Wisconsin football fall camp preview: Cornerback

The players to watch, storylines to follow, and the biggest questions for the Wisconsin Badgers at cornerback entering the 2022 season.

It is late July, which means we are closing in on Big Ten Media Days and the beginning of fall camp for the Wisconsin Badgers football team.

Contents

1. Roster breakdown
2. Projected depth chart
3. Returning career production
4. Position overview
5. Young player to watch
6. Biggest question

The Badgers enter the 2022 season looking to improve upon their 9-4 record from a year ago and aim to get back to the Big Ten Championship Game after missing out on a Big Ten West title in 2021.

After a busy off-season filled with coaching changes, recruiting news, and transfer additions, football is nearly back. With that in mind, it is time to preview each position group leading up to the start of fall camp.

Previously covered positions:

• Quarterback
• Running back
• Fullback
• Wide receiver
• Tight end
• Interior offensive line
• Offensive tackles
• Defensive line
• Inside linebacker
• Outside linebacker
• Safety

Today we wrap up the defensive side of the ball, with a focus on the new-look cornerback room. 

UCLA transfer Jay Shaw is expected to be one of Wisconsin's top-four cornerbacks this fall.  / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Roster breakdown

Coaches:

• Hank Poteat (defensive coordinator/safeties)

Returning players:

• Alexander Smith (RS SR) 5-foot-11, 179 lbs.
• Semar Melvin (RS JR) 5-foot-11, 172 lbs.
• Max Lofy (RS SO) 5-foot-10, 180 lbs.
• Amaun Williams (RS SO) 5-foot-10, 180 lbs.
• Ricardo Hallman (RS FR) 5-foot-10, 177 lbs.
• Al Ashford (RS FR) 6-foot, 182 lbs.

Newcomers:

• Justin Clark (7th-SR) 5-foot-11, 179 lbs.
• Cedrick Dort (6th-SR) 5-foot-11, 183 lbs.
• Jay Shaw (6th-SR) 5-foot-11, 188 lbs.
• Avyonne Jones (FR) 5-foot-11, 180 lbs.
• A'Khoury Lyde (FR) 5-foot-9, 184 lbs.

Projected depth chart

Starters

• Cornerback: Justin Clark (7th-SR)
• Cornerback: Alexander Smith (RS SR)
• Nickel: Jay Shaw (6th-SR)

Backups

• Cornerback: Cedrick Dort (6th-SR)
• Cornerback: Ricardo Hallman (RS FR)

Returning career production

• Justin Clark: 47 career games (18 starts), 115 tackles, four interceptions at Toledo
• Cedrick Dort: 44 career games (25 starts), 51 tackles, seven pass breakups at Kentucky
• Jay Shaw: 43 career games (16 starts), 88 tackles, five interceptions at UCLA
• Alexander Smith: 36 career games (two starts), 19 tackles, one interception
• Semar Melvin: 15 career games (two starts), 10 tackles, one pass breakup
• Max Lofy: eight career games, three tackles
• Ricardo Hallman: three career games, one tackle
• Amaun Williams: one career game

Kentucky transfer Cedrick Dort leads all Wisconsin cornerbacks with 25 career starts.  / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Position overview

Despite losing the top three cornerbacks from last year's roster, confidence remains high in the cornerback room. Wisconsin added three players via the transfer portal, all with starting experience, and the group also returns veteran defensive back, Alexander Smith. 

The Badgers felt good enough about the cornerback room that they shifted nickel corner Dean Engram over to play wide receiver for his father in the off-season, a move that should free up plenty of playing time for the new transfer additions.

In the spring, Toledo transfer Justin Clark was arguably the most impressive cornerback on the roster. A seventh-year senior, Clark had several fun back-and-forth battles with Chimere Dike and recorded multiple interceptions in the spring. He was consistently with the first-team defense, and I think he will play a crucial role this season.

