Badgers by position: Wide receivers boast quality and quantity

Jeff Potrykus | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Fourth in a series of nine position previews leading to the opening of Wisconsin's preseason camp on Thursday.

MADISON – Imagine if Wisconsin had its full complement of wide receivers for the entire 2017 season.

Senior Jazz Peavy was slowed by an ankle injury early and played in just five games before leaving the team.

Senior George Rushing suffered a leg injury in camp, never saw the field after recovering from the injury and left the team.

UW BY POSITION: DB | DL | LB

Sophomore Quintez Cephus missed the final five games after suffering a broken leg at Indiana.

Redshirt freshman Kendric Pryor suffered facial injuries during a preseason scooter accident and wasn’t cleared to play until the third game of the season, at BYU. He played in 10 of UW’s 14 games.

Freshman Danny Davis missed two games after suffering a minor knee injury against Purdue.

Peavy and Rushing are gone but UW’s top four wide receivers – Cephus, A.J. Taylor, Davis and Pryor – are back and eager to prove they can be a force in 2018.

“We can be a great corps,” said Taylor, who played in all 14 games in 2017. “I feel like there is so much talent and everybody brings a little something different to the table."

Comparing the productivity of UW receivers on different teams or from different decades can be tricky because of how the offense has changed over the years.

But last season was the first time in program history that the top three wide receivers finished with at least 400 yards, and the first time the top three wide receivers finished with at least five touchdown catches.

Taylor led the unit in catches (31), was second in receiving yards (475) and tied for second in touchdown receptions (5).

Cephus finished second on the unit in catches (30), first in receiving yards (501) and first in touchdown catches (6).

Davis was third in catches (26) and receiving yards (418) and tied for second in touchdown catches (5).

Pryor finished with 13 catches for 179 yards and one touchdown.

Their combined 17 touchdown catches was the No. 2 mark in program history for wide receivers, behind the mark of 19 set in 2011. That season, Nick Toon had 10, Jared Abbrederis eight and Jeff Duckworth one.

“We are very excited about and very pleased with what we’re building there,” said Ted Gilmore, entering his third season as UW’s wide receivers coach. “We’re trying to create an environment where we have depth and create an environment where those guys value every single rep they get because that guy next to them is capable.”

Perhaps most was impressive was that Taylor, Davis and Pryor all raised the level of their play after Cephus was injured.

Taylor had 14 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns through UW’s first nine games, an average of 25.7 yards per game.

He had 17 catches for 244 yards and four touchdowns in the last five games, an average of 48.8 yards per game.

Davis had eight catches for 170 yards and a touchdown through UW’s first nine games. He played in only seven, however, and his per-game average was 24.3 yards.

He had 18 catches for 248 yards and four touchdowns in the last five games, an average of 49.6 yards per game.

Pryor had six catches for 80 yards in the first nine games. He played in only five, however, and his per-game average was 16.0 yards.

He had seven catches for 99 yards and a touchdown in the last five games, an average of 19.8 yards per game, and had touchdown runs against Iowa and Michigan.

Cephus was held out for most of the spring but returned late to participate in team drills. He should be cleared for full-contact work for camp, which opens Thursday.

“I expect him to pick up where he left off,” Gilmore said, adding that Cephus spent most of the spring coaching the younger receivers.

UW’s top four wide receivers no longer are youngsters.

Taylor has played in 27 games and Cephus in 23. Davis and Pryor have less experience but they both contributed big plays in their first seasons on the field.

“Honestly, I think we could have one of the top receiving groups in the country,” Pryor said. “I feel like we have so many weapons that it will be hard to focus on one of us.

"If you focus on one of us you still have three other people that can take over a game.”

WIDE RECEIVERS

Projected starters: Quintez Cephus, 6 foot 1, 207 pounds, junior; A.J. Taylor, 5-11, 203, junior.

Key reserves: Danny Davis, 6-0, 196, sophomore; Kendric Pryor, 5-11, 181, sophomore.

Others to watch: Aron Cruickshank, 5-9, 154, freshman; Taj Mustapha, 6-0, 192, freshman.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

No one should expect any of the redshirt freshmen or freshmen to crack the regular rotation considering the talent and experience of the top four players back from last season.

Cruickshank and Mustapha both showed promise in the spring, but Cruickshank appeared to make more plays. Despite his small frame, Cruickshank could contribute as a slot receiver or on jet sweeps. He has both quickness and speed and can make it difficult for defenders to get a clean shot.

Cade Green and Emmet Perry both redshirted last season. Green missed all spring while recovering from a torn ACL. Perry also missed time in the spring because of injuries.

Can either player stay healthy in camp and challenge for a reserve role?