The Wisconsin's first game is a month away. With the Badgers opening their fall camp Aug. 10 -- the first with Paul Chryst as head coach -- here's a position-by-position look at the offense.
QUARTERBACK
What you need to know: It is pretty apparent after spring practice, listening to Chryst talk and seeing who was taken to Big Ten media days, that Joel Stave is going to start at quarterback for the Badgers. Every Wisconsin fan knows of Stave's climb from walk-on to starter, and his ups and downs since claiming that position. Last season was no cakewalk for sure. Stave threw for over 200 yards just twice (219 at Purdue and 215 vs. Minnesota) and finished the season with more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9). His last two games against Ohio State and Auburn didn't assuage many fears, either. He closed the season by going 17 of 43 for 187 yards with three INTs against the Buckeyes and 14 of 27 for 121 yards with one TD and three picks vs. Auburn, although Wisconsin won the latter. After Stave, though, it is a lot of inexperience. Many fans have hoped Bart Houston would finally get a shot, and he's the likely No. 2. But Houston has had more punts than passes in his three years as at Wisconsin thus far. For better or worse, this is Stave's team.
Youngster to keep an eye on: D.J. Gillins. If Stave is ineffective or gets hurt, might the redshirt freshman get a chance to show what he can do? Gillins was recruited by Gary Andersen for presumably a different offensive fit, but he remains at Wisconsin and flashed some skills during the spring game, where he completed 5 of 10 passes and took off on a 35-yard run. He'd definitely offer a different dimension, but is he ready?
RUNNING BACK
What you need to know: Much like last year when it was time for Melvin Gordon to step up, this season it is Corey Clement's turn. He has quite the tradition to uphold as Wisconsin has had a 1,000-yard rusher every season since 2005 (perhaps not-so-coincidentally the same year Chryst re-joined the staff as co-offensive coordinator). Clement certainly has the skills and he is expected to slide right in along with the other productive backs the Badgers have had over the last decade. In limited duty last season, Clement averaged 6.46 yards per carry, which ranked 39th in the nation. If there is any cause for concern, it might be that Clement has just one game of 100 or more yards against a ranked team in his two seasons, 105 vs. Auburn this past January. Of course, he wasn't getting the ball much vs. ranked teams as well. There seems to be little doubt that Clement will do well in 2015.
Youngster to keep an eye on: Taiwan Deal and Bradrick Shaw. Behind Clement, there is very little experience, but someone else is going to have to carry the ball. Deal is a bigger back (listed at 6-foot-1, two inches taller than Clement) and appears poised to be the backup. While Dare Ogunbowale figures to get carries as the No. 3 back, it wouldn't be surprising to see Shaw overtake him and get more work as the season progresses.
WIDE RECEIVER
What you need to know: Over the past few years, beyond having a clear-cut No. 1 receiver, Wisconsin hasn't gotten much else out of this position. Here are the ugly numbers in the three seasons since Chryst left: 2012 -- Jared Abbrederis had 49 receptions, all other wide receivers had 48. Jordan Fredrick was the leader with 17 catches and 196 yards; 2013 -- Abbrederis had a monster year with 78 receptions and 1,081 yards. Every other Wisconsin wide receiver combined for 40 receptions, topped by Jeff Duckworth's 12; 2014 -- Alex Erickson stepped in for Abbrederis as the No. 1 and had 55 receptions. All other Badgers WRs had 39 catches, led by Kenzel Doe's 14. Erickson again is expected to be the man in 2015, but beyond the reliable Fredrick, who is good for about a catch a game, Wisconsin will once again hope a player with potential steps up and shows what has been expected.
Youngster to keep an eye on: Jazz Peavy. I'm not sure if Peavy, a redshirt sophomore, qualifies as a youngster any more, but if we're going to lay odds on someone to break out in 2015, he's the one we'll go with. Peavy, who reportedly runs a 4.5 in the 40, saw limited action in 2014 and generated a lot of buzz in spring camp. Andrew James is the only true freshman on scholarship and the guess here is he'll redshirt. The only other true freshman at wideout is 6-foot-4 walk-on Henry Houden. Of course, based on the previous top receivers on Wisconsin, both who started as walk-ons, perhaps he shouldn't be taken lightly.
TIGHT END
What you need to know: From 2006-11, all years with Chryst as offensive coordinator, Wisconsin had a tight end catch at least 30 passes (from 2006-10, it was at least 40). Chryst didn't have quite the same production at Pittsburgh with tight ends, but in 2013, Manasseh Garner had 33 catches and J.P. Holtz 23, and in 2014 Holtz had 21. So expect the tight end to be a big part of Wisconsin's offense once again. Fortunately, the Badgers have Troy Fumagalli. At 6-foot-6, Fumagalli is a big target. He also had 14 catches last season and seems poised to step in for Sam Arneson as the Badgers' main pass-catching tight end.
Youngster to keep an eye on: Kyle Penniston. Judging by his time at Pitt, Chryst isn't afraid to put a true freshman on the field. Like Penniston, Scott Orndorff enrolled early and played nine games, with five starts, as a freshman tight end for the Panthers in 2013. Penniston comes to Wisconsin as a highly rated tight end recruit. He caught 31 passes as a senior in high school. It would come as no surprise to see him get involved in Wisconsin's passing attack this season.
FULLBACK
What you need to know: As long as Derek Watt is healthy, he's the starter. He is a strong blocker and has decent hands (15 career receptions). He missed two games in 2012 and six last season. With Watt on the field, Wisconsin's run game takes a slight uptick. If he goes down again, Wisconsin has experience at the position, so there's not a big dropoff.
Youngster to keep an eye on: Austin Ramesh. Picked by default, the redshirt sophomore played well in 2014 filling in for Watt and even caught three passes. The likely starter in 2016 in the post-Watt era.
OFFENSIVE LINE
What you need to know: The old storyline is to never worry about Wisconsin's offensive line because the Badgers just reload with cheese-eating locals every year. Or something like that. But there's something to be said about experience, and the Badgers don't have much of it this year. Left tackle Tyler Marz and center Dan Voltz return as starters, but that's only two-fifths of the line. The big question will be can tackle Hayden Biegel (a redshirt sophomore) and guards Ray Ball (redshirt senior) and Michael Deiter (redshirt freshman) hold off competition from within (not to mention opposing defensive linemen). This will be a storyline to watch all season. Wisconsin has plenty of big men to choose from, but who will be the most effective?
Youngster to keep an eye on: Take your pick. There are plenty of names to choose from here. Of the 20 offensive linemen listed on Wisconsin's roster, 10 are freshmen or redshirt freshmen. And, again, Chryst has shown he'll throw a true freshman into the lineup -- in 2013 at Pitt, he had the first true freshman, Dorian Johnson, to start on the Panthers' offensive line in seven years. If any true freshman plays, the guess here is Jon Dietzen. Among the redshirt freshmen, there is Deiter, who likely will start, and Beau Benzschawel, who could find his way in there as well.
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