Predicting Badger Football stat leaders for 2023
The Wisconsin Badgers’ football team is gearing up for a very unique season in 2023, operating under the leadership of new head coach Luke Fickell.
After six seasons with Cincinnati, Fickell has made the leap to the Big Ten. Joining him are new coordinators Phil Longo (offense) and Mike Tressel (defense), setting the Badgers up for a new look this year.
Longo’s “Air Raid” offense in particular has energized the fans, giving them hope that the offense will be more effective in 2023 and beyond. Additionally, the Badgers have brought in many high-caliber transfer athletes and could make a splash in the Big Ten in year one under Fickell and company.
As the season is about 100 days away, Badgers Wire projects the major statistical category leaders for Wisconsin heading into the 2023 campaign.
Passing Yards and Touchdowns: Tanner Mordecai
Tanner Mordecai will be under center for the Badgers in 2023 after he transferred to Madison this offseason. The quarterback spent the last two years with SMU, totalling 7,152 passing yards and 72 touchdowns over those campaigns. Now operating under Phil Longo and his “Air Raid” offense with the Badgers, he’ll be signal-caller in the same system as both Sam Howell and Drake Maye had at North Carolina. Adjusting for the increase in difficulty facing Big Ten defenses now, if Mordecai’s production drops by 20 percent, here’s what his numbers would look like:
Passing Yards – 2,861
Passing TDs – 29
Rushing Yards and Touchdowns: Braelon Allen
Braelon Allen has quickly become the next great Badger running back, rushing for over 1,200 yards in each of his first two seasons with the team while producing 23 rushing touchdowns. With Wisconsin’s passing attack struggling in 2022, Allen faced a lot of heavy boxes from opponents, limiting his running space. With new OC Phil Longo in town, his “Air Raid” offense should open up the field a little for Allen. Although he’ll still be splitting carries with Chez Mellusi in the backfield, it’s very possible that Allen has a career year in 2023.
Prediction:
Rushing Yards – 1.650
Rushing TDs – 16
Receptions, Receiving Yards and Touchdowns: Chimere Dike
Chimere Dike had a sneaky good third season with the Badgers in 2022, catching 47 passes for 689 yards and six touchdowns. Operating with Graham Mertz last year, he stepped it up a notch and now that he’s with Tanner Mordecai, he could become a star. Mordecai tends to favor one top target, finding wide receiver Rashee Rice 96 times for 1,355 yards and 10 scores last year. If Dike can become Mordecai’s go-to guy, he could be in for a huge season in 2023.
Prediction:
Receptions – 70
Receiving Yards – 940
Receiving TDs – 9
Total Tackles: Maema Njongmeta
With both Leo Chenal and Jack Sanborn leaving the Badgers for the NFL following the 2021 campaign, Maema Njongmeta stepped up in 2022, recording a team-high 95 tackles over 13 games. Now returning to Madison for his final year of eligibility, the linebacker will likely operate as their top defensive leader in Mike Tressel’s defense in 2023.
Prediction:
Total Tackles – 115
Sacks: Jake Chaney
Sacks are the category that is most up in the air for Wisconsin in 2023 after linebacker Nick Herbig (11) and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton (4.5) were the team’s leaders in 2022 and have now moved on to the NFL. That being said, 5-foot-11 linebacker Jake Chaney seems to have a nose for the quarterback and could be geared up for a breakout season with the Badgers. He registered one sack last year, but his role should expand greatly in 2023 and why not root for another undersized flashy player at Camp Randall.
Prediction:
Sacks – 5.5
Interceptions: Hunter Wohler
Hunter Wohler has been a menace at spring practice in 2023, consistently intercepting passes from the Badgers’ quarterbacks while also breaking up countless deep balls. Limited by injuries in 2022, the safety intercepted one pass while playing in six games, but he appears to have taken a big step forward this offseason. Jim Leonhard, former Badger safety and later defensive coordinator/interim head coach, produced both an 11 interception season (2002) and seven inception season (2003) in the past. Wohler could be the next star safety in Wisconsin’s secondary, starting in 2023.
Prediction:
Interceptions – 5
