Wisconsin football spring questions: special teams

A question-centric spring position preview of the Wisconsin Badgers special teams.

With spring practice set to begin next week, we are days away from the Wisconsin Badgers returning to the practice field.

With several key additions and subtractions to the roster, as well as a revamped coaching staff, this spring will provide us the first look at what next year's football team might look like when they open up against Illinois State on September 3.

Previous spring previews:

• Quarterbacks
• Running backs
• Offensive line

We continue our position-by-position look at the major questions heading into the spring with the Wisconsin special teams.

Can the Badgers be more dynamic in the return game?

The Wisconsin Badgers ranked No. 112 out of 130 FBS teams in punt return average. The duo of Jack Dunn and Dean Engram average under five yards per return, and misjudged plays on multiple occasions leading to lost field position.

While Dunn has exhausted his eligibility, Dean Engram likely comes into spring ball as the top candidate for the punt return role. With his father now the offensive coordinator, Engram will play wide receiver this season, and it appears as though the Badgers want to get the ball in his hands more.

Wisconsin has not recorded a punt return touchdown since Nick Nelson did so in 2017, and the group has not been able to generate big plays. With Engram now entering his redshirt junior season, maybe he is ready to break out and give the Badgers the consistent return threat they need.

If not, it might be time to give Stephan Bracey or a young wide receiver a chance to provide a spark.

Dean Engram enters this spring as the top candidate at punt returner, but the Badgers could use more production in 2022 :: MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL via Imagn Content Services, LLC

What does Vito Calvaruso bring to the kicking game?

The Badgers brought on Arkansas kicker Vito Calvaruso this off-season, and the former Razorback is the odds on favorite for both the kickoff specialist role and the placekicking duties.

A strong-legged option, Calvaruso was one of the best kickoff specialists in the entire country a year ago. With Collin Larsh opting not to come back and instead move on to professional life, Calvaruso is walking into a wide-open situation with a chance to become a difference-maker with the Badgers.

The 6-foot-2 junior will compete with redshirt freshman Nate Van Zelst, and fellow junior Jack Van Dyke for opportunities. Van Zelst did not see game action last year, while Van Dyke has handled kickoffs in the past but has battled injuries of late.

The Badgers could desperately use a player handling kickoffs that can boot it through the end zone, and based on his time in Arkansas he should be able to give Wisconsin that. The field goal job is the more intriguing battle to watch, but I would still give Calvaruso the edge sight unseen.

With scholarships at a premium for special teams players, the fact that Calvaruso is on scholarship and brings experience likely means both kickoffs and field goals are his to lose. However, it is far from a done deal, and spring football will go a long way in determining the competition. 

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