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MADISON, Wis. -- Corey Clement knows what it's like to replace a decorated running back. He did it at Glassboro (New Jersey) High School as a junior in 2011, left to fill the spot occupied by Rutgers-bound Paul James. And Clement sits among an exclusive group of runners who know what it's like to gain 2,500 yards in a season. He topped the milestone that same year, finishing with 2,510 and 36 touchdowns to earn first-team All-South Jersey and a spot as a senior among the top 150 prospects nationally.  All of it aids in Clement's preparation for 2015. The 5-foot-11, 217-pound rising junior at Wisconsin inherited the job of featured running back this spring in the wake of Melvin Gordon's record-setting final season.
Gordon led the nation last season with 2,587 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns. There are big shoes to fill, but Clement embraces the responsibility. He said he anticipates similar production next year for the Badgers in the ground game. "A lot of people aren't expecting that," Clement said, "but that's what makes it better. In high school, nobody expected me to take that role after Paul James. My goal now is not to let anybody down, especially myself. So I'm going to keep working to make the Badger fan base proud." Clement churned for 949 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt, to go with 11 total touchdowns last season behind Gordon. As a true freshman in 2013, Clement exceeded 500 rushing yards as a backup to Gordon and James White. It's safe to say, he's learned from the best. Late last Friday afternoon, a familiar figure stood on the sideline at Camp Randall Stadium. Gordon watched Clement grab pitches and handoffs in Wisconsin's eighth of 15 spring practices. As the sun set behind the press box in the final hour of the workout, Gordon departed, likely comfortable that he had left the position in capable hands. "He knows where he comes from," Clement said of Gordon, who is expected to land in two weeks as the first running back selected in the NFL draft. "He helps me and the other guys out here, just to show where you can be if you work hard. Melvin's a big inspiration to me. Every time I see him out here, it just makes me want to go harder. I've seen what the work can do and where it can lead you." Clement appears entirely comfortable this spring in a position of leadership. "He's done a lot in his own right," Wisconsin offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph said. "He's obviously run for a lot of yards and competed his tail off. So I think he's pretty comfortable being him. "There may be some ways that he challenges himself that he does not say [in public], but I think he's got a good confidence to him. I think he'll be fine. He puts pressure on himself naturally, whether he was replacing Melvin Gordon or not." Clement said Gordon taught him how to practice. According to Clement, Gordon worked to correct every error to prevent it from resurfacing in a game. Clement learned from Gordon how to work before and after practice, too. "Practice is only a small segment of your day," Clement said. "You've still got to put in a lot of work to beat all the other guys in the country." Sounds like the heir apparent is well prepared. Experience behind him is minimal. And as his work illustrates over the past two seasons, the Badgers prefer to play at least two backs. "I don't feel like, all of a sudden, he feels like he's got to become something that he's not," Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said. "This is that next stage of development, so it's his opportunity. And it's our job to make sure he can take advantage of that opportunity."
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