Badgers transfer Russell Wilson and his impact on the Big Ten

Big changes are coming to the increasingly inaccurately named Big Ten this fall. With the addition of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the conference finally has enough members to divide into divisions and play a championship game.

Over at Ohio State, head coach Jim Tressel is out after nearly a decade of success with the Buckeyes. Both of those developments are going to affect what happens on the field this fall, but so is a third one; the Wisconsin Badgers’ acquisition the services of one of the most sought-after transfer students in recent memory.

The addition of former North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson has many in the Dairy State dreaming of back-to-back trips to the Rose Bowl for the Badgers, and some even hold hopes of contention for a national championship. The former All-ACC First Team QB is an intriguing addition to the Wisconsin squad, and his presence addresses what was perceived to be the team’s only glaring weakness; who would step up to replace departed quarterback Scott Tolzien.

The newly-added Cornhuskers are likely the biggest hurdle for the Badgers, but they’re not the only one. Their schedule has plenty of dangerous games, including road contests at Michigan State and Ohio State. Still, optimism in Madison is running particularly high since the addition of Wilson. While it may be premature for Badger fans to start booking their flights to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl or New Orleans for the BCS Championship, Jacob Harris of the Badgers’ blog Bucky’s 5th Quarter said Wilson’s addition has made Wisconsin a favorite in the expanded Big Ten, if not the favorite.

“The Big Ten Leaders division appears to be Wisconsin’s for the taking. Even without Wilson, the Badgers look pretty good on paper,” said Harris, citing the club’s abundance of starter depth as one of the major reasons why. “Wilson, though, turns a position of weakness into a position of strength. He not only gives Wisconsin a veteran signal-caller who knows how to deal with the pressure of live game action, he also brings a playmaking dimension the Badgers have never seen at the position.

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“While it will be hard to match quarterback Scott Tolzien’s 2010 season in terms of pure efficiency, Wilson makes Wisconsin’s offense harder to defend. He can make all the throws on the field and, if no one is open, he is a threat to tuck the ball and run. Head coach Bret Bielema obviously felt Wilson was the missing piece on a team capable of winning now.”

While Wilson answered one question by choosing Wisconsin over Auburn, his selection raises the issue of his transition from Tom O’Brien’s offense to the style Bret Bielema and Paul Chryst run in Madison. As Ricardo Efendi of SB Nation‘s Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire notes, Wilson’s used to a more passing-based offense.

“For a variety of reasons Wilson put the ball in the air far more often than not,” Efendi said. “[He threw] almost as many passes in 2010 alone as Scott Tolzien threw at Wisconsin the last two years combined [594 for Tolzien in 2009 and 2010, 527 for Wilson in 2010 alone].”

Despite the pass disparity, many are confident Wilson and the Wisconsin coaching staff can make the transition work, including Efendi. He points to the fact that both Wisconsin and NC State ostensibly run pro-style offenses. That should make it easier for Wilson to grasp terminology and concepts for the Badgers. As well, Wisconsin’s traditionally weak non-conference schedule should give Wilson an easy and practical transition. On top of that Efendi added that the Badger’s return five offensive linemen with starting experience and running backs in Montee Ball and James White that make teams respect the running game in a way they never did against the Wolfpack.

Mike Fiammetta, a sportswriter for UW student newspaper The Badger Herald, thinks Wilson’s productivity in an offense where he was a primary weapon shows his ability to play at a high level. Fiammetta agrees with Efendi that the Badgers’ ground game and other returning players will be an asset for the QB.

Even those who don’t follow the Badgers exclusively have high expectations for Wilson in Wisconsin. Spencer Hall of SB Nation and Every Day Should Be Saturday is among those with confidence the move will prove wise for both parties.

“[North Carolina State head coach] Tom O’Brien really puts an emphasis on ball control and ball security in his offense,” he said. “This is a kind way of saying he’s as conservative as starched underpants, but it will carry over into [Wisconsin offensive coordinator] Paul Chryst’s offense in the form of Wilson’s pre-existing comfort in working within a system. I’m particularly interested in how Chryst will move Wilson around and open up space downfield, since defenders will have to honor not only Wisconsin’s well-established play-action fake, but also Wilson’s ability to run out of the pocket for yardage. There could be some roomy holes for the passing game to exploit.”

So far, it looks like the transfer is going to work out for both parties, but there is some debate on whether it should even be allowed. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has taken measures against transfers like Wilson’s, where a student that has graduated already may play immediately at another school as long as they have remaining eligibility and their new school offers a graduate program not available at their old school. Jeremiah Masoli used the rule to transfer to Ole Miss last season following his dismissal from Oregon, a situation which some saw as an abuse of the rule.

