Wisconsin Football: Will Badgers win Big Ten West again in 2020?

Replacing lost offensive production will be key

The Badger offense was dealt some bad news at the beginning of October. Returning quarterback and presumed starter Jack Coan suffered a foot injury and is likely to miss at least the first few weeks of the season.

The offense will be turned over to sophomore Graham Mertz who has been taking first team reps in the absence of Coan. The former four star recruit out of Kansas has only thrown 10 passes in his collegiate career. However he was highly recruited by some of the top programs including Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson before signing with the Badgers.

The big loss from last year is running back Jonathan Taylor, who is now a member of the Indianapolis Colts. The Badgers will likely run a little bit of a committee, at least at the first part of the season. Nakia Watson finished second in yards behind Taylor a year ago and Garrett Groshek could see his role increase. Eyes will be on star recruit Jalen Berger who could see the field early as a true freshman.

Three starters are gone from the big boys up front, but the Badgers never seem to be lacking in offensive line talent. Tackle Cole Van Lanen and guard Logan Bruss are the stars of the group.

The Badgers also need to find a replacement for wideout Quintez Cephus, now in the NFL. Wideouts Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor obviously will be involved, but there is a lack of proven depth behind them. Tight end Jake Ferguson looks to be an All Big Ten selection, however someone else in the receiver room will need to step up to the plate.