Spring football gives everyone a little room to breathe. Fall camp doesn’t.
By the time Wisconsin gets into those 15 practices, the guessing game tightens up fast. Jobs start getting sorted out, depth charts stop feeling theoretical and players who are buried a little lower on the roster have to make noise now or risk fading out of the picture. That’s especially true for three former blue-chip recruits in Madison who need a big camp to keep their chances alive.
The first is wide receiver Coleman, a consensus four-star prospect and either the No. 10 or No. 11 receiver in the country, depending on the ranking service, when he came out of Lincoln East High School in Nebraska. His college path has never really gotten off the ground - first at Nebraska, then at Minnesota - and now he looks like he may be on his final shot at the Power Four level.
Wisconsin already has two clear names at the top of the receiver room in Chris Brooks Jr. and Tyrell Henry, but after that, the door is wide open. The Badgers need someone to step forward, and Coleman’s frame gives him a real chance to do it.
At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, he’s the tallest receiver on the roster and looks like a natural red-zone target. The question is whether he can turn that into a steady role before camp ends.
Cornerback Bates is in a different kind of fight. He was a four-star recruit everywhere and a consensus top-125 player in the nation coming out of Orlando, Florida, but after two quiet seasons at Florida State, he’s now competing for snaps in Madison.
Arizona State transfer Javan Robinson already has one outside corner spot locked down, which leaves Bates, Oklahoma State transfer Eric Fletcher and second-year standout Jai'mier Scott battling for the same job. It’s a crowded race, and each player brings something different.
Fletcher has the speed and the experience. Scott has the talent and upside that could make him the long-term answer.
Bates brings length at 6-foot-3 and, as position coach Robert Steeples put it, "big corner stuff." All three should see the field this fall, but Bates’ camp will go a long way in deciding how much.
Then there’s Simmons-Johansson, another former four-star Florida State commit who was once rated as a top-10 offensive tackle in the country. He never got his chance to break through in Tallahassee, and after a slow start this spring, he’s now trying to push Ole Miss transfer PJ Wilkins for the starting left tackle job.
At 6-foot-7 and roughly 320 pounds, he has the kind of size you want protecting the blind side. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said the sluggish start came largely because Simmons-Johansson was adjusting to a very different offensive style than the one he played in with the Seminoles.
If that growth keeps coming, he could take the job from Wilkins. If it doesn’t, his role this fall could be limited.
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Badgers Suddenly Have A Real Concern About Owen Foxwell
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What makes the situation worth watching from Wisconsins side is not just the paperwork, but the possibility that it could affect Foxwells availability while the season is still going. The rule combination is unusual enough to keep the door open, even if the chance of anything dramatic is considered slim, and it gives the Badgers one more roster issue to monitor as they move through the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Jon Kamara Could Unlock Something Different In Wisconsin's Defense
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Kamara is not walking into an easy path for snaps, but he is already viewed as an important piece of the defensive plan and a key backup behind Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano. If he settles into that package role the way Wisconsin hopes, the Badgers could get a bigger front without giving up coverage or pressure ability, which is exactly the kind of optionality that can matter once the season starts to tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Has Wisconsin On Verge Of Another 2028 Recruiting Win
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If Barrows follows through, he would join linebacker Cale Britt as the second commitment in the class and give Luke Fickell another building block in a cycle that already has Wisconsin sitting near the top of the early national picture. For a program trying to stack talent well before signing day becomes a real conversation, landing an offensive lineman this early would be another sign the Badgers are making themselves a serious factor with 2028 prospects. [Read more 🡒]