Wisconsin’s latest 2-deep for Saturday’s game against Penn State comes with three details that stand out immediately, even if the whole thing feels a little muddy because of how the Badgers handled their early-season depth chart releases.
That’s the backdrop here: Wisconsin’s athletics department didn’t put out a Week 1 depth chart unless there was a game attached, so there’s at least a chance this week’s version is really a snapshot of the Eastern Michigan game rather than a true Penn State preview. Still, if Wisconsin is presenting it for this matchup, the changes matter.
The biggest one is at quarterback. Ryan Hopkins no longer shares backup duties with Deuce Adams.
The “OR” that had been attached to the two all season is gone, and Hopkins is now listed directly behind Colton Joseph as the No. 2 quarterback. Adams is still on the depth chart, but he’s tucked below Hopkins on the second team.
That lines up with what has already happened in games, where Hopkins was the first quarterback to come off the bench. Now it looks official.
The other two items both involve injured players. Abu Sama III and Malachi Coleman are still listed that way on the chart, even though Sama was a game-time decision and was fully dressed against Eastern Michigan.
That makes it look like this depth chart may be reflecting what happened in that game rather than what Wisconsin expects going forward. If that’s the case, Sama would seem likely to be available against Penn State.
The final wrinkle is along the offensive line. Emerson Mandell is not listed as the starting right guard.
Instead, he’s shown as the backup, with Stylz Blackmon taking over the starting job. That’s a notable shift because Mandell had been viewed as the starter coming out of fall camp.
It could be tied to his recovery from injury and simply reflect the Eastern Michigan game, but it also raises the possibility that he has slipped behind Blackmon.
So there are three real questions buried in this depth chart: Hopkins’ status as QB2, the injured-player listings for Sama and Coleman, and Mandell’s spot at right guard. If this is meant to speak to Penn State, those are meaningful changes.
If it’s really a holdover from Eastern Michigan, then it’s a strange way to present it. Either way, the details are worth watching.
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