Wisconsin’s cornerback room looks a whole lot different this fall, and the biggest spring-to-fall leap, at least in the eyes of cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples, has come from a newcomer with plenty of upside.
“Everybody’s had their day. I think, when you think of from spring ball to fall camp, I think the biggest jump I’ve seen is probably Cai Bates,” Steeples said.
“He’s playing to his size. He’s playing big corner football.
So I really like seeing that from him.
The Badgers rebuilt the position group with transfer additions from Arizona State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State and Florida State, bringing in Javan Robinson, Bryce West, Eric Fletcher and Bates after all three of last season’s starters moved on. Robinson arrives as the most experienced of the bunch, while West, Fletcher and Bates all came in with limited game reps, setting up a wide-open competition through the offseason.
That battle has also given redshirt freshman Jai’mier Scott a chance to push himself into the mix. Scott, a three-star recruit in the Class of 2025, entered camp as a player with positional flexibility and has emerged as one of the more interesting names in the room. He’s competing with Fletcher for the starting job on the field side.
Steeples made it clear the improvement hasn’t been limited to one player. The whole group, he said, has taken steps forward in different ways.
“Jai’mier [Scott is] continuing to grow and being instinctive in his coverage. I think J- Rob (Javan Robinson) is being a lot more vocal with his leadership.
And then, like I said previously, just with Fletch (Eric Fletcher), he’s been challenging himself but I would say, from spring to now, I would say Cai made a hell of a jump playing to his size. And then Bryce [West] just showing his versatility, being able to help us on the outside [as well as the nickel].”
The good news for Wisconsin is that the room now has something it lacked a season ago: depth and options. With multiple players competing at each corner spot, the Badgers are getting a better look at who can handle what - and Bates has separated himself as the one who’s made the most obvious rise since spring ball.
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