Despite the SEC’s complaints, Hall doesn’t see the need for a change just yet.

“In theory it’s a fine rule, but someone will always ruin a good rule by exploiting it cheaply, and that person is usually [Ole Miss coach] Houston Nutt,” Hall said. “They should keep it, but the price of keeping a good and permissive rule will be the cheap exploitation other teams reap from it.”

Fiammetta agrees with Hall, dismissing the SEC’s rule change as a poor reaction to an isolated incident.

“The SEC has been scared away from allowing transfers like Masoli to play right away,” he said. “But one incident should not result in the immediate change of the rule. Wilson, because he earned his degree ahead of schedule, should be allowed to use his remaining year of eligibility, regardless of what school he’s at.”

Both Efendi and Harris offer harsh criticism for the SEC’s attitude.

“I feel the SEC has forfeited its right to offer any opinions on anything regarding NCAA regulations,” Efendi said. “That aside, their proposal is stupid. We constantly hear the clich? that the ‘student’ comes first for student-athletes. So why would you penalize a kid for doing the right thing – graduating?”

“The Wilson scenario is unusual because of the caliber of athlete he is,” Harris said. “The idea that this is the beginning of a new trend in college football is laughable and, frankly, the SEC knows it. How many high-profile players with starting jobs who have graduated early will actually request — and be granted — transfers to other FBS programs? The fact that certain SEC programs have used the rule to welcome criminals from other teams is not surprising, but it seems to be an issue exclusive to that conference, and, as such, they should probably deal with it internally.”

Despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth from down south, the transfer has been allowed by the NCAA and Wilson will be a Badger come fall. However, there’s still substantial uncertainty on another front; Wilson’s other career, professional baseball. Wilson was drafted, largely on the promise of his athleticism, in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies and has spent the past two springs in their minor league system as an infielder.

He received a $200,000 signing bonus, and may have to pay half of that back if he doesn’t return to baseball following the football season.

Wilson’s baseball career precipitated his departure from NC State, as the coaching staff wanted him to commit to only one sport, something he was unwilling to do. Throughout his recruiting saga both Wisconsin and Auburn had to work their visits and pitches around the schedule of the Asheville Tourists, the High-A affiliate for the Rockies and Wilson’s club this spring.

Russ Oates covers the Rockies for SB Nation Denver and Purple Row, SB Nation‘s Colorado Rockies blog, and he has been monitoring Wilson’s situation for the past two month. Oates says he thinks the Rockies would welcome Wilson back following the 2011 football season if he decides he wants to continue pursuing a baseball career.

“The Rockies are always committed to keeping their minor leaguers for as long as possible, especially in Wilson’s case since he was such a high draft selection.” Oates said. “But as long as he keeps football as an option, he may not be able to use his speed and athleticism to his fullest.”

Wilson has struggled to hit in the minors, hitting .230 and .228 in his two seasons between Ashville and the Low-A Tri-City Dust Devils. However, his on-base percentage has been a more promising .336 and .366 respectively in those seasons, and he’s stolen 15 bases and hit three home runs this year. Still, that’s not enough to make him a hotly-touted prospect. Wilson’s struggles can be partly attributed to the toll of playing college football in the fall, cutting his development short. Still, Oates doesn’t have much faith in Wilson’s abilities to advance through the Rockies system even after he’s done with NCAA football, and he feels Wilson has a brighter future in professional football.

“Based on the small sample we have of Wilson so far, I don’t think he’d make it to the majors,” he said. “If he did, he’d at best be the 25th man/defensive specialist on a roster. In the end I think he winds up on a practice squad in the NFL before moving on as a starting QB in the CFL.”

The Rockies have said Wilson is welcome to return to the organization following the football season, so his future is up in the air. He can assess his NFL chances in April and make a decision on which sport he wants to continue with after college.

Regardless of which way Wilson’s professional future lies, though, expectations are running high for his next season of college football. Badger faithful have visions of a conference championship, a major bowl game appearance, and perhaps even national title consideration in 2011.

“Wilson is a substantial upgrade at what was one of the Badgers’ only thin positions entering the season,” said Harris. “With him in the fold, Wisconsin’s team looks capable across the board and a return trip to the Rose Bowl is a distinct possibility. The expectations are now through the roof, and it’s safe to say no student-athlete has ever arrived on the UW campus with the kind of pressure that will be on Wilson’s shoulders in 2011.”

How Wilson and the Badgers handle that kind of pressure will be one of the most interesting stories in a Big Ten season chock-full of compelling narratives.

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