Wisconsin Football: 5 reasons to be optimistic for 2018

1. Jonathan Taylor

Make no mistake about it, Jonathan Taylor is a bonafide superstar in college football. As a true freshman last season, he ran for 1977 yards, 13 touchdowns and a 6.6 yards per carry. He was also a workhorse by leading the Big Ten with 299 rush attempts.

If there’s one downfall in his game, however, it’s that he struggles to hold on to the football. Far too often last season, Taylor lost the ball as he was fighting for extra yards. That’s certainly been a point of emphasis for him this spring, as he works toward closing all the holes in his game.

Heading into 2018, teams will have a full year of tape on him so that might help them slow him down. However, I don’t expect that to be the case, as he’s still young and should only get better. He’s extremely motivated to improve himself on a daily basis and loves to proves doubters wrong.

Wisconsin will likely lean heavily on Taylor once again in 2018. It might be more important than ever if Hornibrook and the defense struggle. But there are signs everything could come together for the Badgers, as they aim to wind up in the College Football Playoff.