roster on Thursday.
Looking at position changes and attrition, not many unexpected changes took place. As noted in our position previews, Tyler Johnson moved back to outside linebacker from inside linebacker.
Senior Lubern Figaro is officially listed as as a cornerback now after he was a safety during the spring. Granted, he played that position throughout the spring and last season. The battle for the third corner spot should be intriguing between Figaro and redshirt freshman Dontye Carriere-Williams.
Redshirt freshman Christian Volpentesta is now listed as a cornerback rather than a defensive back. True freshman walk-on Coy Wanner—originally brought in as an “athlete” on National Signing Day—begins his Wisconsin career at tight end.
UW also released its practice schedule on Thursday. Camp starts July 29.
Here’s more from the new roster.
Roster attrition
It was previously confirmed that outside linebacker Max Praschak and former tight end/defensive end Jake Hescock would no longer be with the program. Here’s the full list of those no longer with the Badgers:
Notable weight changes from spring practices
A UW official told B5Q in the spring that the players’ weights are updated on its roster twice a year: once after winter conditioning before spring practices, and around this time before fall camp.
There were some significant increases on Thursday’s roster. Redshirt sophomore running back Bradrick Shaw jumped 12 pounds to 220, technically making him heavier than backfield mate Chris James by a pound. Junior inside linebacker Arrington Farrar continues to fill in his body following his move from safety and is now at 237 pounds.
Senior outside linebacker Leon Jacobs gained seven pounds to 245, a solid weight at the position.
Three possible contributors to the defensive line have bulked up from the spring:
- DE Chikwe Obasih: up eight pounds to 275
- DE Billy Hirschfeld (still listed as DE and not NT): up five pounds to 305
- DE Isaiahh Loudermilk: up 10 pounds to 306
On offense, tight end Kyle Penniston was listed at 244 pounds, seven pounds heavier than in the spring, when position coach Mickey Turner told B5Q that he wanted Penniston to put on a little more size and strength. It appears he’s done that.
A few potential offensive line contributors continued adding mass to their respective frames, including Patrick Kasl (up 10 pounds to 325), Tyler Biadasz (up nine pounds to 316), David Moorman (up nine pounds to 314), and David Edwards (up nine pounds to 315).
Redshirt junior guard Micah Kapoi dropped nine pounds from his listed spring weight to 326.
Here’s a list of other noticeable weight changes:
- S Patrick Johnson: down 10 pounds from 214 to 204
- CB Titus Booker: up eight pounds to 195
- QB Karé Lyles: down 12 pounds to 212
- RB Mark Saari: up 12 pounds to 219
- CB Caesar Williams: up seven pounds to 183
- WR Adam Krumholz: up 10 pounds to 201
- FB Aaron Maternowski: down 10 pounds to 235
- OLB Noah Burks: down 10 pounds to 230
- ILB Ryan Connnelly: down seven pounds to 228
- ILB Griffin Grady: up seven pounds to 225
- OLB Izayah Green-May: up six pounds to 217
- DE David Pfaff: up eight pounds to 275
- NT Gunnar Roberge: up 12 pounds to 304
- OL Jason Erdmann: up 12 pounds to 337
- LS Josh Berghagen: down seven pounds to 236
Number changes
- S Patrick Johnson: No. 22 to No. 2
- WR Kendrick Pryor: No. 27 to No. 3
- WR A.J. Taylor: No. 84 to No. 4 (as noted last week)
- S Joe Ferguson: No. 36 to No. 8 (as noted last week)
- WR Jack Dunn: No. 18 to No. 16
- CB Christian Volpentesta: No. 42 to No. 27
- RB Garrett Groshek: No. 14 to No. 37
- OLB Noah Burks: No. 51 to No. 41
- OLB Andrew Van Ginkel: No. 17 to No. 42
- OLB Christian Bell: No. 49 to No. 55
New additions
The rest of the class of 2017 is finally on the roster, along with graduate transfer Rachid Ibrahim. Here’s the full breakdown:
- WR Danny Davis III (Springfield, Ohio): No. 6 (6’0, 186 pounds)
- RB Rachid Ibrahim (graduate transfer): No. 9 (6’0, 195 pounds)
- QB Danny Vanden Boom (Kimberly, Wis.): No. 15 (6’5, 197 pounds)
- WR Cade Green (Austin, Texas): No. 22 (5’11, 185 pounds)
- RB Jonathan Taylor (Salem, N.J.): No. 23 (5’11, 214 pounds)
- S Scott Nelson (Detroit, Mich.): No. 25 (6’2, 194 pounds)
- TE Coy Wanner (Green Bay, Wis.): No. 30 (6’3, 247 pounds); walk-on
- S Tyler Mais (Waunakee, Wis.): No. 31 (6’1, 202 pounds); walk-on
- ILB Jake Collinsworth (Merrill, Wis.): No. 32 (6’1, 225 pounds); walk-on
- RB Hunter Johnson (Darlington, Wis.): No. 36 (6’0, 209 pounds); walk-on
- ILB Ethan Cesarz (Delavan, Wis.): No. 37 (6’0, 237 pounds); walk-on
- WR Sam DeLany (Delafield, Wis.): No. 38 (5’10, 162 pounds); walk-on
- LS Adam Bay (Mesa, Ariz): No. 51 (6’0, 224 pounds)
- DE Michael Balistreri (Grafton, Wis.): No. 57 (6’4, 273 pounds); walk-on
- OL Logan Bruss (Kimberly, Wis.): No. 60 (6’5, 281 pounds)
- OL Tyler Beach (Grafton, Wis.): No. 65 (6’6, 290 pounds)
- DE Aaron Vopal (De Pere, Wis.): No. 69 (6’6, 298 pounds)
- OL Josh Seltzner (Columbus, Wis.): No. 70 (6’4, 313 pounds); walk-on
- OL Alex Fenton (Menomonie, Wis.): No. 73 (6’4, 299 pounds)
- OL Blake Smithback (Waunakee, Wis.): No. 77 (6’2, 292 pounds); walk-on
- WR Emmet Perry (Grand Prairie, Texas): No. 82 (6’2, 184 pounds)
- TE Jake Ferguson (Madison, Wis.): No. 84 (6’5, 230 pounds)
- DE Matt Henningsen (Menomonee Falls, Wis.): No. 94 (6’3, 275 pounds); walk-on
- K Collin Larsh (Marshall, Wis.): No. 98 (5’10, 182 pounds); walk-on
[Update, 7:20 p.m. CST: A UW official on Thursday night corrected B5Q on how Wisconsin updates the players’ weights each year. Though the players are weighed far more often, the program will update their weight only twice per year as noted above. B5Q apologizes for the confusion].