Wisconsin Badgers: Where Does a Top 2024 Class Addition Stand Ahead of Big Season?

The Wisconsin Badgers have a unique situation at running back where there is arguably too much talent for the amount of carries available.

Sophomores Darrion Dupree, Dilin Jones, and Gideon Ituka all return to Madison alongside Cade Yacamelli, Mason Lane, and both Harrison and Grover Bortolotti. The room is stacked, and there is some much talent that the team was able to switch former running back Jackson Acker over to a hybrid fullback/tight end role.

Only so many players can hit the field and receive a respectable amount of playing time, and currently Dupree is scheduled to be the primary running back for the Badgers. Yacamelli is set to take on a similar, do-it-all kind of role from a season ago but with less total touches and Ituka will likely serve as a power back for the Badgers when needed.

The real anomaly on offense at the running back position is former four-star signee Dilin Jones, a versatile back who received limited playing time as a true freshman last season. The Wisconsin Badgers love what Jones has to offer, but with so much talent on the roster finding an exact fit within the offense could prove to be a difficult one.

Wisconsin Badgers Running Back Dilin Jones Could Find Change-of-Pace Role Suitable

While Jones and Dupree share many similarities, the overall run style of the two is different and how each running back serves the offense is also different. For Jones, serving as the back who pushes the tempo or receives carries to give the offense a different look is likely the role that will result in the greatest impact on the field.

Jones is tall, strong, and quick but runs with a low-to-the-ground style makes the back difficult to take down and also allows Jones to drop his shoulder with ease when needed. Jones is not necessarily a running back who seeks out contact first, but with his frame and acceleration, it is not difficult for the running back to knock down a defender.