Wisconsin kept the pads on Friday and the back half of fall camp brought the same edge that’s been showing up all month. The practice got chippy at times, but Luke Fickell said he’s comfortable with that level of bite because there have been no problems in the locker room. With a few players banged up - nothing serious, according to the report - the day opened the door for others to grab extra reps.
A handful of players made the most of it, and one of the loudest showings came from receiver Jayden Domingeaux. Eugene Hilton has been the biggest talking point in the room, and Malachi Coleman and Tyrell Henry have had their moments too, but Domingeaux put together the kind of day that makes you notice him.
Colton Joseph leaned on him early in 7-on-7, dropping a back-shoulder ball over Javan Robinson in tight coverage. That connection set the tone for more work between the two, including a chunk gain once the team moved outside, a third-and-long conversion, and another catch where Domingeaux stretched out nearly enough to move the chains again.
Robinson, meanwhile, continued to look like the most established corner in the room. The boundary starter for Mike Tressel wasn’t being attacked much, which in itself says plenty.
When Joseph did test him Friday, Robinson answered. He broke up a pass in early 7-on-7, forced Joseph to go elsewhere during the period, and later delivered another key breakup on the final drive of the day for the first units, helping push that series toward a field goal.
He still isn’t piling up interceptions, but the coverage has been sticky and the catches against him have been tough ones.
Another player who kept building momentum was redshirt freshman tight end Lance Davis. He flashed all camp, but Friday felt like one of his more complete outings.
He started with a long catch against coverage without a pass rush, slipping behind Matt Jung for an over-the-top sideline grab. Later, in 7-on-7, he added another clean catch in space from Deuce Adams.
Davis has looked more comfortable finding openings, whether he’s working underneath or pushing downfield, and he’s held up physically even without the same frame as Jacob Harris. With Jeff Grimes still sorting out how the tight ends will be used, Davis keeps making his case.
On defense, Darryl “Cheeks” stuck out again on the edge. He’s expected to be Wisconsin’s top guy there this season, and Friday gave another reminder why.
Early in 11-on-11, he may have forced a turnover by getting heavy pressure on Joseph and possibly clipping his arm as the throw sailed a bit. Later, once the action moved outside, he added another sack.
Wisconsin is still rotating players to find another edge presence, but Cheeks keeps making his impact obvious even when the snaps are spread around.
The final name on the list was Darrion Bortolotti, who worked with the twos and helped fuel one of the cleanest offensive drives of the day. He and Deuce Adams marched the second unit downfield, finishing with a touchdown pass from Adams to Ryan Schwendeman.
Bortolotti did plenty of the grunt work himself, too, running hard behind a drive that opened with stuffs from Cooper Catalano, Hammond Russell and Matt Jung before the offense found a rhythm. His best moment came on a first down when he absorbed a shot from Eric Fletcher but still made sure the chains moved.
He may not see much of the field in meaningful minutes this season, but that kind of spark can matter late in a game or on special teams.
In Other News...
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Former starter Carter Smith appears headed for reserve duty as well, and the competition now stretches deeper with Deuce Adams and Ryan Hopkins in the mix for backup work. For ONeil, the challenge is no longer just winning reps in a crowded room. It is figuring out whether there is still a path to a meaningful role at Wisconsin at all. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Still Has Two Crucial Camp Battles To Settle
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The quarterback room has its own unresolved subplot, and the battle for the backup job remains one of the more closely watched parts of camp. For Wisconsin, that competition matters almost as much as the starting spots because the staff is trying to build reliable depth across the board, not just settle a few openings. With camp still moving forward, the Badgers are getting the kind of live competition they need, even if a couple of the biggest decisions are still waiting to be made. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Fans Get An Early Reminder About Former CB Omillio Agard
Omillio Agard is already making himself part of Virginias summer conversation, a familiar name for Wisconsin fans who watched him spend two seasons in Madison before heading east. The former Badgers cornerback, who played in 10 games with three starts at Wisconsin, has reportedly been working with Virginias first unit and lining up as a starting corner alongside Donovan Platt, a sign hes quickly settled into a prominent role with his new team.
Virginia coach Tony Elliott has singled out Agards energy, football knowledge and competitiveness during camp, which only adds to the early momentum around his move. For Wisconsin, its a reminder of a departure theyve already moved past by bringing in several new cornerbacks, but Agards progress is still worth tracking for anyone who followed his development in red and white. [Read more 🡒]