4 bold predictions for the rest of Wisconsin Badgers season after bye week

He's in the Top 25 for most pressures generated so far this year, according to PFF, and he's just as good in run defense, setting a firm edge and making stops at the line of scrimmage.

The other burgeoning NFL career is tight end Lance Mason. The small-school transfer hasn't been fazed by the step up to Big Ten competition.

He leads Wisconsin in catches, yards and touchdowns this season, averaging over 12 yards per reception with reliable hands over the middle of the field.

Neither Mason nor Reiger may turn out to be high picks, but they've boosted their draft stock more than anyone else on the team this season.

Billy Edwards Jr. never quite stays healthy

The Badgers have had consistent bad luck with transfer portal quarterbacks, and that is continuing with Billy Edwards Jr.

It started with a minor knee injury in fall camp. Then the knee was injured again in Week 1, he missed two games, and he came back too early against Maryland and reaggravated it.

This feels like an issue that won't go away, even with a bye week.

Edwards will still start more games this season, and this might not become a season-ending injury, but it'll be an ongoing challenge that limits him throughout.

The quarterback injury storyline will leave them cycling between Edwards and backup Danny O'Neil, and neither will have a consistent stretch of games where they can fully settle into the starting role.

Nyzier Fourqurean returns and settles down Badgers secondary

Reinforcements should be coming to the Wisconsin secondary, depending on the ruling of a federal judge.

Starting cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean has yet to play this season as he waits on a ruling in his lawsuit against the NCAA.

He and his attorney filed a preliminary injunction, seeking to grant him temporarily eligibility while the full legal case drags on.

That decision could come as soon as this week, and it's not out of the question that he could play Saturday against Michigan.

His return would be huge for a Badgers secondary that's been gashed the last two weeks. He can be a stabilizing force at cornerback and give Mike Tressel more flexibility on the back end of his defense.

It's no guarantee that the judge rules in his favor, but Fourqurean was previously granted a separate injunction in the case, and the NCAA hasn't had a lot of success in other recent court decisions.

Wisconsin gives a ranked opponent a major scare

Predicting a Wisconsin upset over a ranked opponent would be a little too bold, but they should be able to muster up a good fight against at least one of the top teams on their schedule.

College football is an unpredictable sport, and as bad as the Badgers have looked, they're not going roll over every week for the rest of the season.

They weren't very good last year, but they still had the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks on the ropes in a 16-13 loss.

Odds are that one of the ranked teams on Wisconsin's schedule this year will be vulnerable. It won't be a "moral victory" for the Badgers, but it will help them show signs of life and hope for a brighter future.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

• Jonathan Taylor on the verge of setting new Wisconsin Badgers record in the NFL

• Wisconsin Badgers redshirt tracker: True freshmen defenders close to burning eligibility

• Luke Fickell has a chance to steal back four-star Illinois WR for Wisconsin Badgers

• Wisconsin Badgers pursuing another key recruit who decommitted from UCLA after firing