UW freshman receiver Aron Cruickshank still adjusting to speed of the game
MADISON – An early enrollee who had the benefit of participating in spring practice, Wisconsin wide receiver Aron Cruickshank felt adequately prepared for preseason camp.
A little more than two weeks of camp have taught the freshman from Brooklyn, N.Y., that the pace of play and weight of the playbook can be onerous.
“To be honest, I’m still not comfortable right now,” Cruickshank said. “I thought the game in the spring was fast.
“But fall camp is even faster because we’re getting ready for the season.”
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Wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore is neither surprised nor alarmed.
“The ability to make plays and all that, that is not the issue,” Gilmore said. “What he is talking about is the mental side.
“When he talks about the speed of the game it is at a moment’s notice I’ve got to know what to do. I’ve got to know adjustments. I’ve got to know my playbook.
“I’m putting a lot of pressure on him to learn it. You don’t have to be a football guru to see that this kid has some ability. But he’s also got to be ready for it.”
Cruickshank is 5 foot 9 and 154 pounds. He played quarterback and wide receiver for Erasmus Hall High School before coming to UW.
Cruickshank lacks size and bulk but compensates with speed, quickness, the ability to change direction quickly and has a knack for avoiding direct hits.
“I know I’m not that big so I’m not trying to get hit from these big guys,” he said, laughing. “So I try to maneuver my way out of things.”
How long has he heard he was too small to play football?
“All my life,” he said without hesitation. “Every day since I started playing. When I was eight years old.”
Perhaps the most daunting challenge for any of the quarterbacks so far in camp has been overthrowing Cruickshank. His speed compensates for most errant throws.
“He has got plenty of speed to compete,” Gilmore said.
Cruickshank will have to display a different type of speed to catch up.
The top four receivers entering camp have not changed. Quintez Cephus, A.J. Taylor, Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis will lead the corps in 2018.
Cruickshank appears to be the fifth option as the Aug. 31 opener approaches.
“We’re still giving it to him in small doses,” Gilmore said, “and now that we’ve got the other guys, he’s not getting as many reps as he was in the spring.”
Cruickshank, who is vying to handle punt and kickoff returns, could be effective on fly sweeps if teams are focused on the other receivers and tailback Jonathan Taylor.
“I cannot wait just to show everybody what Brooklyn has,” Cruickshank said. “Once I have the ball in my hands I feel like I’m in control. I can maneuver things.”
The athletic ability is obvious. In order to harness it and find a role in the offense, Cruickshank must grow more comfortable with the playbook and focus on the details of route running and finishing every rep.
During a recent third-down segment in practice, Cruickshank caught a short pass near the line to gain but inexplicably stopped running.
Gilmore, watching the receivers from behind the offense, sprang into action. He yelled for Cruickshank to finish the play and chased the diminutive receiver down the field to hammer home his point.
“We’re trying to teach him how to stay focused and stay locked in,” Gilmore said. "That is a perfect example.
“There is a lot still going on (mentally). But he’s got some things I can’t coach.”