Why the Badgers Are Excited to Have Chez Mellusi Back at RB
Wisconsin football coaches are happy to have Chez Mellusi back in 2024.
The Badgers offense had its fair share of struggles in the first year of the air raid offense. However, one of the Wisconsin football team’s bright spots in Phil Longo’s system was running back Chez Mellusi until he went down with a season-ending injury against Purdue.
With every passing game, Mellusi looked like a perfect fit for the spread offense and offered a necessary complement to Braelon Allen.
In four games, the Florida native carried the ball 51 times for 307 rushing yards and four touchdowns while chipping in three catches for 12 yards. He finished with seven carries of 10+ yards and averaged 3.12 yards per carry after first contact and 6.0 YPC overall.
Mellusi’s biggest play came in the season opener against Buffalo when he ripped off an 89-yard run that went for a touchdown and opened up the game.
The Badgers’ backfield missed his elusive one-cut running style in the ladder half of the season. Instead, it rotated in less experienced options like Jackson Acker and Cade Yacamelli, who willed in admirably but didn’t provide the same change of pace Wisconsin football had with Mellusi. Depth was an issue at tailback.
On National Signing Day, after officially having all three of its talented running back recruits put pen to paper, Wisconsin coaches announced that Mellusi would be using the medical redshirt available and returning to the program in 2024 for one last ride.
Wisconsin Big Plans for Chez Mellusi at RB
When meeting with reporters down in Tampa, Wisconsin Badgers’ offensive coordinator Phil Longo talked with reporters about several topics, including what it means to get Chez Mellusi back next season.
“Chez is obviously, as we all know, one of our most explosive players,” Longo said. “He fits a system that creates some space, so we are elated to have him back, can’t wait to see him back out on the field, happy that he’s returning.”
Longo also noted that Mellsi put himself in a position to be an offensive focal point before his injury, a role he thinks the sixth-year senior could hold for the Wisconsin football team in 2024.
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