Wisconsin opens the season with plenty of familiar names, but the opener against Notre Dame could also turn on a few less obvious ones. If the Badgers are going to find an edge Sunday night at Lambeau Field, the spotlight may land on players who haven’t spent much time there yet.
One of the most important swing pieces could be right guard Blackmon, especially if Wisconsin is without Emerson Mandell or Kevin Heywood, its starting right guard and tackle, respectively. Their availability remains uncertain, and that would be a major hit up front.
Blackmon, though, has been making his case. The Division II transfer spent the latter part of fall camp pushing Arkansas transfer Blake Cherry at right guard, and the staff has clearly noticed.
“Just a tremendous young man, incredibly high character, very intelligent. Very coachable, wants to be good.
And he’s got the skillset, he’s got the ability. He’s got great flexibility and really good feet for a big guy," Grimes said.
At 6-4 and 316 pounds, the former Augustana standout is about to be tested by a Notre Dame defensive line he has never seen anything like. Even so, Wisconsin could be counting on him right away if the Badgers need help on the interior.
Another name to watch is Cai Bates, the long, rangy cornerback who arrived from Florida State this offseason. Bates showed size, speed and very few flaws in the practices observed during camp, and he looks like a player who can force his way into the rotation even in a crowded cornerback room. Javan Robinson is set to start at boundary corner, with Eric Fletcher and Jai'mier Scott handling the field corner spot, but Bates still looks like someone who will get on the field.
He also drew strong praise from cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples late in camp.
“When you think spring ball to fall camp, I think the biggest jump is probably Cai Bates. He’s playing to his size, he’s playing big corner football. I really liked seeing that from him," he said.
Then there’s Brock, a freshman whose path to snaps may depend on how Wisconsin handles Notre Dame’s secondary. The Badgers have an idea of who their top receivers are, but the Irish bring an elite back end, and that could lead to more chances for the rest of the room if the early separation just isn’t there.
Grimes made it clear Brock has already earned attention for more than just his potential as a pass catcher.
“He’s a tremendous young man. He’s bright-eyed, he’s intelligent, he’s competitive, he’s vocal.
I think he’s got natural leadership capacity, especially once he gets older. Already as a freshman, he’s one of the more vocal guys in the huddle in that second or third group.
He’s a willing blocker, he’s got toughness, and he’s gonna be a guy that’s gonna play some role this year. How much that is is yet to be determined, but really impressed with his overall game and skillset," Grimes said of Brock.
That blocking ability matters. For Brock, being willing to do the dirty work on the perimeter could be just as important as anything he does with the ball in his hands. The real question is whether Wisconsin trusts him enough to handle that role against one of the nation’s best secondaries in his first career game.
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