There is more hype surrounding the 2023 Wisconsin Badgers football team than there has been in a very long time. Of course, this has everything to do with new head coach Luke Fickell and the wave of change that he has initiated. While running the ball will remain a big part of the offensive attack, Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo are bringing the Wisconsin offense into the modern era.
Tanner Mordecai was recruited to play his final collegiate season at quarterback, giving Wisconsin its best starting quarterback since Russell Wilson. Additionally, numerous wide receivers have chosen the Badgers over other programs for a chance to shine in their new look offense.
One of these receivers is Will Pauling, who followed Coach Fickell from Cincinnati to Wisconsin. During an interview on The Mike Heller Show on 97.3 The Game, Badgers football radio voice Matt Lepay identified Pauling who will be a real weapon for the offense.
Matt LePay States that Wisconsin Badgers Wide Receiver Will Pauling Is a Dangerous Weapon in the Slot
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As mentioned, one of the things that Fickell and Longo have done to generate large amounts of excitement for the Badgers 2023 season is by recruiting highly sought-after players in the transfer portal. Will Pauling may not have been too hard to convince to come to Madison, given his history with Fickell already, but he is still a notable recruit nonetheless.
Back in May, Dylan Buboltz of Wisconsin Sports Heroics wrote of Pauling:
“I don’t think it’s crazy to think Pauling is one of the top three receivers in this offense when fall camp opens up. Things could change but with the spring Pauling had, I think he’s in a good position to contribute right away for this offense that will present a ton in the passing game.”
Matt Lepay agrees. Radio host Mike Heller noted that “there is something different” about the three wide receivers Fickell and Longo recruited from the transfer portal: Pauling, CJ Williams, and Bryson Green. Lepay agreed:
“Yeah, there is. Will Pauling in the slot could be a really dangerous weapon for Wisconsin. He has the ability to find the opening and to do something after the catch. You know, he moves well.
“CJ Williams moves well, and Bryson Green is really strong. He’s put on a solid 10 pounds from his Oklahoma State days and the feeling is he will win more than his fair share of contested balls, so he is someone in a tight spot who can really help the quarterback.”
Lepay goes on to explain the Chimire Dike is still the undisputed leader of the wide receiver room, but that the three transfer pass catchers do bring something to the table that Wisconsin had not had before.
One thing that Pauling and Williams have in common is that both of them came to Wisconsin looking for a better opportunity to showcase what they can do. None of them were given any real playing time at their previous schools, as is indicated by their 2022 states:
- Pauling- 12 catches for 122 yards
- Williams- four catches for 34 yards
Green, on the other hand, did put up respectable numbers at Oklahoma State in 2022: 36 receptions for 584 yards and five touchdowns. Green is also a year older than both Pauling and Williams.
When thinking back on previous Badgers wide receiver rooms, it is hard to remember one with so many highly-touted recruits. Perhaps that’s because there has not been one in recent memory. With Mordecai under center and Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi in the backfield, the passing game is finally going to be a real threat in 2023.
Fans should look forward to what Pauling and company have in store.
For more of Matt Lepay’s interview and for Heller’s commentary on the Milwaukee Brewers’ winning streak and the Green Bay Packers cutting Pat O’Donnell, listen to the whole show linked above.
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