During the second day of practice for the Wisconsin football team, two players stood out as they look to make an impression this season.
Running back Darrion Dupree and linebacker John Pius are two players in different situations on the team, but both have the same goal. Dupree and Pius are hoping to prove just how talented they are this upcoming season as they compete for playing time. The Wisconsin football staff has made it clear that nothing will be given to them, but rather earned, including playing time, which these two talented athletes could certainly earn.
Wisconsin Football Players Encourage Players to Compete and Fight for Game Time
With football camp officially underway, the Wisconsin Badgers football staff has been working tough over the offseason to make sure their players make the most of it. Last season, Wisconsin seemed to be in disarray at times and played a bit slowly, which is tough to overcome against the best teams. However, the upcoming season will feature a lot of recent faces and contributors as Wisconsin strives for success.
In addition to striving for success, the Wisconsin football staff is also pushing its players to earn their time on the field this upcoming season. Wisconsin Football Head Coach Lukasz Fickell At a recent training session, he wore a sweatshirt that read, “Hunt or be hunted,” and spoke about the importance of that quote in the program.
Both Fickell and the rest of the Wisconsin football staff want an environment where players are constantly pushing each other to improve. The first step in that process comes in practice, where players will have to compete against each other to earn reps and potential playing time.
New quarterback Darrion Dupree impresses in confined reps
After signing as a four-star quarterback, Darrion Dupree He immediately began working to carve out a role for himself. The running back was one of three players to sign with Wisconsin at the position, adding a wealth of skill to an already deep roster. Dupree is a energetic running back and has been working to prove it since OTA camp in Madison earlier this summer.
During a recent training session, Dupree had the opportunity to shine during individual drills with the transfer defenders Jaheim Thomas. Thomas was an attacking machine last season Arkansas Razorbacksrecording 90 total tackles on the opposing defense. Dupree cut to the left after taking down Thomas, which caught the attention of all players and personnel in the area.
The players enthusiastically welcomed the playmaker’s move, and it’s worth paying attention to the person he made the move against.
It’s clear the running back will need more than a few gigantic plays and good practices to earn playing time. The question is what the Wisconsin football staff would do with Dupree and how they would utilize him on offense if he were to earn playing time.
Wisconsin Badgers football program becomes home for linebacker John Pius
One of the more compelling players to recently transfer to the Wisconsin program is linebacker John Pius. Pius, a former outstanding player William and Mary Tribe defense, put himself on the map the past two seasons with 18.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The linebacker entered the transfer portal to compete for something bigger at a bigger program.
A season ago, Wisconsin generated very low pressure on both the quarterback and the linebacker, resulting in low sack and turnover numbers. Wisconsin finished last season with a zero turnover rate, meaning the offense turned the ball over as often as the defense generated turnovers. In addition, Wisconsin allowed six fewer sacks than it allowed, sacking the quarterback 23 times last season and allowing 29 sacks.
Pius comes in, and Wisconsin has a determined, highly motorized linebacker who loves to live in the defensive backfield. The linebacker dominates the field and easily switches between power and quick moves. In early OTA-style workouts and the first two sessions in Platteville, Pius continues to impress the staff as he looks to have a true breakout season.
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