Ahead of a 2026 season that feels pivotal in Madison, Wisconsin football has a lot working in its favor. The schedule looks friendlier.
The roster has more financial backing. And the biggest reason for optimism may be the arrival of a dazzling dual-threat quarterback in Colton Joseph.
Still, not every part of the Badgers’ profile is headed in the same direction. Some numbers should move up.
Others could slide back. Here’s where Wisconsin looks poised to improve - and where a step backward wouldn’t be a surprise.
The most obvious place for progress is through the air. Last season, Wisconsin fielded the worst passing offense in the Power Four and the fifth-worst passing offense in the country by yards per game. Three of the four teams below the Badgers in that category ran triple-option offenses, which tells you everything you need to know about how rough it was.
Joseph is not a finished product as a passer. He can be erratic, and it took him time to adjust to a drop-back passing game this offseason. But he’s still the most exciting quarterback Wisconsin has had in years, and even with this offense expected to stay run-heavy, he should lift the Badgers well beyond last year’s miserable passing output.
The ground game should help that cause, too. Joseph’s legs can change the math on offense, turning broken plays into easy chunk gains and forcing defenses to account for more than just the handoff. Even when he doesn’t run, the threat of him doing so should create more room for a rushing attack that appears to have a stronger, more experienced offensive line and a couple of capable backs in Abu Sama and Darrion Dupree.
That matters because Wisconsin’s 3.3 yards per carry last season was flat-out ugly for a program built on running the football. With Joseph, Sama, Jeff Grimes and Eric Mateos in the mix, there’s a real chance that number gets turned around in 2026.
Third downs should also look better. The Badgers were one of the worst teams in the nation at staying on the field last fall, finishing No. 124 in third down conversion rate and ranking third-worst among Power Four teams, ahead of only South Carolina and West Virginia.
That should improve for a couple of reasons, but Joseph’s mobility is the biggest one. His ability to create something out of nothing - four yards, five yards, six yards, or more - gives Wisconsin a built-in escape hatch. Add in a better run game on early downs, and the offense should be in more manageable situations more often.
On the other side of the ball, Wisconsin’s pass rush may not be as sharp. The Badgers made a major jump last season, going from 17 sacks in 2024 to 32 sacks last fall, which tied for 12th-most in the nation. But Mason Reiger and Darryl Peterson are gone, and those were Wisconsin’s top two edge rushers.
That leaves the outside linebacker room full of questions. Sebastian Cheeks, Justus Boone, Tyreese Fearbry and Nick Clayton all have a chance to emerge, but right now the group is more projection than certainty. Because of that, a drop in quarterback pressure feels like the safer bet.
The run defense, meanwhile, should still be good, but maybe not quite as dominant. Wisconsin quietly had one of the best rushing defenses in the country last season, even if it didn’t always look that way in moments like Iowa’s 210-yard day in Camp Randall.
Inside linebackers Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano both bring real strength against the run. The concern is up front, where Wisconsin tried again to build with big, experienced portal additions.
The Badgers may have a strong defensive line, but matching last season’s standard feels unlikely. A top-15 finish against the run is probably a stretch this time.
And then there’s the turnover column, where Wisconsin has nowhere to go but up. The Badgers were dead last in the country in 2025 with just six takeaways on defense - five interceptions and one fumble recovery.
That kind of number is hard to repeat, even if turnover production can swing wildly from year to year. Still, it would be a shock if Wisconsin finished at the very bottom again in 2026. That has to be a major point of emphasis heading into the season.
In Other News...
Luke Fickell Suddenly Has Wisconsin In The Hunt For A Stunner
Luke Fickell and Wisconsin have been making an unexpected push in the 2028 recruiting race, and it has put the Badgers in the conversation for one of the classs premier edge rushers. The program has worked to stay active with Jalanie George, a highly ranked pass rusher who already has a long list of offers and had previously trimmed his options to six schools, Wisconsin among them.
The Badgers have also tried to build around relationships, including ties to other recruits from Georges high school, while an unofficial visit in June gave the staff another chance to make its case. On3 currently has Wisconsin viewed as a co-favorite in the recruitment, which is a striking place for the Badgers to be this early, even if the final decision still feels a long way off. [Read more 🡒]
Badgers Just Got A Crucial Answer On Owen Foxwells Future
Wisconsins search for a replacement at point guard has taken shape quickly, and Owen Foxwell is already at the center of it. The Badgers brought in the former S.E. Melbourne guard from the NBL after Nick Boyds departure, banking on a player who spent five seasons in that league and arrives with a reputation for handling the ball, creating for others and keeping an offense organized.
Foxwells production overseas gives Wisconsin a clear idea of what it is getting, but the bigger question around his arrival had been how long he would actually be in Madison. General manager Marc VandeWettering has now clarified that part of the picture, and it matters for how the Badgers can plan around their new lead guard as they move into the season with a much better sense of the timeline. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Suddenly Sounds Different About Wisconsins 2026 Turnaround
Luke Fickell has spent plenty of time talking about the grind of rebuilding Wisconsin, but his tone around 2026 has started to sound noticeably more upbeat. The Badgers coach pointed to a roster that is bigger, longer and faster than it was before, while also crediting new transfers and coaching hires as part of the foundation for what fans hope will be a cleaner, more competitive season.
The optimism does not stop with the physical makeup of the roster. Fickell also said a leadership group began taking shape midway through last season and has continued to grow, and he likes the way the quarterback competition is pushing the room forward. Add in a schedule that could be more manageable, and it is easy to see why the conversation around Wisconsins next turnaround has picked up some steam. [Read more 🡒]