UCLA transfer Jay Shaw also had his moments in the spring. A second-team Pac 12 selection a year ago, Shaw's tackling ability and speed to the football should make him an ideal candidate in the slot. He will enter fall camp as one of the top contenders for one of the two starting outside roles in the base defense. Shaw missed some time in the spring with an injury, but his talent level was noticeable, and like Clark, I think Shaw will undoubtedly contribute in 2022. 

The other cornerback who saw the majority of first-team reps was fifth-year senior Alexander Smith. The lone senior on the roster that has been in the program throughout his career, Smith, brings experience and versatility to the cornerback room. He is expected to be one of the top three cornerbacks this fall and has the knowledge and skillset to help out at safety if needed. Jim Leonhard moved Smith all over the defensive backfield in the spring, and I believe his versatility should allow the Badgers to get creative. 

Of the three incoming transfers, Kentucky transfer Cedrick Dort had the quietest spring, but he is one of the most established players in the group. Having the summer to adjust to everything, the expectation is that Dort will also play a role in the defense. The sixth-year senior actually holds the most collegiate starts of any player in the position group and has Power-5 experience after playing in the SEC. Based on his ability level, it would not be surprising to see him wind up anywhere from the No. 1 to No. 5 cornerback on the roster. 

Other returning players include junior Semar Melvin, who has battled injuries the past two years, and sophomores Max Lofy and Amaun Williams. All three worked with the second-team defense in the spring and showed flashes. Same for redshirt freshman Al Ashford, who missed all of last season with an arm injury. Those four players should add solid depth to the position group, as each has shown that they are capable playmakers if needed this season.

Cornerback Ricardo Hallman stood out this spring, and is one of the top young cornerbacks to watch in fall camp.  / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Young player to watch

With so many upperclassmen vying for playing time under cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat, it will be hard for any young players to crack the two-deep this fall. 

However, based on the spring redshirt freshman Ricardo Hallman could do it. 

A former four-star recruit according to Rivals, Hallman saw action in three games last season while still maintaining his redshirt status. More importantly, two of those contests came later in the year (against Rutgers and Arizona State), as he made significant strides during practice. 

The momentum he generated late last year carried over to the spring, as Hallman was frequently running with both the first and second-team defense at cornerback. During spring ball, Hallman showed flashes on multiple occasions, as he used his quickness and ball skills to knock down several passes during practice. 

At 5-foot-10 and 177 pounds, Hallman is one of the top young players in the defensive secondary, and based on the spring, it would not be a shock to see him see significant playing time. He has the speed and physicality to play in the slot or out wide and will be a key player to monitor this fall as the competition for playing time heats up at cornerback. 

True freshman Avyonne Jones is another intriguing name to follow. Jones enrolled early and is incredibly versatile. He will probably redshirt, but the future is bright for the former Texas standout.  

Biggest question

The Wisconsin Badgers attacked the transfer portal to add three experienced options to the cornerback room. Between Cedrick Dort, Justin Clark, and Jay Shaw, the trio account for 134 career games at the college level, and should all see the field in 2022.

So will that experience potentially allow this group to be as good or better than last year's group?

I think there is a chance. 

Faion Hicks and Caesar Williams, both of whom are on NFL camp rosters played very well last year, but the room as a whole is much deeper this season. 

The three transfer additions, with Alexander Smith, should allow assistant coach Hank Poteat and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard to get creative in the secondary, and that could lead to more turnovers. With some serious depth concerns at safety still looming, there is a scenario where Wisconsin needs to tap into the depth built up at cornerback if an injury hits the safety room, but overall, the Badgers have plenty of experience to fall back on at cornerback. 

The Badgers have five cornerbacks on the roster who have started games, and versatile athletes like Ricardo Hallman and Avyonne Jones who played well in the spring.

All of the pieces are in place for Wisconsin to have a standout cornerback room in 2022, and now it will be about seeing if it comes together in fall camp. 

5️⃣6️⃣ days … pic.twitter.com/OnPTjae5YG

— Justin Clark (@jclark_24_) July 9, 2022

Related links:

• Wisconsin fall camp preview of the safety position
• Wisconsin Badgers selected to win the Big Ten West Division by media members
• Five seniors who could become full-time starters in 2022

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