Bye Week Report Card: Running Back
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin enters its bye week with a 2-2 overall record, including 0-1 in Big Ten Conference play. How have the Badgers been performing at the running back position through the first part of the 2025 season? Badger Blitz takes a closer look with the help of Pro Football Focus…
Overview/PFF Grades
Dilin Jones – 70.7 (100 snaps)
Cade Yacamelli – 67.8 (71 snaps)
Darrion Dupree – 66.3 (104 snaps)
Gideon Ituka – 56.6 (3 snaps)
After a promising showing in fall camp, it has not been the start to the season that Jones had hoped for. Through four games, Jones has run for 154 yards and a touchdown while averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
His running mate, Dupree, has been right there. The sophomore owns 145 rushing yards on 35 attempts. Dupre has also caught five passes for 24 yards.
Yacamelli, who made a bold decision to return to Wisconsin for his junior season, has been a fixture in the rotation, but has just 16 carries for 60 yards thus far.
One Positive Trend at Running Back
The rushing numbers could be a lot worse. A ridiculous 75 percent of the rushing yards accumulated by Wisconsin’s top three tailbacks have come after contact. Dupree, Jones, and Yacamelli are getting hit early, often without a clean hole to run through, and all are getting around four yards per carry while limiting negative plays.
One Negative Trend at Running Back
Think it has to be the lack of explosive plays. The run game takes all 11, but Wisconsin has three tailbacks with home run-hitting speed. Between the three of them, they have yet to take the top off a defense once in four games. Between the three rotational backs, UW has just six chunk plays on the ground.
Grade: D+
The offensive line has not been great. However, at some point, one of these guys needs to be able to make people miss, make a play, and bust a big gain. In four games, Wisconsin’s tailbacks have only forced 13 missed tackles and have combined for six runs of 10 yards or more, with the longest run thus far going for just 17 yards, courtesy of Dupree.
The Alabama game was a little concerning to me in terms of the eye test. I thought the backs, minus Yacamelli, went down too easily. Thought there was improvement against Maryland, particularly by Dupree, to get north and south, drop the pads, and finish forward.
While Jones hasn’t put up numbers on the ground, he has been a pleasant surprise as a pass blocker. Per PFF, Jones has an 84.6 pass blocking grade, the best on the team. In 21 pass blocking snaps, Jones has yet to allow a single pressure.
Said before the season, thought this group was still a year away from fully taking off, but there’s a higher floor now than what they’re showing.
