Spring is right around the corner, and with it comes the start of Wisconsin football's spring practice period. The Badgers will hold 15 practices from March 13 to April 24 for the third spring camp of head coach Luke Fickell's tenure.

Between 19 transfer additions and 15 early-enrollee true freshman, Wisconsin welcomes 34 new faces this spring as it tries to bounce back from a season that ended with the unthinkable: missing a bowl game for the first time since 2001.

BadgerBlitz.com begins its preview of a critical spring in Madison by outlining the top five position battles that will shape the 2025 depth chart:

THE CANDIDATES: Kevin Heywood, Barrett Nelson, Leyton Nelson

THE WORD: Kevin Heywood was the only freshman offensive lineman for Wisconsin to burn his redshirt year in 2024. He logged 57 snaps at left tackle and 15 snaps at right tackle, and now appears to have the inside track to take over the left tackle spot after Jack Nelson held it down for three seasons. Heywood, who was listed at 6-foot-8, 325 pounds last season, is a mountain of a man and a former Rivals150 recruit who could've signed with practically any program in the nation.

Barrett Nelson played 12 snaps at right tackle over just two games last season. The redshirt junior figures to compete at both tackle spots. As does Leyton Nelson, who transferred over from Vanderbilt last offseason only to not play a single snap due to injury. Redshirt freshman Emmerson Mandel also played tackle last season but looks to have an easier path to playing time at guard.

Overall, this will be a crucial battle to track as while Wisconsin returns three starters along the offensive line, it needs to replace arguably the most important position in the offensive trenches.

THE CANDIDATES: Parker Peterson, Jay'Viar Suggs, Dillan Johnson, Charles Perkins, Corey Walker

THE WORD: Wisconsin completely remade its defensive line room this offseason, bringing in four transfers to flank returning nose guard Ben Barten. Of said transfers, Parker Peterson (Tulane) and Jay'Viar Suggs (LSU) are amongst the most intriguing. Peterson was among the better defensive linemen in the American Athletic Conference last season and has intriguing physical traits. Suggs, meanwhile, has been a highly coveted transfer for two straight offseasons and has a connection to outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell from their Grand Valley State days.

But there should be plenty of horses in this race. The staff was extremely high on Dillan Johnson, who burned his redshirt season last year as a true freshman. Charles Perkins, who transferred from UT-Martin, was an FCS All-American. Corey Walker, out of Western Michigan, logged 38 tackles and 5.5 sacks last season. The Badgers have plenty of options up front and given how poor the defensive line played last season, how this unit shakes out will be critical.

THE CANDIDATES: Darryl Peterson, Aaron Witt, Sebastian Cheeks, Michael Garner

THE WORD: Wisconsin tried to fix its lack of production at outside linebacker with transfers last season, and that didn't go according to plan. The Badgers bring back super seniors Darryl Peterson and Aaron Witt, but neither has proven to be a consistent pass-rusher over the course of their lengthy careers. Meanwhile, Sebastian Cheeks provided some juice last season when he was utilized, but played the fifth-most snaps on the edge despite having the second-best pressure rate amongst Wisconsin outside linebackers.

Michael Garner is one of two transfer additions to the room this season. Listed at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, he was initially expected to play along the defensive line but will now bring intriguing size to the edge. The former Grambling State player has three seasons of eligibility remaining, however, so he may see less playing time than the veterans in the room.

Mason Reiger had a productive season at Louisville in 2023, with 5.0 sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. He didn't play at all in 2024 with an injury, however, and recently suffered another injury as well. He likely won't do much this spring, hence why he isn't listed as a candidate.

Until Wisconsin gets workable production out of its edges, this will be a position to keep close tabs on.

THE CANDIDATES: Mark Hamper, Jayden Ballard, Quincy Burroughs, Joseph Griffin Jr.

THE WORD: Thanks to Vinny Anthony's breakout junior season last fall, Wisconsin has a very promising returning starter at the X receiver position. Anthony emerged as one of the best deep threats in the conference, and has true game-breaking speed whenever he gets the ball in his hands. If he can work on his route-running and hands this offseason, expect another big jump from the Louisville native.

With Trech Kekahuna back, the slot position is locked in as well. That leaves only Z receiver as a starting spot for the taking under new receivers coach Jordan Reid.

Mark Hamper, a transfer from Idaho, should have a great shot to win the job. Last season, he posted 48 catches for 966 yards and six touchdowns as one of the better freshman playmakers in the FCS. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, he has good size and if the big-play ability he demonstrated in Moscow translates to Madison, watch out.

Wisconsin also reeled in Jayden Ballard (Ohio State) via the portal, who is essentially the opposite of Hamper: he hails from a powerhouse program but has little production to his name (11 catches for 177 yards and one score over four seasons). Ballard's size at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds could be a nice compliment to Anthony's speed on the boundary. He's appears to be a similar archetype of player as Quincy Burroughs, who is also a candidate to battle for playing time.

Joseph Griffin Jr remains a wild card. He was signed during the 2024 spring portal window but didn't play at all last fall. It remains to be seen if the former Boston College Eagle can crack the rotation.

THE CANDIDATES: Darrion Dupree, Cade Yacamelli, Dilin Jones, Gideon Ituka

THE WORD: Starting running back isn't really up for grabs; it's somewhat of a foregone conclusion that role will be occupied by sophomore Darrion Dupree. He saw the second most snaps and carries behind starter Tawee Walker last season, and his ability to catch the football out of the backfield gives him potential as a three-down back.

Still, other promising players return. Dilin Jones was also a blue-chip recruit in the 2024 class, and at one point led the team with his long run of 47 yards against Purdue. Running backs coach Devon Spalding compared Jones' running style to former Badger ball-carrier Chez Mellusi last summer. Gideon Ituka also returns as a redshirt freshman, and his style is more that of a short-yardage power back.

Cade Yacamelli is somewhat of the wild card. He easily led the team with an 8.3 yards-per-carry clip last season, but logged just 33 carries as even Fickell called his production a product of the "system." His burst and vision looked miles improved last season, and it'll be fascinating to see how new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes decides to employ him.

Considering the Badgers' mandate to get back to their ground-and-pound roots, how the tailbacks shake out will be of the utmost importance this spring.

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