MADISON — Defensive tackle Gino Cruse and cornerback Antonio Freeman, both sophomores-to-be, will not return to the University of Wisconsin football team, head coach Bret Bielema announced in a press release Tuesday afternoon.
“After several discussions with both Gino and Antonio, I felt it would be in the best interests of both student-athletes and the Wisconsin football program if they did not return to the program,” Bielema stated in the release.
Cruse (6-foot-5, 310 pounds), a native of Phoenix, Ariz., likely would have been a third-team defensive tackle had he remained with the team. He had eight tackles and one sack in 10 games as a redshirt freshman last season. An inconsistent but talented player, Cruse seemed to be coming on late in the 2005 season, but he was not allowed to travel with the team to the bowl game. He was held out of spring practices to focus on academics and will not rejoin the team.
Freeman (6-0, 186), a product of Wauwatosa (Wis.) West High School, was arrested Jan. 18, when the car teammate Jameson Davis was driving was pulled over by a state trooper in Jefferson County, after being clocked at 101 miles per hour. The state trooper discovered marijuana in the vehicle.
Both Freeman and Davis were suspended indefinitely for violating UW’s student-athlete discipline policy, but Davis was reinstated on appeal and took part in spring practices.
Freeman has not appealed his suspension and so remains indefinitely suspended. On April 13 he reached a plea agreement in Jefferson County Court and was placed in the state’s first-offenders program for a six-month term on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. If Freeman successfully completes the terms of the first-offenders-program contract, the charge will be dropped.
On March 30 Davis was given a sixth-month term in the first-offenders program on misdemeanor charges of being party to the crime of marijuana possession and resisting or obstructing an officer. In addition, he pled no contest in Jefferson County Court to a citation for speeding in excess of 35 miles per hour above the posted limit, paid a $501 fine and had his license suspended for 15 days.
The removal of Cruse and Freeman from the Wisconsin football team opens up two scholarships, which will most likely be tendered to current walk-ons for the 2006-07 academic-athletic year.
Gorman switches back to defensive tackle
After playing defensive tackle or defensive end throughout his time at Wisconsin, senior Mark Gorman spent spring ball at offensive guard, in an effort to assuage the Badgers’ significant depth concerns on that side of the ball.
Tuesday, though, Bielema announced that Gorman will move back to the defensive line. Most likely, Gorman will join redshirt freshman Dan Cascone as a third-team defensive tackle.
Offensive line changes
Short on scholarship offensive linemen this spring, the Badgers had Mike Van Someren take nearly every snap with the first and second team at left tackle. On the official depth released Tuesday, Van Someren is listed as the No. 2 right tackle, backing up Eric Vanden Heuvel.
Andrew Weininger, who spent most of the spring as the second-team right tackle, is listed as the second-team right guard, which was the spot most frequently occupied by Gorman this spring.
Danny Kaye is listed as the No. 2 left tackle. Kaye opened the spring as the starting left guard, but he ended up playing several positions with the second team after the Badgers juggled the first team to put Vanden Heuvel at right tackle, incumbent right tackle Kraig Urbik at right guard, and Andy Kemp at left guard.
Kaye has played left tackle in practice several times in the past. Weininger spent bowl practices at right guard before moving back to tackle this spring.
More two-deep notes
As expected, P.J. Hill is listed as the No. 1 tailback. Junior Jamil Walker and senior walk-on Dywon Rowan are listed as co-second-team tailbacks.
Matt Shaughnessy and Jamal Cooper, who are both recovering from torn anterior cruciate ligaments suffered last season, are listed as co-No. 1 right defensive ends.
Jason Chapman and Nick Hayden remain the No. 1 defensive tackles, with Justin Ostrowski and Mike Newkirk as the top reserves. All four players are starting-caliber Big Ten players.
Jarvis Minton and Luke Swan, who missed much of spring due to injury, are listed as the second-team wide receivers, behind Marcus Randle El and Paul Hubbard.
