Despite the noise around Wisconsin football heading into 2026, there’s at least a real case for optimism in Madison. The Badgers are coming off a miserable 4-8 season - their worst since 1990 - and they still have plenty to prove. But with media days and fall camp looming, the picture is starting to sharpen, and there are reasons to think this roster is in better shape than the one that stumbled through last fall.
The biggest swing factor is quarterback Colton Joseph. Wisconsin’s problems under Luke Fickell have come in a lot of forms, but the recurring issue has been ugly quarterback play.
Joseph, who tore up the Sun Belt at Old Dominion, brings the kind of physical tools the Badgers have lacked: speed, arm talent and the knack for creating something out of nothing. Fickell pointed to the broader value of winning when evaluating a Group of Six player like Joseph, saying, “Winning translates…It doesn’t matter what level it is, winning is winning," and added, "All those things that you thought you saw, we saw, those last couple years watching him play, it’s held true.”
That said, Joseph is still a projection. So is a lot of this roster.
Wisconsin looks more talented than it did a year ago, but much of that talent hasn’t been proven at the Big Ten level. The Badgers have several key spots where the upside is obvious and the certainty is not.
One area that should look different is the coaching staff. Wisconsin has taken some real swings and misses with position coach hires during the first three seasons under Fickell, and the staff hasn’t always delegated cleanly. That appears to have changed with the addition of full-time special teams coach Bob Ligashesky, plus two younger hires who drew strong praise this spring: offensive line coach Eric Mateos and cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples.
Jeff Grimes called Mateos “He’s an intelligent guy, really creative thinker," and added, "He’s a tremendous teacher. I think he does a great job finding a way to get the information across to every player in the room…I think you’re seeing improvement from our line.”
Paul Haynes was just as complimentary about Steeples, saying, "Very very sharp individual, very good young football coach," and describing him as "Very very particular about the details of what he wants his corners to do. Very very good with the man coverage stuff.
He’s coached the position, played the position at the highest level. All those specific things, the man technique stuff, he does a really good job of."
That matters because Wisconsin’s offensive line was a mess last season and the secondary was rough, too. The new coaches, along with an influx of transfers, give the Badgers a better chance to stabilize both groups in 2026.
Still, there are two areas that keep looking shaky. The wide receiver room has been overhauled with five transfers, but it still lacks proven Big Ten production and doesn’t yet have an obvious go-to target.
Eugene Hilton Jr. could make a sophomore leap, and FCS transfer Jaylon Domingeaux could bring the same big-play threat he showed at Southeastern Louisiana. But those are possibilities, not guarantees.
Outside linebacker is another concern. Wisconsin has to replace its top two pass-rushers, Mason Reiger and Darryl Peterson, and the staff is hoping fifth-year senior Sebastian Cheeks can take a major step. True sophomore Nick Clayton and former Kentucky transfer Tyreese Fearbry are also in the mix, but there are too many unanswered questions on the edge to feel settled about Matt Mitchell’s room.
The schedule, though, gives Wisconsin a real opening. The opener against Notre Dame is as difficult as it gets, but the rest of the slate is much friendlier.
By opponent win percentage, the Badgers have the Big Ten’s easiest schedule in 2026, and they play only five teams that finished with winning records last season, tied for the fewest in the conference. They also avoid Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon and Michigan.
That doesn’t mean the road is clean. Iowa and Penn State are on the road, and USC comes to Madison in what should be a dangerous matchup. But compared with last season - when Wisconsin faced four College Football Playoff teams and six opponents that finished in the top 25 - this schedule is far less punishing.
The final concern is harder to measure but impossible to ignore: culture. Losing can pile up, and Wisconsin’s players under Fickell haven’t experienced success yet in Madison.
There’s no winning standard to lean on, no recent proof that the program can steady itself after setbacks. This is, in a real sense, a rebuild from the ground up.
That’s why the 2026 season feels so important. The Badgers have better pieces than they did a year ago, and the schedule gives them a chance to breathe. But after a 4-8 collapse, they’ll have to manufacture momentum on their own.
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Barry Alvarezs Reaction To Wisconsins New AD Will Turn Heads
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Barry Alvarezs public backing gives the move an extra layer of intrigue, especially for a fan base that remembers how much sway he still carries around the program. Alvarez pointed to Eichorsts Wisconsin roots and his experience at Texas while framing the broader arc of his career as one that has included lessons learned along the way, making this one of those hires where the reaction from inside the building may matter just as much as the rsum itself. [Read more 🡒]