Wisconsin Badgers
Big Ten
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #85
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- -4.4 (#85)
- SP+ Offense
- 17.4
- SP+ Defense
- 20.9
- SRS
- 2.3
- FPI
- 2.5
- Elo
- 1502
- Talent
- 763
- Recruiting
- —
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
5.0p10 3.0 — p90 7.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 0.0% | |
| Make CFP | 0.0% | |
| Quarterfinal | 0.0% | |
| Semifinal | 0.0% | |
| Natl. final | 0.0% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 5.3–6.7
Schedule
49th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
54th
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
53rd
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NNotre Dame | +24.4 | 13-34 | -20.8 | 7% | — |
| 2 | vsWestern Illinois | FCS | 44-5* | +39.1 | 99% | — |
| 3 | vsEastern Michigan | -14.7 | 34-18 | +15.4 | 86% | — |
| 4 | @Penn State | +18.1 | 16-33 | -16.3 | 12% | — |
| 5 | vsMichigan State | -3.4 | 28-23 | +4.9 | 63% | — |
| 7 | @UCLA | -8.7 | 29-29 | +0.1 | 50% | — |
| 8 | vsUSC | +16.9 | 22-38 | -15.6 | 14% | — |
| 9 | @Iowa | +19.7 | 20-35 | -15.4 | 14% | — |
| 10 | vsRutgers | +1 | 22-25 | -3.0 | 41% | — |
| 11 | @Maryland | +0.6 | 27-28 | -1.8 | 45% | — |
| 12 | @Purdue | -6.1 | 28-28 | +0.1 | 50% | — |
| 13 | vsMinnesota | +1.5 | 27-27 | +0.7 | 52% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 5
2026 · 79
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Colton Joseph← Old Dominion | SO | 6'2" | 200 | ★★★ |
| QB | 2nd | Danny O'Neil | SO | 6'0" | 196 | ★★★ |
| QB | 3rd | Hunter Simmons | SR | — | 215 | — |
| QB | 4th | Carter Smith | FR | 6'3" | 197 | ★★★★ |
| QB | 5th | Deuce Adams← Louisville | FR | 6'2" | 190 | ★★★ |
Running Backs · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Abu Sama III← Iowa State | JR | 5'11" | 210 | ★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Darrion Dupree | SO | 5'10" | 212 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 3rd | Gideon Ituka | FR | 5'9" | 227 | — |
| RB | 4th | Nate Palmer← TCU | FR | 6'0" | 190 | ★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Bryan Jackson← USC | SO | 6'0" | 235 | ★★★ |
| RB | 6th | Grover Bortolotti | SR | 5'9" | 204 | — |
Wide Receivers · 11
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Vinny Anthony II | SR | 6'0" | 190 | — |
| WR | 2nd | Shamar Rigby← Oklahoma State | SO | 6'3" | 190 | ★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Jayden Ballard | SR | 6'2" | 205 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Tyrell Henry | SR | 6'0" | 178 | — |
| WR | 5th | Chris Brooks Jr. | JR | 6'2" | 222 | ★★★ |
| WR | 6th | Eugene Hilton Jr. | FR | 6'0" | 201 | ★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Malachi Coleman← Minnesota | SO | 6'5" | 200 | ★★★ |
| WR | 8th | Zion Kearney← Oklahoma | SO | 6'1" | 207 | ★★★ |
| WR | 9th | Dekel Crowdus | SR | — | 170 | ★★★★ |
| WR | — | Eli Adams← Louisville | FR | 6'0" | 190 | ★★★ |
| WR | — | Jaylon Domingeaux← Southeastern Louisiana | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Tight Ends · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Lance Mason | SR | — | 240 | — |
| TE | 2nd | Jacob Harris← Bowling Green | SO | 6'4" | 255 | ★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Jackson Acker | SR | 6'1" | 250 | ★★★ |
| TE | 4th | Grant Stec | FR | 6'6" | 255 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 5th | Jackson McGohan | SO | 6'3" | 226 | — |
| TE | — | Ryan Schwendeman← Southern Illinois | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 3
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | Riley Mahlman | SR | 6'8" | 320 | ★★★★ |
| OT | — | Blake Cherry← Arkansas | FR | 6'5" | 309 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Lucas Simmons← Florida State | SO | 6'8" | 315 | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 14
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Junior Poyser← Buffalo | SO | 6'2" | 310 | ★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | Ben Barten | SR | 6'5" | 323 | — |
