PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — When Luke Fickell initially met with his staffers to evaluate Wisconsin’s recruiting board for 2024, he made clear that no position was more important to address than running back. Fickell hadn’t yet coached a game for the Badgers, but he already understood the value of depth within a unit that had helped carry the offense for decades.
That focus paid off by the time signing day arrived in December, with Wisconsin adding three scholarship tailbacks: Gideon Ituka, Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones. Dupree and Jones, both four-star prospects, were considered to be among the crown jewels of the class. Fickell’s expectation was that at least one freshman, and maybe more, would have “a great opportunity to play” right away.
It’s one week into preseason practices. And it remains to be seen what kind of role a freshman could have because of the potential 1-2 combination of seniors Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker. But it is becoming increasingly clear why coaches were so excited about Dupree and Jones.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if both those guys get some action this year,” Walker said Tuesday after practice at UW-Platteville. “Those guys look amazing, especially to come in here, still getting the playbook down. But when Coach throws them in that fire, they’re ready to play. They don’t play like they’re freshmen. They can both be used in pass game, run game, pass pro. They’re not scared to throw their pads in there. They look tough.”
“I think they’re gonna be a heck of a combination, those two guys.”
Luke Fickell is excited about @BadgerFootball‘s 4-star RB duo of Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones.@darrion_a 🤝 @DilinJones pic.twitter.com/8hfTGSlUI1
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) December 20, 2023
Even if their snap counts are ultimately limited, Dupree and Jones offer a glimpse of what the future could hold for a group that also includes Jackson Acker and Cade Yacamelli. Redshirt freshman Nate White began his career as a running back but moved this preseason to wide receiver.
Dupree ran for 1,092 yards and tallied 755 receiving yards with 24 total touchdowns as a senior at Mount Carmel High and was named Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year. He looked on film like a natural fit for Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s system, which has proven to be the case because of his versatility.
Dupree, at 5 feet 10 and 205 pounds, is such a shifty tailback that he can routinely turn a potential negative play into positive yardage by eluding a tackler with quick start-stop cuts in the backfield. He also can jump cut in a way that allows him to split defenders. Dupree picked up big yardage on a running play with the second-team offense Monday when he juked a pair of defenders up the middle. During one series with the second team late in practice Tuesday, Dupree split out as a slot receiver, caught a pass in the right flat from quarterback Braedyn Locke and turned upfield to pick up a first down. He possesses natural pass-catching talent and keeps defenders on their heels in open space.
Jones, meanwhile, is listed at 6 feet and 206 pounds and has come on strong the past two practices with more snaps with the second-team offense. During practice Monday, Jones broke through a hole and sped down the left sideline inside the 10-yard line for a gain of more than 70 yards. He took one carry Tuesday from his own 31-yard line and slithered through a small opening to gain a first down. Both players have taken snaps ahead of Ituka, a 5-9, 232-pound bruiser, who has worked with the third-team offense.
Jones carried 100 times for 820 yards with 12 touchdowns as a senior at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Md., and missed a couple of games because of an ankle injury. His high school coach, Andy Stefanelli, said over the summer that Jones’ stats weren’t reflective of his full ability because he shared carries, yet he still was named a two-time offensive player of the year in his conference.
Stefanelli said Jones relied on playing with both great leverage and breakaway speed. His power allowed him to run over defenders, and he also was a willing blocker in pass protection who “cuts people in half and punishes them.” Walker noted that Jones threw his shoulder into one of the team’s biggest defensive linemen during his first pass protection rep this preseason and that Jones is “scared of nothing.”
Dupree has also shown an ability in pass protection that is ahead of a typical freshman. He picked up a blitz during a scrimmage Saturday that helped lead to a long completion from Locke with the second-team offense. Dupree and Jones were not among the running backs made available to reporters Tuesday.
“Darrion has some versatility in his ability to split out and be able to create separation in his route running,” Wisconsin running backs coach Devon Spalding said. “Dilin is very decisive. He reminds me a lot of Chez, putting his foot in the ground, gaining extra yards on contact. He plays with a lot of physicality. Both those guys I think feed off each other really well.”
Coaches still are working through the running backs pecking order. Mellusi has rushed for 1,595 yards and 11 touchdowns in three seasons at Wisconsin but has suffered injuries each year, including a pair of season-enders. He has been held out of contact drills the past few practices in what he said was an effort to be smart about his workload. Walker has been the best and most consistent running back this preseason and could challenge for the starting job.
Acker has earned first-team snaps with Mellusi sidelined and can run well between the tackles or serve as the lead blocker in a two-back set. Yacamelli has worked with the second-team unit. Fickell said he believed Dupree and Jones had picked up the offense well but that the goal was to throw them into situations to determine how much they understand and how they play through adversity. Dupree even earned a rep with the first-team offense last week.
The play of Dupree and Jones speaks to a larger point about how Wisconsin’s staff has seemingly increased its talent pool through recruiting in a 2024 class that featured a program-record 11 four-star prospects in the 247Sports Composite. Several members of the class have flashed at various times in practices.
Outside linebacker Thomas Heiberger has used his length and athleticism to create plays since enrolling early in the spring. He could be a possible contributor this season. Outside linebacker Anelu Lafaele produced his best practice Tuesday, stopping two runs at the line of scrimmage in a three-play span and recording a pair of sacks with the second-team defense. Defensive linemen Ernest Willor Jr. and Dillan Johnson have demonstrated explosiveness, with Willor even earning some second-team snaps in an outside linebacker role due to a temporary depth shortage at the position.
Left tackle Kevin Heywood, right guard Colin Cubberly and right tackle Emerson Mandell have worked with the second-team offense. Cornerback Xavier Lucas, while down the depth chart, has earned praise for his physicality.
As for Dupree and Jones, the future looks as bright as Fickell expected it would.
“Our playbook’s tough,” Mellusi said. “So they’ve got to get their noses in there and just start learning. But they’re going to be super good.”
(Photo of Dilin Jones (7) and Darrion Dupree (13): Courtesy of Zach Heilprin)
