2015 Badger Football

[MickeyDavis]

Alex Erickson's growth as a wide receiver at Wisconsin has been remarkable.

As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Erickson started three games, played in 13 and finished with nine receptions for 127 yards.

As a redshirt junior in 2014, Erickson started 13 of 14 games and finished with 55 receptions for 772 yards and three touchdowns.

As a redshirt senior this season, Erickson garnered all-Big Ten Conference honors, first-team according to the media and second-team according to the coaches. He has started 11 of 12 games and has 72 receptions for 924 yards and three touchdowns.

Imagine what Erickson might be able to accomplish if he had one more season of eligibility.

Well, UW officials are examining that possibility.

"Yeah, I think so," Erickson said Monday while discussing UW's Holiday Bowl matchup against USC, set for Dec. 30 in San Diego. "I haven't heard anything. I haven't really been worried about it at all. You know as much as I do."

The issue started when Erickson, a graduate of Darlington High School, enrolled at UW in the fall of 2011.

His plan was to join the program as a walk-on, which he did in the second semester of the 2011-'12 academic year. Although he did not participate in athletics that fall, under NCAA rules his five-year eligibility clock officially started once he enrolled.

Because athletic communications department officials were unaware he had enrolled in the fall of '11, Erickson was incorrectly listed as a freshman during the 2012 season when he should have been listed as a redshirt freshman. He was listed as a redshirt freshman in 2013 when he should have been listed as a redshirt sophomore.

The error was fixed last fall and Erickson told the Journal Sentinel he wasn't upset about inadvertently losing a year of eligibility because he was aware of his status and had no idea whether he would even play at UW.

"We weren't sure how it was going to work out," he reiterated Monday. "It is easy to say now but back then it was like: 'Shoot, I'm walking onto the program.'

"You don't know how good you can be. Obviously you have the mindset you can be great but it was too hard to tell then."

Paul Chryst was UW's offensive coordinator in 2011 but he left to become head coach at Pittsburgh before Erickson enrolled. Chryst, in his first season as UW's head coach, would like to see Erickson regain the last year of eligibility.

Neither Chryst nor an official from UW's compliance department could be reached Monday.

However, it is conceivable UW officials will argue Erickson should have been treated like a standard "grayshirt" recruit.

Those players generally enroll in the fall, pay for school for a semester and then join the program in the winter without losing any eligibility.

Erickson, now open to the idea of playing another season, joked he would have to go through a second senior day.

"That would obviously present a lot of unique situations," he said, smiling. "Who knows? Obviously you'd have another year to keep working and keep developing. You'd just keep growing as a player. You look at the jumps guys make from year to year."

If the Holiday Bowl is indeed Erickson's last college game he is prepared to take a shot at winning a job in the pros next year.

"I'm going to try," he said. "You never know what can happen."

[trwi7]

Kyle Allen is transferring from TAMU. He has family in Wisconsin and we have the QB spot open.

[Mags FTW]

Kyle Allen is transferring from TAMU. He has family in Wisconsin and we have the QB spot open.

Oklahoma has interest. Doubt we get him.

[MickeyDavis]

Sometime after the Holiday Bowl, the battle to replace Joel Stave as Wisconsin's starting quarterback will begin in earnest.

The fifth-year senior from Whitnall High School is set to make his 41st and final start for UW when the Badgers meet USC on Dec. 30 in San Diego.

UW is 30-10 in games Stave has started. A victory over the Trojans would allow Stave to surpass the program mark of Brooks Bollinger, who won 30 games as a starter from 1999-2002.

Two players expected to vie for the starting job next season should be on the UW sideline for the bowl game — redshirt junior Bart Houston, the No. 2 quarterback this season and freshman Alex Hornibrook, who is redshirting.

"I have experience now," said Houston, who has played in six games this season. "I know what works for me....I'm a confident guy."

Although Hornibrook hasn't played, he benefited from enrolling early at UW and showed promise during spring practice.

"I've been around not so long but a little longer than most of the freshmen," Hornibrook said. "It helps just to know the program, how everything is run and how the coaches are."

Redshirt freshman D.J. Gillins started the season at quarterback but switched to wide receiver in October and his future is uncertain. UW is set to add one quarterback in its 2016 class, Kare' Lyles of Scottsdale, Ariz. Lyles should graduate this month, enroll at UW in January and participate in spring ball.

Houston's most extensive action at UW came in Game 8 at Illinois this season, after Stave was forced to leave late in the first quarter because of a concussion.

Entering that game, Houston was 7 of 13 for 63 yards in eight games at UW. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 232 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, in a 24-13 victory over the Illini.

Never lacking confidence from the day he came to UW, Houston acknowledges his play against the Illini was needed.

"It boosts your confidence," he said. "I'm not going to lie...my heart was beating a couple beats too fast."

Reserve offensive lineman Logan Schmidt helped ease Houston's jitters that day.

"He comes up to me and goes: 'Bart, the scouts for the Vancouver Argonauts are here watching you,'" Houston recalled, laughing. "That was it. I was ready to play. Good neighbor. Good roommate. He always puts me in a good mood."

Vancouver Argonauts? The Argonauts of the Canadian Football League are based in Toronto, but Houston got the point.

"CFL," he joked. "We were having fun with it."

Houston is a right-hander. Hornibrook is a left-hander.

But that isn't the only noticeable difference between the quarterbacks.

Houston has improved his study habits and has tried to glean tips from Stave and former UW quarterback Scott Tolzien, who sometimes returns to campus in the off-season.

"My football IQ is better," Houston said. "Just having the knowledge of how to watch film...what things to look for scheme-wise."

Yet Houston hasn't lost a demeanor that can best be described as carefree. Talk to Houston for the first time and you might wonder if he takes anything seriously. Yet that trait can come in handy in the heat of battle because he can be oblivious to pressure.

Ask him about whether he has thought about competing for the starting job in 2016 and he will talk about focusing on the present, with a twist.

"You've got to beat USC first," he said. "I'm a California guy. I grew up watching Cal and Stanford. Me personally, I think the north is better than the south. That's not me taking a shot at USC or anything."

Zing.

A football discussion with Hornibrook is more businesslike.

Hornibrook made sure he watched Stave closely after arriving at UW.

"To be around him was pretty good," he said. "The way he goes about things. A fifth-year senior, he has been around here a long time. He knows how the program works, how to do things right."

During the practices open to reporters last spring and again in August, Hornibrook displayed sufficient arm strength, accuracy and sound decision-making.

"I would say knowing the playbook and leadership," Hornibrook said when asked to describe his strengths. "I've got to work on everything, but I feel pretty good about those two things.

"Decision-making, that develops. You think you're going to make good decisions, but it is always about reps and how many times you're doing things and getting used to all the plays."

[Kerb Hohl]

Sounds like USC and Michigan have been talking to Aranda.

[trwi7]

Clement is returning to UW next year.

[LittleRooster]

Sounds like USC and Michigan have been talking to Aranda.

They better keep him. Thought he should have been promoted last year to HC so we wouldn't lose him.

[Kerb Hohl]

Clement is returning to UW next year.

Chryst and Clement have a press conference at 2 this afternoon. Hopefully he hasn't reconsidered that decision suddenly. Could just be to talk about the "incident."

[trwi7]

Could just be to talk about the "incident."

This seems to be what it was about.