MADISON – As has been the case this spring, the Wisconsin football team went through its Tuesday practice with just helmets, jerseys and shorts with an eye on ramping up the workouts as the week progresses.
There was no need to ramp up the intensity, however. The two-hour practice inside Camp Randall Stadium included at least three minor dustups between players.
Here are four takeaways from the session which took place under mostly clear skies and with temperatures in the low 60s.
Jacob Harris shows his hands
Bowling Green transfer tight end Jacob Harris caught 19 passes for 182 yards last season. Can he help offset the loss of Lance Mason, who is preparing for the NFL draft?
The 6-foot-6, 270-pound redshirt junior made a couple of grabs that showed his potential to help in the passing game. The best was a bullet from Colton Joseph that Harris caught from about 30 yards out for a touchdown with outside linebacker Thomas Heiberger draped over him. The play would have drawn a flag for a pass interference penalty if an official were on hand.
Harris and Joseph later connected on a throw down the seam that also allowed Harris to show off his hands.
Nick Clayton, Tyreese Fearbry lead sack parade
It’s hard to gauge sacks and tackles when the play isn’t live. That is especially the case when the team practices without pads. That said, there were few occasions when the Badgers’ pass rush got to the quarterback.
Fifth-year senior Tyreese Fearbry and sophomore Nick Clayton had at least two sacks. Redshirt sophomore DeNigel Cooper had one as did safety Matt Jung.
Matt Jung continues to compete
Senior safety Matt Jung authored the day’s bounce-back moment midway through the practice.
Early during an 11-on-11 segment, he just missed getting a hand on a throw Joseph threaded to wide receiver Tyrell Herny in the middle of the field. That play went for about a 30-yard touchdown.
The next snap, Joseph went Jung’s way again. This time, Jung was covering Eugene Hilton in the end zone on a throw toward the sideline. Jung cut in front of Hilton and made a leaping interception.
The Neenah native has been steady throughout the spring and appears to be holding off any challenge to his starting role.
QB Carter Smith drops a couple of dimes
Redshirt freshman quarterback Carter Smith made a couple of nice deliveries.
On one play, he fit a throw to freshman Keeyshawn Tabuteau just over the head of a defender and right on the numbers. During that same series of snaps, Smith hit redshirt sophomore Langdon Nordgaard in stride for an over-the-shoulder grab in the end zone. It was a beautiful ball.
This story was updated to add a link.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Matt Jung overcomes adversity, defense delivers during Wisconsin practice
Reporting by Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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