UMass’ upset of Rutgers had plenty of people doing a double take, and one of the biggest reasons for it was a name Wisconsin fans know, even if they never really got to know his game: Joseph Griffin Jr.
The Wisconsin transfer made his mark right away for the Minutemen, catching two passes for 61 yards and a touchdown in the win. That was enough to make him UMass’ leading receiver by yardage, and his 30.5-yard average per catch showed just how explosive those two grabs were. With his 6-foot-4 frame, Griffin looks like he could be a major piece of the offense going forward.
That’s a sharp turn from his time in Madison. Griffin spent two seasons buried on Wisconsin’s depth chart and never managed to break through for the Badgers.
In 2024, he redshirted without playing a snap. In 2025, he appeared in four games but was limited to one catch for five yards against Middle Tennessee.
Before that, Griffin had already shown he could produce. He spent two seasons at Boston College and was a steady part of the offense there.
As a true freshman, he played in eight games and started five. Then as a sophomore, he played in every game and finished with 25 catches for 345 yards and a touchdown.
Now he’s using his final year of eligibility as a graduate student, and UMass looks like a much better fit. The Minutemen were coming off an 0-12 season and had one of the worst offenses in the country, so the leap they made against Rutgers stood out even more. UMass was last in the nation in offensive yardage per game in 2025 at 247.5, while Wisconsin was right behind them at 253.1.
That’s why Griffin’s breakout mattered so much. He helped a team that had lived near the bottom of the sport finally punch above its weight, and that’s exactly the kind of spark Wisconsin would love to find itself. The Badgers are trying to make a jump of their own later in the season, and if they’re going to do it, they may need a transfer to deliver the kind of lift Griffin just gave UMass.
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