Luke Fickell looking to find who he can trust heading into final week of camp

Does Wisconsin have the depth to make it through the 2024 season?

Wisconsin outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell, left, talks with head coach Luke Fickell during practice April 11 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison / Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Wisconsin is entering its final week of training camp before beginning preparation for Western Michigan next week. Head coach Luke Fickell likes where the team is at heading into the season, but there are still a few things the staff wants to find out about the 2024 roster.

"I think the last six or so [days] here has been exactly what it is that we need and so we feel good about. Now we've got to find a way to say, 'OK, you know who are these 45 guys, who are these 65 guys that we really feel like we could trust and can go with," Fickell told reporters on Saturday.

The Badgers struggled with depth last season, specifically on the defensive side of the ball with a handful of injuries down the stretch. With an impressive offseason in the transfer portal and a solid high school recruiting class, Fickell is trying to find out which guys he can count on this season if starters go down.

247Sports' Evan Flood has reported that 11 of the Badgers' 22 incoming freshmen have been running with the ones or twos in practice this preseason. Fickell is making sure that he sees consistency out of players like freshman RB Darrion Dupree or freshman safety Xavier Lucas before counting on them in high-pressure situations.

"The only thing I was hard upon at the end here was the consistency of that crew of guys, that next group of guys that all are going to want to play on the 30th, but you know, will there be opportunities? That next kind of group of guys, we got to find out in these next 8-10 days where we are with that crew," Fickell said.

At this point of camp, many of the starters are taking it easy in an effort to remain healthy before the opener. Players like Riley Mahlman, Hunter Wohler and Jake Chaney have all been dealing with minor bumps and bruises, which has limited their participation and the coaching staff want key guys to be as healthy as possible before kicking off 2024.