The Wisconsin Badgers didn’t land any players in the 2026 NFL Draft, but that didn’t stop a wave of former Badgers from carving out jobs after cutdown day. By Tuesday, eight Wisconsin alumni had found practice-squad homes, keeping their NFL journeys alive after a busy preseason.
Two of them ended up with the Los Angeles Rams. Edge rusher Darryl Peterson and cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean both stuck around after spending the offseason with the team.
Peterson showed up in all three preseason games and made noise with seven tackles, seven pressures and two sacks, including the game-winning sack against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to PFF. Fourqurean was out there every week too, logging nine tackles while bouncing between boundary corner and the slot.
Mason Reiger’s path took another turn after an injury-shortened preseason with the Miami Dolphins. The edge rusher played in just one preseason game, but he still put together one pressure, two tackles and a run stop before being waived. He then landed on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad on Tuesday.
Atlanta also kept two former Badgers in the fold. Wide receiver Vinny Anthony played in all three preseason games and caught eight passes for 69 yards on 11 targets, making him Atlanta’s most-targeted receiver in the preseason.
After being waived on cutdown day, he returned to the Falcons’ practice squad. Offensive lineman Riley Mahlman joined him there after three preseason games and 33 total snaps at left tackle, during which he did not allow a sack or pressure.
The New Orleans Saints brought back defensive lineman Jay’Viar Suggs on their practice squad after he appeared in three preseason games. In 87 snaps, Suggs posted five tackles, one pressure and two run stops while moving around the defensive line.
Ben Barten also found a landing spot, signing with the New York Giants practice squad after two preseason games with the team. He played only nine total snaps across those games, but it was enough to keep him with New York after a winding preseason that also included one game with the New York Jets. He had been signed by the Jets after being waived by the Giants, then eventually went back to the Giants one week later.
Defensive lineman Parker Petersen became the latest former Badger to make a practice squad, returning to the Carolina Panthers after being waived on cutdown day. Petersen played in four preseason games and finished with five tackles and three run stops in 54 snaps.
There was one more former Wisconsin player on the list as well. Wide receiver Will Pauling, who spent the 2025 season at Notre Dame, signed with the San Francisco 49ers after clearing waivers. He caught three passes for eight yards in three preseason games and also handled kick and punt return duties.
In Other News...
Wisconsins Notre Dame Opener Just Got More Interesting For One Reason
The lead-up to Wisconsins opener against No. 4 Notre Dame has taken on a different look on both sides of the ball, with the Badgers dealing with questions up front and the Irish sorting through a couple of notable injury issues of their own. For Wisconsin, the focus has been on the availability of starting offensive linemen Emerson Mandell and Kevin Heywood, a concern that only adds to the challenge of protecting the quarterback in a matchup that already looked steep on paper.
Notre Dames latest injury report makes the matchup even more worth watching, especially with linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa listed as questionable and wide receiver Quincy Porter ruled out for Week 1. Porters absence matters because he was expected to be part of the starting receiving group, while Viliamu-Asas status could affect the Irish defenses depth as the game approaches. For the Badgers, any edge in a season opener like this can matter, and the health updates on both sidelines could shape how the first major test of the year unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins 2027 Class Is Sparking A Debate Badgers Fans Wont Ignore
Wisconsins 2027 basketball recruiting class has already stirred up a familiar kind of debate among Badgers fans, and it starts with how the national services are valuing the group. Guard Jalen Brown, forward Baboucarr Ann and center Jack Thelen are all viewed by most outlets as top-100 level prospects, which is enough to make this class stand out before any of them have even arrived in Madison.
ESPNs latest update, though, only included Brown at No. 96 and left Ann and Thelen unranked, a discrepancy that has only added fuel to the discussion. Rankings always come with some built-in subjectivity, and the real test for Wisconsins staff will come later, when the trio is actually on campus and the comparisons shift from internet lists to what they look like once practice starts. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Made The Notre Dame Lineup Much Harder To Read
Wisconsins weekly game notes used to offer one of the cleaner snapshots of where the roster stood, but that is no longer the case this season. The athletic department has stopped releasing depth charts, a decision made by the sports information directors rather than the coaching staff, leaving a little more guesswork for anyone trying to read the Badgers before kickoff.
Luke Fickell has already hinted that some spots are still unsettled, including backup quarterback, and injuries to key players have only added to the uncertainty. Wisconsin will still provide injury reports during conference play, but it is not required to do so in non-conference games, which makes the buildup to matchups like Notre Dame a bit harder to sort through from the outside. [Read more 🡒]