MADISON – Bradrick Shaw wasn’t ready in the spring to return to the role he covets – Big Ten tailback.

Shaw, who hadn’t played since suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Wisconsin’s 2017 regular-season finale at Minnesota, was held out of full-contact work. He still appeared to favor his left leg and wasn’t running at full-speed at the end of spring ball in April.

More than three months later, Shaw insists he is ready to challenge for playing time as a fifth-year senior.

“I’m ready to go,” he said. “I feel great. I’m ready to just let loose.”

UW opened camp Thursday morning at Camp Randall Stadium. By NCAA rule the players won’t be allowed to work in full pads until next week, so it will be difficult to gauge until then whether the 6-foot-1, 216-pounder is prepared to handle the physical punishment runners endure.

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Running backs coach John Settle is eager to learn that.

“I think right now the game plan is to start him off and let him go,” Settle said. “His strength numbers are as good as they’ve ever been. I think for him it is going to be a mental thing.

“We’re going to have some live tackling so he can get that out of the way.”

Shaw finds himself in a pack of several players vying for playing time behind Jonathan Taylor and Garrett Groshek, who excelled on third downs last season and averaged 6.5 yards per carry overall.

After redshirting in 2015, Shaw enjoyed a solid redshirt freshman season behind seniors Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale in ’16.

Clement led the team in rushing yards (1,375) and rushing touchdowns (15). Ogunbowale averaged 5.6 yards per carry, finished second to Clement in yards (506), added five touchdowns and finished fourth on the team in receptions (24). Shaw chipped in 457 yards and five touchdowns and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

He opened the 2017 season as the No. 1 tailback and rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in a 59-10 victory over Utah State. Taylor stole the show that night, however, with 87 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries and took over as the starter in Week 2.

On the day Taylor rushed 20 times for 149 yards and a touchdown in UW’s 31-0 victory at Minnesota in the ’17 regular-season finale, Shaw saw his season end after a hard hit near the UW bench.

“Oh I remember it,” Shaw said when asked about the Minnesota game. “What I remember the most is my injury. I didn’t expect it to be as long. I knew it was going to be challenging.

“I think it is the coaches being smart. There were times last year I thought I could play but the coaches were being (cautious) about everything, and the training staff.”

UW’s staff doesn’t plan to abandon caution if Shaw shows his knee and mind are sound. They won’t run him into the ground in camp as they prepare for the Aug. 30 opener at South Florida.

"The first couple days of spring, I think he was frustrated," head coach Paul Chryst said. "The goal was to get to Day 1 of summer (workouts) and have the whole summer. He did that. Certainly there is another element when you add the practicing and the pads, but he is in a good spot right now.

“There’s still some steps to be taken. But I think he feels good right now and is ready to go. I think we’ve got to make sure that we’re smart on it.

"I think it will probably bother him at times. But I told him I’d rather go a little bit slower than fast."