Tailback Tawee Walker's impressive spring among top takeaways from Wisconsin's fourth practice
MADISON – Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell and his staff held practice No. 4 of the spring outside, on the grass field north of Camp Randall Stadium.
The session Saturday featured full pads and plenty of hitting.
Here are some observations from the practice:
Tawee Walker continues to impress his new teammates
Tailback Tawee Walker, who transferred to UW from Oklahoma after last season, has consistently ripped off big runs this spring.
He did so again Saturday and also showed the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and turn up the field quickly.
Walker rushed 95 times for 496 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior last season. At 5-foot-9 and 222 pounds, Walker consistently gets low as he takes on would-be tacklers and has powerful legs. Defenders will have a difficult time bringing him down with one hit.
Freshman Gideon Ituka, 5-9 and 235, has a similar frame but lacks experience. However, he had a handful of impressive runs Saturday.
Will Pauling, Trech Kekahuna play like twins
Will Pauling, UW’s No. 1 slot receiver last season, led the team in catches (74), receiving yards (834) and touchdown catches (six).
He showed again during one-on-one drills that he eludes defenders easily and can deal with contact if necessary.
Pauling beat Max Lofy cleanly for one catch during one-on-one work and then beat Austin Brown for another catch despite the officials calling Brown for holding / interference.
Trech Kekahuna, who played in five games as a freshman last season and finished with four catches for 64 yards, has been the No. 2 slot receiver behind Pauling this spring.
Pauling is 5-10 and 190. Kekahuna is 5-10 and 183.
Both players get in and out of their breaks with quickness and power. Both catch the ball effortlessly.
And it appears offensive coordinator Phil Longo plans to play them together in certain situations. That should stress opposing defenses in 2024.
Transfer cornerback Michael Mack working in the slot
Cornerback Michael Mack wasn’t able to play last season after transferring from Air Force.
Mack, 6-1 and 198, has been working as the nickel cornerback on the No. 3 unit so far this spring.
Brown has been the No. 1 nickel cornerback, followed by Owen Arnett.
Defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow looks for playmakers
UW’s base defense this spring generally has featured two linemen and four linebackers.
James Thompson Jr. and Curt Neal have been the top pairing, followed by Elijah Hills, a transfer from Albany; and T.J. Bollers.
Freshman Ernest Willor Jr. and redshirt freshman Jamel Howard Jr. formed the third tandem Saturday.
Ben Barten, who had 13 tackles in 13 games last season, worked with Thompson and Neal when UW deployed a three-man front.
Thompson left practice late with an apparent left foot injury.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tailback Tawee Walker impresses at Wisconsin football spring practice
