MADISON – During spring practice Wisconsin answered some of the questions dogging the football program this offseason.
Yes, quarterback Colton Joseph was a sound investment from the transfer portal. So was Abu Sama, who gives the Badgers a veteran ball carrier. The defensive line also appears to have solid options to rebuild with after getting hit hard by graduation.
Wisconsin started the spring looking like a deeper team than it was in 2025. What it showed on the field confirmed that.
But this wasn’t a team with just a handful of issues. There is a lot more to clean up as the Badgers (4-8, 2-7 Big Ten in 2025) attempt to rebound from back-to-back losing seasons.
So with that in mind, here are four other key aspects of the team we’ll be watching closely when camp opens Aug. 6.
The offensive line and its quest to build cohesion
Ineffective offensive line play has hampered each of Luke Fickell’s teams at Wisconsin.
The Badgers made significant investments this offseason to improve that aspect of the team. It started with hiring Eric Mateos to coach the position and continued with the addition of four players from the transfer portal. Two of them, left tackle PJ Wilkins, a redshirt junior, and center Austin Kawecki, a graduate student, worked with the first unit during the spring.
Building cohesiveness during camp will be critical. The Badgers lost valuable time toward that goal after redshirt sophomore right guard Emerson Mandell suffered a foot injury that required surgery and shut him down for final half of spring practice. He is expected to be ready for the fall camp.
There will also be the matter of building depth.
“We’ve got to have those 1a’s and 1b’s,” Fickell said. ”Whether they’re listed as the starter or the backup, what you get into is if you don’t have guys that you really feel like could be starters and be able to fit in there, it makes it really difficult not only to practice but to get better.”
How the pecking order at cornerback falls
The Badgers have almost an entirely new set of cornerbacks who personify the increased competition UW’s ranks experience this spring.
Redshirt sophomore Javan Robinson (Missouri) and redshirt sophomore Eric Fletcher (Oklahoma State) started or played a lot at their former schools. They were joined by redshirt sophomores Cai Bates (Florida State) and Bryce West (Ohio State) and holdover Jai’mier Scott, a redshirt freshman.
With the re-tooled room comes that possibility that the Badgers could shore up one of their weaknesses from last season.
Wisconsin’s cornerbacks and its defenders as a whole didn’t make many plays on the ball. The Badgers ranked last in the Big Ten in passes defended (24) last season and their five interceptions were within one of the league low.
The sheer number of quality options also give hope to the prospect of having a true rotation at the position rather than have one player take an inordinate numbers of snaps as Ricardo Hallman had to do the past three seasons.
“Having five guys that you think are good players and have potential is one thing,” defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said. ”Having four guys that you think can start and win the Big Ten is another, and those are the steps we’re taking.”
Key outside linebackers return from injury
How do the Badgers plan to move on from Mason Reiger and Darryl Peterson off the edge?
Redshirt senior Sebastian Cheeks is in line for a larger role this season. So are redshirt senior Tyreese Fearbry and sophomore Nick Clayton.
Outside linebacker, however, is a position where UW likes to use players with a variety of body types. Two of the team’s biggest players at the position, senior Micheal Garner (6-7, 309) and Arkansas sixth-year senior Justus Boone (6-5, 280) were unavailable for most of the spring due to injury. Each has the potential to help the Badgers this season.
Fall camp will give both players a chance to show how they could fit in.
Who will be Colton Joseph’s top targets?
The Badgers signed Joseph, their No. 1 choice for quarterback. Who will be his favorite targets?
The competition at receiver this spring was tight. Redshirt senior Chris Brooks Jr. and sophomore Eugene Hilton Jr. are at the top of the depth chart on the outside and redshirt senior Tyrell Henry has the lead at slot receiver. No returning player, however, had more than 11 catches and 124 receiving yards last season.
As a result, the role of playmaker at receiver is up for grabs. The Badgers added five transfers and three freshmen during the offseason. The coaches also moved redshirt junior Jackson McGohan from tight end to receiver.
Senior Jaylon Domingeaux (Southeastern Louisiana) made the most noise of the newcomers and junior Zion Kearney (Oklahoma) finished the spring strong. Redshirt junior Malachi Coleman, a Minnesota transfer, is an intriguing prospect.
The receiver rotation is far from settled.
“It’s just about competing,” Badgers receivers coach Ari Confesor said. “Competing for that spot, competing for reps, for playing time and the great thing is these guys embrace it. They don’t shy from it.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin football opens camp Aug. 6. Here are 4 keys to success
Reporting by Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
