Wisconsin’s kicking situation is starting to look less like a depth chart and more like a gamble.
That’s the uncomfortable backdrop behind Colton Joseph’s bold Big Ten Network line - “We are going to score a lot of points!” If that happens, great. But it also may be the clearest path out of a problem that has already surfaced in camp: the Badgers don’t have much margin for error at kicker.
The name at the center of it all is Gavin Lahm, and the early word from practice has not exactly been soothing. The reports have been uneven, and that’s the last thing Wisconsin wants from the one player it appears to be counting on.
Fans would much rather hear that Lahm has been automatic. Instead, the sense around camp is closer to 50/50.
That would be manageable if there were real competition behind him. There isn’t.
Wisconsin’s only other kicker on the roster is walk-on freshman Brady Melum, and Luke Fickell has even tried punter Sean West at kicker. That tells you everything about where things stand.
The obvious fix is also the one Wisconsin fans are likely to roll their eyes at: bringing Nathanial Vakos back. Vakos is part of a group of 2022 athletes involved in a lawsuit seeking one more year of eligibility, and if that door opens, Wisconsin may need to walk through it.
Maybe he ends up as the backup. Maybe he becomes the answer.
Either way, the Badgers need another option.
Vakos, though, comes with his own baggage. He wasn’t exactly beloved for his hit-or-miss profile, which is part of why this whole conversation feels so messy. Still, Lahm’s early inconsistency makes it hard to feel confident that Wisconsin is better off simply standing pat.
Fickell didn’t sound thrilled with the state of the room back in January, either. Asked why Lahm was the only kicker on the roster, he said, “We've got another place kicker... a guy coming out of high school.” He was referring to Melum, and he also floated the idea of checking the portal after spring to see who might be available.
That’s where the Badgers are now: one ready kicker, one walk-on freshman, and a coach trying out a punter in case the situation gets any thinner. If Lahm struggles, there’s no safety net.
If he gets hurt, there’s no safety net. And if Wisconsin can’t find another kicker, the whole thing may hinge on a legal fight involving 2022 athletes.
There is at least one small note of encouragement for Lahm. The last couple of practices have reportedly been better on the kicking front. But camp is already full of missed-kick anxiety, and that kind of first impression sticks.
So the pressure shifts back to Joseph and the offense. If Wisconsin really does score a lot of points - and especially if those points come as touchdowns - the kicking drama fades fast.
Vakos, for what it’s worth, was automatic on extra points. The problem was Wisconsin never gave him many chances.
That’s the irony here. The Badgers may not need a perfect kicker.
They just need one reliable enough to keep the season from turning into a weekly test of nerve. Right now, that’s not a comfortable place to be.
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