Latest news with #HunterWohler
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braelon Allen, Graham Mertz, Hunter Wohler and other ex-Badgers make notable NFL debuts in preseason
New York Jets running back Braelon Allen, the former University of Wisconsin and Fond du Lac High School star, carried the ball eight times Aug. 9 against the Green Bay Packers in the preseason opener at Lambeau Field, racking up 33 yards in his team's 30-10 win over the Packers. Allen stands as the backup running back on the Jets roster, behind Breece Hall. It was one of several notable preseason debuts for former Wisconsin Badgers, with a mixed bag of results. Here's a recap: Hunter Wohler flourishes in first NFL experience Ex-Badgers and Muskego High School alumnus Hunter Wohler had a memorable debut with the Indianapolis Colts, leading the team with nine tackles (six solo) in a 24-16 loss to the Ravens. That was coming off a series of joint practices in which he reeled in two interceptions, including one against two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. The seventh-round pick is listed as a backup safety on the Colts' initial depth chart. The Colts, a team that also includes UW alumni Jonathan Taylor at running back and offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini, will host the Packers for a joint practice session and another preseason game Aug. 16. Dare Ogunbowale still going strong for Texans Former UW running back and Marquette University High School alumnus Dare Ogunbowale is still going strong, entering his ninth season in the NFL and fourth with the Houston Texans. The special-teams ace had five carries and a team-leading 29 yards for the Texans in a 20-10 loss to Minnesota on Aug. 9. Ogunbowale, who signed a one-year extension in the offseason, had 30 carries for 112 yards last year in addition to his work on special teams, plus 19 receptions for another 198 receiving yards. Graham Mertz throws three interceptions for Houston Texans Former Badgers starting quarterback Graham Mertz, a sixth-round draft pick by the Houston Texans this year, played in five drives in Houston's preseason opener, and it didn't go well. Mertz threw three interceptions and completed seven of 14 attempts for just 28 yards. He also had nine rushing yards. Mertz threw only five interceptions over his two years at Florida, where he transferred to after leading Wisconsin for three years and four years in the program. The Texans, by the way, just signed former Badgers receiver Quintez Cephus. Tanner Mordecai gets a look for San Francisco Tanner Mordecai, the man who succeeded Mertz as quarterback at UW for one season, completed three of six passes for the 49ers in the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, good for 21 yards. He also threw an interception. Mordecai is a longshot to make the 49ers roster out of camp. Matt Henningsen suffers season-ending injury Menomonee Falls High School alumnus and former UW standout Matt Henningsen, now with the Broncos, tore his Achilles during a joint practice, and his 2025 season is over before it started. He was slated for surgery early this week. The sixth-round pick in 2022 spent all of last season on the practice squad after appearing in every game his first two seasons in the league. Other notes from NFL openers involving Wisconsin players Waukesha North and Iowa State alumnus Will McDonald had one tackle for the Jets in the game against the Packers. Joe Huber got strong marks on the offensive line with the Vikings in their opener against the Texans. Likewise, Wauwatosa East alumnus (and ex-Purdue offensive lineman) Marcus Mbow got strong marks for his debut performance with the New York Giants. Second-year player Maema Njongmeta finished with five tackles and a pass breakup that led to an interception for the Cincinnati Bengals. Philadelphia linebacker Zack Baun, coming off a massive breakout season in 2024 and a contract extension to remain with the reigning Super Bowl champion, has been limited with a back injury. Chimere Dike (Waukesha North), who played at Wisconsin before transferring to Florida for his final year, caught one pass for six yards with the Tennessee Titans in his preseason debut. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin alumni make NFL preseason debuts: Wohler, Allen, Mertz
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
How Wisconsin product Hunter Wohler fared in Indianapolis Colts' NFL preseason opener
Former Wisconsin safety Hunter Wohler excelled during his NFL preseason debut on Thursday night. In the Indianapolis Colts' 24-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Wohler delivered a team-high nine tackles (six solo). The next-closest defender was cornerback Duke Shelley with six tackles (four solo). Wohler's breakout preseason debut follows an impressive week of performances in the Colts' joint practices against the Ravens. The standout safety notched two highlight interceptions on Tuesday, including one off two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. The Muskego, Wisconsin, native is battling for a position on the Colts' roster after they selected him in the seventh round (No. 232 overall) of the 2025 NFL draft. He was listed as the backup safety on the team's first unofficial depth chart, behind standout starters Cam Bynum and Nick Cross. Continued strong play would both cement Wohler's place on the Colts' 53-man roster, as well as elevate him as the team's primary reserve option at the position. Wohler is not the only former Badger set for a big role on the Colts this season. Offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini is the team's starting center, with all-world running back Jonathan Taylor set to lead that offensive unit. The trio of Wisconsin products will be back on the field on Saturday, Aug. 16, against the Green Bay Packers. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Colts' late Day 3 draft pick shows versatility, playmaking in joint practice vs. Ravens
One of the Colts' late Day 3 draft picks showcased his versatility and playmaking abilities in the joint practice vs. the Ravens. In the Indianapolis Colts' joint practice against the Baltimore Ravens, rookie Hunter Wohler showcased both his versatility and playmaking abilities. As noted by Nate Atkins of the Indy Star in his post-practice takeaways, with Zaire Franklin sidelined on Tuesday, Wohler found himself at linebacker against Lamar Jackson and the first team offense. As Jackson escaped the pocket, he threw the ball to the middle of the field, where Wohler was able to come away with the leaping interception. During the next series, Wohler was back at safety against the Ravens' second team offense and laid out for another interception on a tipped pass from Cameron McGrone. A seventh-round pick by the Colts this past April out of Wisconsin, Wohler was a safety at the college level. Initially, when the Colts drafted him, Wohler was announced as a linebacker, but he is now listed on the team site as a safety. But as we saw on Tuesday, under Lou Anarumo, we could see Wohler filling both roles. During more passing-heavy situations, he could see snaps at linebacker. When Anarumo was in Cincinnati, he often utilized three safety looks, which would be another way to get Wohler on the field this season. "He's been standing out all camp making plays," Shane Steichen said of Wohler. "Just a smart, cerebral player that works at it. The effort is there all the time, and when you give great effort, the ball is going to find you."
