Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, August 11, 2013

We?re 18 days from the 2013 football season kicking off. Indiana (Indiana State) and Minnesota (UNLV) get things started for the Big Ten on Thursday, Aug. 29 on BTN/BTN2Go. To help count down the days to kickoff, BTN.com is ranking the top 25 players. Join us as we count it down, from 25-1, every day.

No. 18: Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin

The former walk-on who started his career in Madison as a spread option quarterback on the scout team has emerged as one of the Big Ten?s top wideouts. The 6-2, 188-pound senior from Wautoma, Wis., was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection last season. He also excels as a return man, holding school records for career kickoff return average (25.8) and ranking third in punt return average (11.2). But Abbrederis makes his biggest mark catching passes. His 2,059 career receiving yards rank eighth in school history, and he?ll add to that total in 2013 as the Badgers No. 1 receiving option.

View Abbrederis' career stats:

Year Team G Rush Yds Yd/Rush TDs Rec Yds Yd/Rec TDs
2010 Wisc 13 3 27 9.0 0 20 289 14.5 3
2011 Wisc 14 11 62 5.6 0 55 933 17.0 8
2012 Wisc 13 8 83 10.4 0 49 837 17.1 5
Career 40 22 172 7.8 0 124 2059 16.6 16

BTN.com?s top 25 players of 2013
1. Aug. 28
2. Aug. 27
3. Aug. 26
4. Aug. 25
5. Aug. 24
6. Aug. 23
7. Aug. 22
8. Aug. 21
9. Aug. 20
10. Aug. 19
11. Aug. 18
12. Aug. 17
13. Aug. 16
14. Aug. 15
15. Aug. 14
16. Aug. 13
17. Aug. 12
18. Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin
19. Spencer Long, G, Nebraska
20. Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
21. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
22. Deion Barnes, DE, Penn State
23. Isaiah Lewis, S, Michigan State
24. James White, RB, Wisconsin
25. Anthony Hitchens, LB, Iowa