BadgerNation.com projected depth chart
Program depth chart
OFFICIAL 2006 WISCONSIN FOOTBALL POST-SPRING TWO-DEEP
DEFENSE
LEFT END
Joe Monty, Sr., 6-2, 258
Kurt Ware, Jr., 6-4, 279
LEFT TACKLE
Jason Chapman, So., 6-4, 283
Justin Ostrowski, Jr., 6-5, 308
RIGHT TACKLE
Nick Hayden, Jr., 6-5, 310
Mike Newkirk, So., 6-3, 251
RIGHT END
Matthew Shaughnessy, So., 6-6, 227 OR
Jamal Cooper, Jr., 6-4, 206
Brandon Kelly, Jr., 6-4, 251
LEFT OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
DeAndre Levy, So., 6-3, 220
Paul Joran, Sr., 6-3, 228
MIDDLE LINEBACKER
Mark Zalewski, Sr., 6-2, 236
Elijah Hodge, Fr., 6-1, 220
RIGHT OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Jonathan Casillas, So., 6-2, 208
Jammar Crane, So., 6-1, 199
LEFT CORNERBACK
Allen Langford, So., 5-11, 188
Zach Hampton, Sr., 5-10, 171
RIGHT CORNERBACK
Jack Ikegwuonu, So., 6-1, 199
Ben Strickland, Jr., 5-9, 176
FREE SAFETY
Roderick Rogers, Sr., 6-2, 186
Shane Carter, So., 6-2, 199
STRONG SAFETY
Joe Stellmacher, Sr., 6-1, 222
Johnny White, Sr., 6-2, 223
OFFENSE
LEFT TACKLE
Joe Thomas, Sr., 6-8, 306
Danny Kaye, Jr., 6-8, 317
LEFT GUARD
Andy Kemp, So., 6-6, 321
Jeffrey Stehle, Fr., 6-6, 299
CENTER
Marcus Coleman, Jr., 6-6, 314
Luke Knauf, Jr., 6-4, 314
RIGHT GUARD
Kraig Urbik, So., 6-6, 321
Andrew Weininger, Jr., 6-6, 314
RIGHT TACKLE
Eric Vanden Heuvel, So., 6-7, 326
Mike Van Someren, Jr., 6-7, 320
QUARTERBACK
John Stocco, Sr., 6-2, 206
Tyler Donovan, Jr., 6-1, 190
TAILBACK
P.J. Hill, Fr., 5-11, 235
Jamil Walker, Jr., 6-2, 221 OR
Dywon Rowan, Sr., 5-9, 243
FULLBACK
Chris Pressley, Jr., 6-1, 268
Bill Rentmeester, So., 6-0, 254
TIGHT END
Sean Lewis, So., 6-7, 245 OR
Andy Crooks, Jr., 6-3, 264
Travis Beckum, So., 6-4, 215
WIDE RECEIVER
Marcus Randle El, Jr., 5-10, 191
Luke Swan, Jr., 6-0, 200
WIDE RECEIVER
Paul Hubbard, Jr., 6-4, 218
Jarvis Minton, Jr., 6-1, 202
SPECIAL TEAMS
PUNTER
Ken DeBauche, Jr., 6-2, 221
Paul Standring, Jr., 6-1, 215
KICKER
Taylor Mehlhaff, Jr., 5-11, 185
Matt Fischer, Fr., 5-11, 182
LONG SNAPPER
Steve Johnson, Jr., 6-3, 246
Dave Peck, So., 6-5, 246
PUNT RETURNER
Marcus Randle El, Jr., 5-10, 191
Zach Hampton, Sr., 5-10, 171
KICK RETURNER
Jarvis Minton, Jr., 6-1, 202
Zach Hampton, Sr., 5-10, 171
HOLDER
Ken DeBauche, Jr., 6-2, 221
Paul Standring, Jr., 6-1, 215