MADISON – Most football coaches are adept at praising the work of players they know have little chance of making significant contributions.

Yet when Wisconsin offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph recently complimented the work this spring of all four of UW’s quarterbacks, his words carried weight.

The reason: All four players have shown promise during spring ball, which is set to conclude Friday with the team's 15th practice.

That development should put UW in an enviable position when the team opens camp in July.

“I think they’ve all flashed,” Rudolph said. “We’re looking for consistency, who can be the best play in and play out. But they've all done some things to really show their growth.”

Rising junior Jack Coan, who started four games last season, appears more comfortable from play to play. According to the players and coaches, Coan has become more vocal on the practice field. Also, he has routinely tutored the younger quarterbacks this spring when he wasn’t getting reps.

Freshman Graham Mertz often has played with far more aplomb than most young quarterbacks. His ability to extend plays by moving out of the pocket and throwing accurately on the run are impressive.

Danny Vanden Boom, who played in three games as a redshirt freshman last season, isn’t as mobile as the other quarterbacks. He moves well enough, however, and always appears to know where to go with the ball.

Chase Wolf, who redshirted last season, possesses a strong arm and quick feet. His accuracy needs to improve but he has shown enough to earn the trust of the staff.

Although all four quarterbacks appear capable of playing well enough to help UW win, the guess is that Coan and Mertz will emerge 1-2 at the end of camp in August. Don’t be surprised to see the coaches eventually use two quarterbacks, perhaps as they did in 2016 with Bart Houston and Alex Hornibrook.

Following is a look at the rest of the team based on spring practices.

Offensive line

Projected starters Tyler Biadasz (center) and Cole Van Lanen (left tackle) have been held out to recover from surgery but both should be back in time for camp. Kayden Lyles has worked at center and guard, as has Jason Erdmann. They appear to be the most likely candidates to start at the guard spots. Logan Bruss, who started three games at right tackle last season, missed more than a week with a left-thumb injury. Bruss worked at right guard before suffering the injury but worked at right tackle this week. He appears to be the likely candidate to start at that spot next season.

The absence of Van Lanen, Biadasz and Bruss allowed Rudolph to look at several younger players. Josh Seltzner appeared solid at guard and David Moorman, who can play tackle or guard, drew praise from Rudolph.

Wide receiver

Danny Davis (leg) missed most of spring ball but he should be back for camp and likely will team with A.J. Taylor and Kendric Pryor to form the top trio. Aron Cruickshank, who had just one catch last season, appears capable of making plays on the edge off quick throws. The most consistent performers among the projected reserves were Jack Dunn and Adam Krumholz. Cade Green and Emmet Perry missed valuable work because of injuries.

Running back

Jonathan Taylor and Garrett Groshek are the known commodities at tailback. Walk-on Brady Schipper has been solid all spring and could open camp among the top three. That probably depends on two factors – the development of Nakia Watson and the health of incoming freshman Julius Davis.

Watson has come on strong on in the last week. Davis missed most of his senior season at Menomonee Falls High School because of a sports hernia but appears to be a special talent. Can Bradrick Shaw, who hasn’t done full-contact work since suffering a season-ending knee injury in the 2017 regular-season finale, ever make it back?

Mason Stokke (left leg) missed most of the spring, leaving John Chenal to handle the bulk of the work at fullback.

Tight end

Assistant coach Mickey Turner saw starter Jake Ferguson (leg) and reserves Luke Benzschawel (knee) and Coy Wanner (leg) miss a good chunk of practice time. That left Gabe Lloyd, Jack Eschenbach and Nate Carter, who was switched to tight end from quarterback, to learn on the fly.

The bottom line is that UW will enter camp with more questions than answers at tight end. Don’t be surprised to see incoming freshmen Hayden Rucci and Clay Cundiff battle for playing time.

Defensive line

The sight of end Garrett Rand, who missed last season after suffering an Achilles’ injury during summer workouts, returning to team drills in the final week of practice had to be encouraging for the players and coaches.

Rand, Isaiahh Loudermilk and Matt Henningsen could give UW three solid ends. Isaiah Mullens, who redshirted last season, appears on the verge of being able to contribute. Nose tackle Bryson Williams, forced into duty as a freshman last season, is the only player at his position with significant game experience. UW is thin there.

Linebackers

Chris Orr, Jack Sanborn, freshman Leo Chenal and Mike Maskalunas should provide four solid options on the inside.

Can the outside linebackers make more plays behind the line of scrimmage? Zack Baun should be more active in his second season as a starter. Noah Burks, generally paired with Baun during the spring, remains a question mark. Ditto for Tyler Johnson, who was quiet for most of last season.

The young players to watch include Izayah Green-May and Jaylan Franklin. Both players are shy of 225 pounds and could use more bulk but they move well. They aren’t ready to start but could contribute.

Secondary

Injuries and youth last season forced defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard to run the secondary like a hockey coach. Leonhard shuffled safety and cornerback pairings from week to week and sometimes within games. The result: 10 players started in the secondary in UW’s final eight games. That included six players who made their first start.

Leonhard looked at a variety of combinations again this spring. That included rotating different corners into the slot and on the short and wide sides of the formation. He has eight cornerbacks who played last season, though just three safeties (Scott Nelson, Eric Burrell and Reggie Pearson).

“Come the fall we’ll get those roles a little bit tighter,” Leonhard said. “Who can take that experience from last year and take that next step?”

Specialists

Although coach Paul Chryst insisted no decision has been made on the kickers, it appears the likely scenario is Zach Hintze handling kickoffs and long field-goal attempts and Collin Larsh handling short to medium-range kicks. Larsh, generally more accurate than Hintze, has hit from at least 47 yards in the spring.

Punter Anthony Lotti, who temporarily lost his starting job in 2018, is back for his senior season and appears determined to give UW a consistent weapon.