| DL | 3rd | DeNigel Cooper← App State | FR | 6'3" | 260 | ★★★ |
| DL | 4th | Hammond Russell IV← West Virginia | SR | 6'3" | 312 | ★★★ |
| DL | 5th | Parker Petersen | SR | 6'4" | 315 | ★★★ |
| DL | 6th | Brandon Lane | SR | 6'3" | 320 | ★★ |
| DL | 7th | Jay'viar Suggs | SR | 6'3" | 299 | — |
| DL | 8th | Charles Perkins | JR | 6'2" | 316 | — |
| DL | 9th | Dillan Johnson | SO | 6'2" | 293 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 10th | Nolan Vils | SO | 6'2" | 295 | — |
| DL | — | Jake Anderson← Illinois State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | Justus Boone← Arkansas | SR | 6'4" | 266 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | — | Jayden Loftin← Tennessee | FR | 6'4" | 255 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | — | Liam Danitz← Hope | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 13
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Mason Posa | FR | — | — | ★★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Cooper Catalano | FR | 6'1" | 223 | ★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Darryl Peterson | SR | 6'1" | 260 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 4th | Mason Reiger | SR | 6'5" | 250 | — |
| LB | 5th | Sebastian Cheeks | JR | 6'3" | 230 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Jon Jon Kamara← Kansas | FR | 6'4" | 230 | ★★★ |
| LB | 7th | Aaron Witt | SR | 6'6" | 245 | — |
| LB | 8th | Corey Walker | SR | 6'5" | 297 | ★★★ |
| LB | 9th | Tyreese Fearbry | JR | 6'4" | 249 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 10th | Thomas Heiberger | FR | 6'4" | 233 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 11th | Micheal Garner | JR | 6'6" | 300 | — |
| LB | 12th | Nicolas Clayton | FR | 6'5" | 223 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 13th | Garrison Solliday | SR | 5'11" | 236 | — |
Defensive Backs · 16
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Javan Robinson← Arizona State | JR | 5'11" | 180 | ★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | D'Yoni Hill | SR | 6'0" | 180 | ★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Ricardo Hallman | SR | 5'10" | 190 | — |
| CB | 4th | Geimere Latimer | JR | 5'10" | 191 | — |
| CB | 5th | Eric Fletcher← Oklahoma State | FR | 6'1" | 180 | ★★★ |
| CB | 6th | Bryce West← Ohio State | SO | 5'11" | 197 | ★★★ |
| CB | 7th | Cairo Skanes | FR | 6'2" | 190 | ★★★ |
| CB | 8th | Cai Bates← Florida State | FR | 6'2" | 196 | ★★★ |
| S | 1st | Matthew Jung | JR | 6'3" | 225 | — |
| S | 2nd | Marvin Burks Jr.← Missouri | JR | 6'1" | 204 | ★★★ |
| S | 3rd | Austin Brown | SR | 6'1" | 213 | ★★★ |
| S | 4th | Carson Van Dinter← Iowa State | FR | 6'3" | 210 | ★★★ |
| S | 5th | Owen Arnett | SR | 5'11" | 215 | — |
| S | 6th | Matthew Traynor | SO | 6'1" | 215 | — |
| S | 7th | Charlie Jarvis | JR | 6'1" | 212 | — |
| S | 8th | Grant Dean | FR | 6'1" | 196 | — |
Special Teams · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS | 1st | Nick Levy | SR | — | 230 | — |
| LS | 2nd | James Roe← Toledo | SO | 5'11" | 194 | ★★★ |
| P | — | Ethan Tranel← Wisconsin La Crosse | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| PK | 1st | Sean West | FR | 6'2" | 195 | — |
| PK | 2nd | Nathanial Vakos | SR | 6'1" | 208 | — |
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Season History · last 12
0 AP top-10 · 10 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4-8 | 2-7 | #85 | — | — |
| 2024 | 5-7 | 3-6 | #60 | — | — |
| 2023 | 7-5 | 5-4 | #29 | #19 | 0-1 |
| 2022 | 6-6 | 4-5 | #42 | #18 | 1-0 |
| 2021 | 8-4 | 6-3 | #7 | #12 | 1-0 |
| 2020 | 3-3 | 3-3 | #3 | — | 1-0 |
| 2019 | 10-3 | 7-3 | #11 | — | 0-1 |
| 2018 | 7-5 | 5-4 | #19 | — | 1-0 |
| 2017 | 12-1 | 9-1 | #3 | — | 1-0 |
| 2016 | 10-3 | 7-3 | #16 | — | 1-0 |
| 2015 | 9-3 | 6-2 | #21 | — | 1-0 |
| 2014 | 10-3 | 7-2 | #13 | — | 1-0 |
Recruiting Classes