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Indianapolis Colts' OTAs: The big question at linebacker
The Indianapolis Colts will begin Phase III of the offseason programs on May 28th, which means the start of voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs). Rather than only doing individual drills as the Colts have been doing, they will now be permitted to do 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 team drills, although no live contact is allowed. Advertisement So with this important part of the offseason schedule about to begin, I wanted to highlight one big question facing each position group. Up next are the linebackers. Below you can find our previous position previews. Do the Indianapolis Colts have enough depth at linebacker? This was a position where throughout the offseason, I kept waiting for an addition to be made. That didn't mean I was expecting a high-profile addition, but I thought there would be some competition brought in for Jaylon Carlies. However, the only outside additions included signing Joe Bechie after the draft, who has mostly been a special teams player, signing UDFA Solomon DeShields, and perhaps drafting Hunter Wohler, although he is listed on the team site as a defensive back. Advertisement Carlies put together a very solid rookie season as the Colts' third linebacker in their 4-3 scheme at that time, along with making two starts. He was a very reliable tackler and limited YAC in the passing game. As a former college safety, he can add some needed coverage abilities to the position. With that said, Carlies has 242 career defensive snaps. Assuming he can step into a full-time starting role seamlessly comes with some risk. Also, behind him and Zaire Franklin on the depth chart, there is very little defensive experience. 'It's a position we've been pretty good drafting and developing. I give our coaches and scouts a lot of credit for that," GM Chris Ballard said via the Indy Star. "Don't forget now, E.J. Speed, it wasn't like he came on right away. No, it took him a little time. Zaire Franklin did not come on right away. Great special team player but eventually became a linebacker that was a good player." In Lou Anarumo's scheme, we are going to see more blitzing from the linebackers, not to mention there will be more disguising of coverages at the second and third levels. In this defense, there will be a greater reliance on the defensive backs than the linebackers. Advertisement But even so, the Colts are going to enter the 2025 season with question marks at this position--until shown otherwise--given the lack of experience around Franklin. This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts' OTAs: Is there enough linebacker depth beyond Zaire Franklin?
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Breaking down Indianapolis Colts' 2025 seventh-round pick: LB Hunter Wohler
In the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Wisconsin safety turned linebacker Hunter Wohler. Let's break down the pick, and if you missed our other recaps, you can find them below. Advertisement Hunter Wohler's profile Height: 6-02 Weight: 213 Age: 22 College profile Breaking down the Indianapolis Colts' pick Wohler played safety at Wisconsin, accumulating over 1,800 defensive snaps across four seasons, which included being a starter the final two years. Throughout his career, he's been a very reliable tackler, and that, of course, has made him a strong run defender. In coverage this most recent season, Wohler held opponents to a completion rate of 59% on 27 targets, giving up 11.8 yards per catch, while forcing six pass breakups. As we saw the Colts do last season with Jaylon Carlies, Wohler is going to play some linebacker in Lou Anarumo's defense. During his career at Wisconsin, the bulk of Wohler's snaps came near the line of scrimmage, either down in the box or lined up in the slot. Advertisement So playing closer to the line of scrimmage and helping out in the run game won't be uncharted waters for him, and as a safety, he can add some more coverage ability to the linebacker position for the Colts. While the Colts will list Wohler as a safety, Chris Ballard wasn't going to pigeon-hole him to that position either, adding that Wohler could still see snaps at safety, specifically when the Colts are in dime, which we will see a lot more of under Anarumo. Wohler gives the Colts flexibility in Anarumo's versatile scheme because he can handle a variety of roles, and he provides some needed depth at the linebacker position. Wohler's greatest impact in Year 1 may end up coming on special teams, where he has his share of experience. Hunter Wohler's scouting report Lance Zierlein: "Two-year starting safety whose activity level reaches beyond what his athletic capabilities can handle at times. Wohler spent much of his time as an add-on run defender who rushed in to be part of the action. He's a run-and-hit tackler in space but a lack of burst and top-end speed causes him to lose pursuit angles and miss out on tackles. He can cover tight ends but doesn't have the range to play over the top or the open-field athleticism to survive against NFL receivers in space. Special teams play could be the key to Wohler maintaining a roster spot as an NFL backup at strong safety." They said it Tyler Hughes, area scout: 'With Hunter, the versatility was the key thing, especially later in the draft," said Hughes via the Indy Star. "He's played a lot of down linebacker, he's played strong safety, he's played free safety, he was the punt returner this year, which shows that he's a reliable dude and coaches trust him. Super smart. He's going to be a great special teams player for us. Advertisement 'With how much sub-package we're in, in the NFL nowadays, that dime linebacker role is nice for him, but that's not going to limit him to play strong safety or free safety. He has the frame to play all of them.' Hunter Wohler's athletic profile This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Breaking down Colts' pick of LB Hunter Wohler
