Wisconsin Badgers stocks rise, stocks fall: Bye Week

BadgerBlitz.com returns the weekly “Stock Up, Stock Down” report for the 2024 season. In this series, we provide evaluations of players on Wisconsin's roster in the context of their “stock.” Performance, playing time and opportunity are all factored into the development of a player's stock.

Will Pauling was already the undisputed top receiver on this team, but his reputation rises after the Alabama game for several reasons. First, he continued to command the receiver room and delivered his best performance of the young season, making nine catches on 11 attempts for 83 yards and a touchdown. In addition, he continued to show good chemistry with quarterback Braedyn Lockeand that's especially important considering Locke is the starting guard going forward. Not many Badgers were up to the task against the Crimson Tide, but Pauling's talent and playmaking ability continued to be extremely evident.

The share price of the real newcomer continues to rise. At this point Darrion Dupree has already exceeded Jackson Acker on the depth chart and is the de facto No. 4 running back. Cade Yacamelli continues to show plenty of grit and vision, but it's safe to say Dupree is hot on his heels. Against Alabama, he didn't just carry the football when the game was out of control. Dupree came on early in the third quarter and had eight carries for 24 yards. This team has put the utmost trust in the tailback, and his role should only continue to grow.

“He has to be ready,” said head coach Lukas Fickell said. Wisconsin is now in the unenviable position of being one play away from having a true freshman quarterback as its starting lineup. Mabrey Mettauer is now the Badgers' backup quarterback. As an early enrollee, he had extra time to get used to the college game and learn Phil Longo's playbook this winter. He is currently the brightest hope in Wisconsin's quarterback room. The Mettauer era could begin sooner than expected in Madison.

When Braedyn Locke was brought into play after Tyler Van Dyke When Locke tore his ACL, expectations weren't too high. This is Alabama, after all, and Locke was thrown into the game off the bench. Still, Locke's reputation was pretty high after his performance in offseason training camps and after his coaches insisted he was the “1B” at quarterback. His performance against the Tide, however, brought him back down to earth. The gunslinger looked nervous and missed many throws, from rhythm passes to critical deep balls. He'll need to improve his accuracy first and foremost if Wisconsin wants to have a chance to beat USC.

RJ Delancy has quickly gone from being a camp favorite and potential contributor at the cornerback rotation level to an outsider Paul Haynes' Room very quickly. He was overtaken by real newcomers Xavier Lucasand his snaps have steadily declined since the opener against Western Michigan. He played just three snaps against Alabama, but was torched by a Tide wideout on one of them. Ryan Williams for a 31-yard touchdown. It's safe to assume that Delancy is falling out of favor.

Ricardo Hallman was barely tested before the Alabama game (three passes in two weeks), but the Tide weren't afraid to throw to him. He was targeted four times and allowed four catches, including the 26-yard touchdown pass to Bernard Germie just before halftime. He also missed a whopping four tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. All in all, it was a brutal game for the All-American corner. Hallman is no stranger to adversity in his career, and he will need to lean on that experience to bounce back.

Given that the starting defensive line was not successful in any way – apart from Elijah Hillswho technically isn’t even a starter – it’s a bit shocking that Brandon Lane has not been given more chances. Against South Dakota he played four snaps. Against Alabama he played seven. In the meantime, the five Players who play before him have combined for 19 tackles in three games. Am I missing something? Does the staff have concerns about giving Lane a starting position? Either way, his value continues to drop.

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