Young Badgers Tracker: Trio of redshirt freshmen make big impact
It's time for another edition looking at the playing time and statistics of the younger players on the roster of the Wisconsin Badgers.
Last week we wondered if any freshmen who had yet to play and didn't see the field against Georgia State would play at all this season. Well, no one debuted last Saturday, so they could be out of luck in 2016. Of course, the game against the Panthers wasn't a blowout as expected, so that certainly didn't help.
In 2015, all 17 redshirt freshmen saw the field at some point during the season. So perhaps there's hope for the 14 this year who have yet to play.
One "true" freshman who might be done in 2016 is Eric Burrell. The safety played in the opener but missed the next two games. Now we know why (although not the extent):
For those who did play, it was a big game -- both good and bad -- for a trio of redshirt freshmen.
Running back Bradrick Shaw got a lot of playing time due to Corey Clement's injury and looked good -- except when he fumbled near the goal line. Tight end Kyle Penniston also got an extended look after an injury (to Troy Fumagalli) and caught the go-ahead touchdown despite bad drops on back-to-back plays earlier in the game. Quarterback Alex Hornibrook . . . OK, he didn't really do anything too bad. The interception he threw went through the hands of a receiver. The only really bad pass he had was when he bounced one to Dare Ogunbowale. These three guys could very well be a large part of Wisconsin football for years to come.
As Big Ten play begins, here's the complete rundown:
Have not played; Kevin Estes, OL; Mitchell Herl, TE; Zach Hintze, K; Henry Houden, WR; Kraig Howe, DE; Troy Laufenberg, RB; Blake Mielke, S; David Plaff, DE; Max Praschak, OLB; Gunner Roberge, NT; Kelly Thomas, DE; Nick Thomas, ILB; Bret Verstegen, S; Jake Whalen, OLB
Dave Heller is the author of the upcoming book Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow as well as Facing Ted Williams Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns
