Wisconsin has spent the last stretch trying to close a gap that had grown between Luke Fickell’s program and the Badger alumni base, and Brady Ewing has become one of the most important pieces in that repair job.
The move matters because Ewing is not just any staff addition. He’s a former Wisconsin fullback, a four-year Badger who began as a walk-on and built a career on the kind of grit this program has always liked to sell.
His resume won’t jump off the page in a box score sense - 361 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns - but that was never the point. He was there to do the work that doesn’t show up until it’s missing.
That background is part of why Fickell brought him in. With Fickell not being an alum himself, the staff needed someone who could bridge the divide with former players and help pull the program back toward its own people. Ewing, who joined the staff as Director of Alumni Relations in March, has quickly become that connector.
The early returns have been noticeable. Around the building, the tone has shifted. The negativity on social media has eased, former players have been getting back in the door, and the staff has made a real push to reconnect the present roster with the people who built Wisconsin’s identity before them.
Cooper Catalano said Ewing’s impact has already been obvious.
“I can't stand up here and tell you the effect that Brady Ewing has had on this program. I think he's been an absolutely amazing hire.
I think he's done a great job, connecting us with former players since he's been here,” Catalano said. “And I think the biggest benefit of having him is being able to learn from those previous guys that we all grew up watching and successful teams that were here.”
For players like Catalano, who grew up around the program, that kind of access means something. It means more than a handshake and a photo. It means getting to learn from the guys whose names still carry weight in the building.
That’s been part of the work Ewing has helped push forward, including a connection Catalano already had with Vince Biegel. Catalano met Biegel during the linebacker’s recruitment process at an event, and Ewing has helped strengthen that relationship since then.
The timing also lines up with Wisconsin’s plans for 2026, when the season will open at Lambeau Field. As part of that buildup, Ewing and the staff put together a presentation centered on the 2016 Wisconsin team that opened its season there in impressive fashion. Biegel, who was on that 2016 squad and spent time on campus this summer, played a key role in that presentation.
The message wasn’t just about one big win at Lambeau. It was about the way that team carried itself over the course of the season and the standard it set.
That doesn’t guarantee anything for this year’s group. But in a season where Wisconsin needs to reset, it’s a clear sign the staff understands the value of reminding everyone what the program looked like when it was operating the right way.
There’s still plenty of work ahead before Wisconsin is truly where it wants to be again. Alumni outreach alone won’t fix that. But with one of the biggest complaints around the Fickell era getting real attention, Ewing’s role feels like a major step in the right direction.
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Wisconsin Already Has A Response To Dilin Jones Rising At LSU
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Wisconsin May Finally Have The Receiver Its Offense Has Been Missing
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The bigger takeaway is not that Wisconsin is suddenly turning into a pass-first attack, because it is not, but that the offense may finally have a receiver who can make the passing game more than just an occasional supplement. Hiltons ability to win in traffic and finish plays added a different layer to practice, and for a group looking for reliable targets, those glimpses carry real weight even if the run game remains the foundation. [Read more 🡒]