A season of transition
The University of Wisconsin’s football program enters the 2026 season with a mixture of caution and hope. After a bruising 2025 campaign that featured a schedule stacked with four playoff contenders and six AP‑ranked opponents, the Badgers are looking to rebound from a period marked by recurring quarterback injuries and a thinning depth chart.
The transition began with the firing of Paul Chryst in 2022, a move that ended a tenure that had delivered a .720 winning percentage and three New Year’s Bowl appearances. Luke Fickell, who had guided Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff in 2021, was brought in to instill a new culture. His reputation for turning under‑recruited squads into contenders offers a stark contrast to the previous era.
Fickell’s first two years have been defined by adversity. The 2025 season tested the roster with a gauntlet of elite opponents, and the team finished with a losing record that left the coaching staff and fan base questioning the sustainability of the program’s upward trajectory.
At the heart of the concerns is the quarterback position. Colton Joseph, an Old Dominion transfer, has emerged as the leading candidate to start, thanks to his dual‑threat skill set and a steadily improving passer rating. The coaching staff has kept a quartet of backups — Danny O’Neil, Carter Smith, Deuce Adams and Ryan Hopkins — ready to step in should Joseph succumb to the injury issues that have plagued the role in recent years.
Running back production will also be a point of focus. The Badgers will lose 65 % of their meaningful carries from the previous season, and Abu Sama is expected to shoulder the bulk of the down‑back workload. Additional specialists will be called upon to fill niche roles, but the overall depth remains thin.
The offensive line presents another challenge. Only one starter returns, and the unit must rely heavily on three veteran transfers to plug the gaps. Injuries have compounded the problem, leaving the line’s cohesion in question as the season approaches.
Defensively, the interior of the line will be reshaped after 94 % of meaningful reps from 2025 disappear. New faces will be tasked with holding the line, while the edge‑rush corps — featuring specialists like Cheeks and Fearbry — must lean on younger talent such as Clayton and Williams to generate pressure.
Linebacker play offers a modest silver lining. Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano have shown flashes of promise, yet the overall depth at the position is limited, raising concerns about sustained performance across a demanding schedule.
Path to redemption
Despite the hurdles, there is a narrative of potential. The blend of experienced transfers, the upside of emerging talent, and Fickell’s proven ability to maximize limited resources create a scenario where a turnaround is not out of reach. The key will be how quickly the team can gel and whether the quarterback can stay healthy enough to execute the offense.
If the Badgers can stabilize the line, protect their signal‑caller, and develop depth on both sides of the ball, the 2026 campaign could shift from a rebuilding year to a competitive push within the Big Ten. The early weeks will be a litmus test, but the foundation laid by Fickell and his staff may yet produce the resurgence the program seeks.