Wisconsin’s first game of the season gave fans plenty to chew on after the Badgers’ 28-point loss to Notre Dame, and not all of it was bad. Yes, the collapse was ugly.
Yes, there were issues everywhere you looked - quarterback play, the secondary, the line of scrimmage, special teams. But Game One also produced one of the most eye-catching performances on the roster in Minnesota transfer Malachi Coleman.
The 6-foot-5 Nebraska product turned into one of the viral stories of Week One, finishing with four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. Two of his routes were the kind that make defenders look lost, and one of them ended in the end zone.
Malachi Coleman TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/OUVuDJkD4M
- Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) September 7, 2026
With Wisconsin’s X receiver, Eugene Hilton Jr., dealing with injury during the game, Coleman looked like he had positioned himself to move into a bigger role right away. Instead, Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin staff left the depth chart untouched after Week One.
Coleman remains in the two-deep at both Y and Z, despite producing more than anyone else on the roster in the opener. Ahead of him are Chris Brooks Jr. and Tyrell Henry, two players with more established standing in the program, even though neither had a stronger case based on the first game.
The #Badgers two-deep for Week 2 vs. Western Illinois. pic.twitter.com/wMHC2qKtV4
- Mark Stewart Ⓜ️ (@MarkStewartMJS) September 8, 2026
Brooks caught three passes for 38 yards, and he also had a drop. Henry posted four catches for 42 yards. Those numbers were solid enough, but they didn’t match Coleman’s impact.
There’s also a clear difference in what each player brings. Brooks is the physical, blocking-minded tight end whose experience and locker-room presence helped earn him captain honors. Henry is more of a make-you-miss receiver who works best after the ball gets into his hands.
That gives Wisconsin a healthy kind of depth problem, the sort coaches usually want. Fickell has already shown he’ll use the two-deep based on the matchup and what his players do in games, so leaving Coleman listed behind Brooks and Henry looks more like a paper issue than a real one.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Fans May Wait Weeks For Real Clarity On Luke Fickell
Luke Fickell enters the season with the kind of pressure that follows any rough stretch in Madison, but Wisconsins schedule makes an immediate verdict unlikely. The early weeks should not be treated as a true referendum on whether the Badgers have actually improved, since the first few matchups are not expected to tell the full story about the team or its coach.
The real evaluation point appears to come later in the conference slate, when the Badgers start facing games that can more clearly separate progress from wishful thinking. For a fan base looking for answers, the frustrating part is simple: the most meaningful test of Fickells future probably will not arrive until the season is already well underway. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins New QB Has One Big Chance To Silence Early Doubts
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Western Illinois now offers Joseph a chance to settle things down and start building real momentum in a job that rarely allows much patience. Wisconsin does not need him to be perfect, but it does need a sharper, more controlled version of the quarterback it hopes can steady the offense as the season unfolds. A more convincing outing would go a long way toward quieting the early doubts and reinforcing that the starting role is his to keep. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Already Has One Early Injury Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Wisconsin opened the season having to shuffle its offensive line right away, with right guard Emerson Mandell unavailable in Week 1 and Stylz Blackmon and Blake Cherry stepping in and rotating through the spot during the game. For a program that puts such a premium on line play, getting through an opener without a preferred starter is never ideal, even if it does give the staff an early look at its depth and a chance to see how the next men handle live action.
Luke Fickell said he hoped Mandell could be back soon, but he also noted how physical the game was and how hard it can be to know exactly how quickly players will recover. Wisconsin also had its return game affected by Eugene Hilton being limited by injury, so the Badgers are already dealing with more than one health issue as the season gets going and the picture along both lines and special teams remains a little unsettled. [Read more 🡒]