Wisconsin Badgers football preview: Running back

No doubt, this is Braelon Allen’s job. The only question is will he be the bell cow or be in some sort of a platoon. Allen has quickly established himself as one of the best running backs in the country. He’s strong, invites contact and is unstoppable once he hits the second level.

In 2021, Allen had 186 carries for 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns. What’s crazy is that he was the fourth strong back in the opener against Penn State. We really only saw him play special teams that game. Allen is the leader in the running back room and is becoming the next great Wisconsin back.

Backup: Chez Mellusi

If Chez Mellusi returns as good as he was last season, he will certainly get his share of reps. Mellusi was the starter until a season-ending injury against Rutgers. The Clemson transfer ran for 815 yards and five touchdowns  in his first season of getting legitimate touches.

He was 1A while Allen was 1B last season. Because of how good Allen has become, we could see Mellusi’s touches drop a little bit. However, he’s a critical part of this offense and will be a significant role this season.

Isaac Guerendo and Julius Davis

We will also see Guerendo and Davis gets reps in the running back room as well. A majority of playing time will come from special teams, however. Guerendo is coming off a season-ending injury as well. As a result, we got to see Julius Davis and he showed signs of potential as well. While we might see these two in blowout games, it’s good depth the Badgers have in the running back room.