Luke Fickell, the coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, is making sure the team’s best units have enough work to prepare during spring practice.

Spring practice is one of the most vital times of the year for college football teams, providing an opportunity for coaches to evaluate their roster, develop talent, and install new systems for the upcoming season. For Luke Fickell, the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, this spring is particularly crucial. It marks a pivotal moment in his tenure as the Badgers’ head coach, with a new philosophy, new schemes, and an infusion of talent coming into the program. With the goal of building a team that can compete at the highest level in the Big Ten and beyond, Fickell is ensuring that Wisconsin’s top units receive plenty of work during these spring practices to fine-tune their skills, adjust to new strategies, and establish the foundation for success.

In this article, we’ll explore why spring practice is so critical for Fickell’s program, the importance of giving Wisconsin’s best units the necessary work, and how this period of preparation could set the team up for a successful 2025 season.

The Importance of Spring Practice in Fickell’s Program

Before diving into the specifics of Wisconsin’s top units, it’s important to understand why spring practice is such a crucial time for any college football program, and especially for a team in transition, like the Badgers.

For Fickell, spring practices are about more than just getting through drills or assessing individual talent—they are an opportunity to lay the groundwork for the future. In his first season at Wisconsin, Fickell inherited a team that was accustomed to the traditional, run-heavy approach that had been a hallmark of the program for years. While the Badgers have built a strong identity as one of the most physical teams in college football, Fickell is looking to implement a more balanced, modern offensive attack while maintaining the defensive prowess that Wisconsin is known for.

Spring is a time for experimentation, so this period allows coaches to install new offensive and defensive schemes and evaluate how players respond to different systems. It’s an opportunity to see how new players, including incoming recruits and transfers, adjust to the program’s expectations. This is also the time when players get their first real chance to prove themselves in live situations—practices, drills, and scrimmages—before the more intense environment of the fall season arrives.

For Fickell, the priority is not only evaluating the talent but also refining Wisconsin’s identity. With that in mind, it is crucial that the team’s top units—the ones that are expected to play critical roles in the upcoming season—receive ample work. In particular, this means ensuring that the offensive and defensive units that are the backbone of the team are prepared for what lies ahead.

Fickell’s Focus on the Top Units

Wisconsin is a program that has traditionally built its success on the strength of its offensive and defensive lines, while also maintaining a power running game. But under Fickell, the Badgers are looking to evolve. While the physicality remains an important element of the team’s identity, Fickell is placing greater emphasis on modernizing both the offensive and defensive units, with an eye toward flexibility, versatility, and adaptability.

Given the complexity of Fickell’s vision for Wisconsin, it’s essential that the team’s most important units—especially the offensive line, the running backs, the defensive line, and the secondary—receive significant attention in spring practice. This is where Fickell’s coaching philosophy comes into play. The Badgers’ coaching staff is committed to ensuring that each of these units is given the resources, repetitions, and opportunities to improve and be ready for the rigors of the season.

The Offensive Line: Building a Strong Foundation

The offensive line is the engine that powers any offense, and at Wisconsin, it has long been a unit of pride. The Badgers have produced some of the best offensive linemen in college football history, and Fickell knows that in order to maintain Wisconsin’s identity as a tough, physical team, the offensive line must be the focal point.

During spring practice, Fickell and his staff are giving the offensive line plenty of work to ensure that they are not only physically dominant but also mentally sharp. One of the first things Fickell has focused on is getting the linemen to understand the nuances of his new offensive system. While Wisconsin’s offense will still rely on a power running game, Fickell wants to bring in more dynamic elements, including a more diverse passing attack.

For the offensive line to succeed under this system, they must be adaptable—able to run block with power but also pass block effectively when needed. This requires a lot of repetition, and Fickell is making sure that the line is getting plenty of practice to build that muscle memory. Spring practices are the perfect time for the offensive line to work on its coordination, timing, and communication with the quarterbacks and running backs.

One specific area of focus is ensuring the offensive line is proficient in both zone and gap schemes, which will be crucial for a more diversified offensive attack. Additionally, the spring practices offer an opportunity to evaluate the development of younger players who could step into key roles along the line, especially as the team looks to replace departing seniors.

The Running Backs: Maintaining Balance

While the offensive line will continue to be the heart of Wisconsin’s offense, the running back position will also be a point of focus. Wisconsin has been known for producing elite running backs who dominate on the ground. With players like Jonathan Taylor and Melvin Gordon having set the standard for success in Madison, Fickell knows that the running back position will play a significant role in his system.

Fickell is giving the running backs plenty of work in the spring to refine their skills and ensure they are prepared to execute a balanced offensive attack. This means working not only on running between the tackles but also developing their skills in the passing game. Wisconsin’s new offensive system will require running backs who are versatile—able to run, catch, and block when necessary. By giving these players more opportunities in the spring, Fickell is ensuring that the Badgers will have a well-rounded, multi-dimensional backfield for 2025.

With multiple talented running backs on the roster, spring practice is also a time to see who can rise to the occasion and potentially earn the starting role. Players who show improvement and a willingness to embrace the new offensive concepts will likely see more playing time when the season begins.

The Defensive Line: Continuing Wisconsin’s Tradition

Wisconsin’s defense has always been a point of pride for the program, and under Fickell, that tradition is expected to continue. However, Fickell is looking to build on that foundation by introducing more versatility in the defensive line, ensuring that the Badgers can adapt to the ever-changing offensive schemes they’ll face in the Big Ten.

During spring practice, Fickell has placed an emphasis on developing a defensive line that is not only strong but also quick and disruptive. The defensive line will be expected to generate pressure on the quarterback while also stopping the run. With more aggressive and diverse defensive schemes, Fickell is working to make the defensive line more dynamic, ensuring that it can attack from different angles and positions.

The defensive line is one of the top units that needs work during the spring to prepare for the season ahead. Fickell is using these practices to evaluate how his defensive linemen perform against different types of offensive line schemes and how well they adapt to the new defensive strategies.

The Secondary: Developing Playmakers

Another area of focus for Wisconsin in spring practice is the secondary. With the increasing importance of the passing game in modern football, Fickell knows that his defensive backs need to be fast, disciplined, and able to create turnovers. This is where spring practice becomes essential, as the team’s defensive backs are working hard to improve their coverage skills, reaction times, and ability to read the quarterback.

The defensive backfield is also getting a lot of repetitions in one-on-one drills, as Fickell wants to ensure that these players are not only good in zone coverage but also effective in man-to-man situations. The emphasis is on developing playmakers who can turn defensive stops into offensive opportunities, either through interceptions or forced fumbles.

The Importance of Continuity and Depth

Another key reason why Fickell is ensuring the team’s top units get plenty of work is to establish continuity and depth. While Wisconsin has a strong core of players, there will inevitably be injuries or situations where backups need to step up. Spring practice is the time to evaluate the depth of each unit and see who can contribute when called upon.

By giving the top units ample work, Fickell is also allowing the second-string players to develop and earn their place on the roster. This depth will be crucial during the long season ahead, and having multiple players who can step in seamlessly will be key to the Badgers’ success.