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The Wisconsin Badgers secondary stepped up in a major way in the 2018 season opener. Now it will have to deal with the loss of one of its expected biggest contributors.
On Wednesday morning the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that backup safety Patrick Johnson II, who was third overall on the depth chart, was leaving the program.
The report indicates that it wasn’t due to the head injury sustained leading up to Week 1, but rather for personal reasons.
Johnson was expected to be a major contributor on the field and came to the Badgers as one of the most highly ranked safeties the Badgers have had in the program.
He was recruited by the likes of Georgia, Michigan State and Oklahoma amongst 21 total offers in the 2016 class.
Wisconsin will continue to rely on youth at safety this season, as the depth chart will now have true freshman Reggie Pearson Jr., who was also out in Week 1, playing in the two-deep. He will also be joined by redshirt sophomore Eric Burrell, who will back up Scott Nelson.
Johnson’s departure is the third for the defense in the past few months. Senior linebacker Arrington Farrar was dismissed from the team in fall camp, while sophomore cornerback Dontye Carriere-Williams left the program just before Week 1 against Western Kentucky.
The Badgers secondary held up well in that game against the Hilltoppers, giving up just 181 yards passing. UW also kept Western Kentucky out of the end zone and Faion Hicks got an interception in his first collegiate start.
Obviously, loosing a player like Johnson will test the depth and experience of this group even further.
Luckily, there’s D’Cota Dixon in the mix, who put Week 1’s impressive start for the secondary in perspective earlier this week.
“I feel like they are mature,” Dixon said. “But at the same time, it is only one game. So you don’t get too excited. You’ve got to play even and just keep playing the game and keep developing that momentum and that hunger.”
New Mexico is up next on Saturday, and they are an offense in transition to the spread attack made famous by Rich Rodriguez at stops at West Virginia and Arizona.
Continue reading...
On Wednesday morning the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that backup safety Patrick Johnson II, who was third overall on the depth chart, was leaving the program.
The report indicates that it wasn’t due to the head injury sustained leading up to Week 1, but rather for personal reasons.
Johnson was expected to be a major contributor on the field and came to the Badgers as one of the most highly ranked safeties the Badgers have had in the program.
He was recruited by the likes of Georgia, Michigan State and Oklahoma amongst 21 total offers in the 2016 class.
Wisconsin will continue to rely on youth at safety this season, as the depth chart will now have true freshman Reggie Pearson Jr., who was also out in Week 1, playing in the two-deep. He will also be joined by redshirt sophomore Eric Burrell, who will back up Scott Nelson.
Johnson’s departure is the third for the defense in the past few months. Senior linebacker Arrington Farrar was dismissed from the team in fall camp, while sophomore cornerback Dontye Carriere-Williams left the program just before Week 1 against Western Kentucky.
The Badgers secondary held up well in that game against the Hilltoppers, giving up just 181 yards passing. UW also kept Western Kentucky out of the end zone and Faion Hicks got an interception in his first collegiate start.
Obviously, loosing a player like Johnson will test the depth and experience of this group even further.
Luckily, there’s D’Cota Dixon in the mix, who put Week 1’s impressive start for the secondary in perspective earlier this week.
“I feel like they are mature,” Dixon said. “But at the same time, it is only one game. So you don’t get too excited. You’ve got to play even and just keep playing the game and keep developing that momentum and that hunger.”
New Mexico is up next on Saturday, and they are an offense in transition to the spread attack made famous by Rich Rodriguez at stops at West Virginia and Arizona.
Continue reading...