avg #34 · 54 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★165 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #27 | 227 | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| 2024 | #23 | 239 | 0 | 11 | 7 |
| 2023 | #58 | 188 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| 2022 | #44 | 194 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 2021 | #15 | 241 | 1 | 8 | 6 |
| 2020 | #25 | 226 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 2019 | #29 | 220 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2018 | #45 | 195 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| 2017 | #39 | 194 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| 2016 | #35 | 203 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 33net +8Out 25
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.0 / 3.0
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Shamar Rigby | WR | 3★ | ← Oklahoma State |
| ▲ | Abu Sama III | RB | 3★ | ← Iowa State |
| ▲ | Jacob Harris | TE | 3★ | ← Bowling Green |
| ▲ | Austin Kawecki | IOL | 3★ | ← Oklahoma State |
| ▼ | Joe Brunner | IOL | 4★ | → Indiana |
| ▼ | Christian Alliegro | LB | 3★ | → Ohio State |
| ▼ | Trech Kekahuna | WR | 3★ | → North Carolina |
| ▼ | Tucker Ashcraft | TE | 3★ | → USC |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
17 items
- Wisconsin football's Luke Fickell earns surprising national rankingWisconsin Badgers football coach Luke Fickell has earned a surprising spot in The Sporting News' national rankings.WIS8h
- 2027 Wisconsin commit unexpectedly visits with prestigious SEC programBadgers' Evan Flood recently had a chance to break down prized Wisconsin Badgers commit Yahzeen Zion's visit to LSU.WIS9h
- Ranking Wisconsin football's 2026 home games by ticket pricesThe Wisconsin Badgers have six huge games coming up at Camp Randall Stadium this season.WIS1d
- LOOK: Wisconsin football legend unites with class of 2027 commitWisconsin Badgers football legend JJ Watt met up with a future member of UW's defensive unit on Saturday.WIS1d
- Is Badgers' Defensive Coordinator Mike Tressel one of the Best in the Big Ten?Does Mike Tressel deserve to be ranked amongst the Big Ten's best play-callers?WIS2d
- Way Too Early Wisconsin Football Opponent Preview: Western IllinoisMeet the opponent for the Badgers' opening game at Camp Randall in 2026WIS3d
- Badgers have No. 2 recruiting class in country after major commitThe Badgers are booming in the 2027 class.WIS3d
- What is the most expensive Wisconsin football home game in 2026?For Wisconsin Badgers fans looking to attend a football game at Camp Randall this season, the ticket prices aren't totally out of control.WIS4d
- Camp Randall Stadium excluded from toughest places to play in CFP27It's crazy to think how far the Wisconsin Badgers have fallen in the past two years alone.WIS4d
- Four-Star Badgers Commit's Senior Season of High School Suddenly in JeopardyA blue-chip tight end commit has a wrench thrown in his senior season.WIS4d
- Wisconsin Picks Three Redshirt Seniors to Represent the Badgers at Big Ten Media DaysThe Badgers will send three fifth-year seniors to Chicago.WIS5d
- Brooks, Cheeks, Jung will represent Wisconsin during Big Ten media daysBig Ten football media days are five weeks away, but Wisconsin's contingent is set. Here is a look at who will represent the Badgers in Chicago.WIS5d
- Ranking Wisconsin Football’s 2026 Schedule From Easiest to Hardest: Part 1The Badgers schedule is looking much better in 2026.WIS5d
- ESPN projects Badgers to win less than six games in 2026Will the Badgers be bowl eligible in 2026?WIS5d
- Three Badgers Who Should be Getting More Attention This OffseasonWhich Wisconsin football players should we be talking about more ahead of 2026?WIS5d
- One Big Sleeper at Each Position on Wisconsin Football's DefenseWho could surprise at each position on Mike Tressel's defense?WIS7d
- One Big Sleeper at Each Position on Wisconsin Football's OffenseWho could surprise at each position in Jeff Grimes' offense?WIS7d