After a breakout season for the Wisconsin football team a year ago, wide receiver Will Pauling be wants to really prove himself this season.
Pauling, former Cincinnati Bearcats reserve wide receiver, flourished in his first year after transferring to Wisconsin. Pauling followed in the footsteps of his former head coach Lukasz Fickell and other position coaches to Wisconsin looking for playing time, and they found it last season. Despite his success last season, Pauling has yet to receive the praise he deserves from the mainstream media, which could certainly change this upcoming season.
Wisconsin football wide receiver Will Pauling ready to silence critics
After a dazzling start to the season, the wide receiver Will Pauling be he ended the year as one of the top recipients in Big Ten Conference. But despite scoring six touchdowns and averaging 11.3 yards per reception, Pauling was called fifth best wide receiver at a conference before the upcoming season.
Not only is Pauling one of the top receivers in the conference from a year ago, but between transfers and alumni, he is also the top returning receiver with 837 yards. Despite his accomplishments, the receiver has yet to receive the praise he deserves for his efforts on the field with the Wisconsin football team. The upcoming season could bring a much different story, as Pauling could finally prove he is the top receiver in the Big Ten Conference.
Pauling could be the biggest beneficiary of fresh quarterback Tyler Van Dyke
One of the biggest factors driving Pauling’s development this season is the acquisition of a fresh point guard. Tyler Van Dyke. While Pauling has also significantly improved his game on his own, there’s no denying that a good quarterback remains key to a receiver’s success. Pauling had no problem getting open last season, averaging 11.3 yards per reception and a longest of 53.
With a fresh face and Van Dyke as the presumed playmaker, there’s a lot of hope that Pauling will really break out. In his three seasons in Miami, Van Dyke has posted an adjusted pass completion percentage of 73.8%. Essentially, those stats also factor in successful drops and represent a pass completion percentage that reflects the quarterback’s intent, not the receivers’ hands.
For example, Braedyn LockeThe returning quarterback for the Wisconsin football team, rivaling Van Dyke, posted an adjusted pass completion percentage of 65.7% last season. Van Dyke is a more correct quarterback, which could lead to better production and more correct throws for Pauling, making it easier for him to work as a receiver.
A season ago, Van Dyke loved throwing to his wide receivers, as the starting trio averaged 12.4 yards per reception. That included the receiver’s success Xavier Restrepowho is widely considered one of the best returning receivers in the college landscape. An critical note is that Restrepo plays a very similar game of football to Pauling, which bodes well for his future success.
Wisconsin Badgers football staff key to energetic wide receiver’s future success
Perhaps the biggest key to Will Pauling’s potential success this upcoming season is the Wisconsin football staff, particularly the offensive coordinator. Phil Longo. While the team and staff faced many adversities last season, including injuries and players forced into the starting lineup, there were also stern technical issues.
As mentioned earlier, Braedyn Locke recorded customized completion percentage of 65.7% last season and a normal completion percentage of 49.7%. One of the issues that led to his tough completion percentage last season was drops, which accounted for 14.4% of his attempts. Fellow point guard Mordecai the Tanner He also struggled with drops last season, posting an 8.8% drop rate for a total of 30 drops.
The fact that Wisconsin receivers have 30 drops is inexcusable, and while Pauling is partly to blame, his teammates’ drops are also a concern for him. The Wisconsin football staff needs to address the drop problem before this season, whether that means running different routes to avoid large hits or simply giving the receivers more work in the offseason.
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