The Wisconsin Badgers have plenty to clean up after a 4-8 season, but one of the most glaring issues from 2025 didn’t come on offense or defense. It showed up in special teams.
According to ESPN’s SP+ metric, Wisconsin finished with the 95th-best special teams unit in the country last season. That number reflects a year in which kicker Nathanial Vakos struggled and punter Atticus Bertrams had a rough year.
The Badgers are trying to turn the page in a big way this offseason, and that effort has touched nearly every part of the offense. Wisconsin brought in multiple additions at each position group.
Colton Joseph leads the quarterback room, while the backfield now includes Abu Sama III, Bryan Jackson and Nate Palmer alongside Darrion Dupree. The wide receiver group was completely rebuilt, two new tight ends were added to a young room, and several offensive linemen arrived with new position coach Eric Mateos.
Even with all that work, special teams remains a problem area that can’t be ignored. Wisconsin is projected to be the third-worst team in the Big Ten by SP+, and its special teams outlook is not much brighter. The Badgers are slotted 97th nationally in that category, with only Minnesota, USC, Michigan and Michigan State ranked behind them.
There is at least a new look coming there. Gavin Lahm, who backed up Vakos, is expected to take over as the starting kicker, while Sean West, who stepped in for Bertrams late last season, is set to handle punting duties in 2026.
In Other News...
Badgers Suddenly Have A Real Concern About Owen Foxwell
The Badgers have spent the early stretch of the season sorting out roles, minutes and the usual college basketball growing pains, but Owen Foxwell has suddenly become part of a very different kind of conversation. The 23-year-old guard is now caught up in a new eligibility wrinkle involving NCAA rules and NBA draft mechanics, a rare overlap that can create complications for players with overseas backgrounds.
What makes the situation worth watching from Wisconsins side is not just the paperwork, but the possibility that it could affect Foxwells availability while the season is still going. The rule combination is unusual enough to keep the door open, even if the chance of anything dramatic is considered slim, and it gives the Badgers one more roster issue to monitor as they move through the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Jon Kamara Could Unlock Something Different In Wisconsin's Defense
Jon Jon Kamara arrived in Madison with a reputation for athleticism and versatility, and Wisconsin appears ready to use that in a role that asks a little more of its linebackers than the usual downhill work. The transfer is expected to fit as the STAR inside linebacker in 2026, a spot that can give the Badgers more flexibility in the middle of the defense while still keeping one of their more intriguing newcomers on the field in meaningful situations.
Kamara is not walking into an easy path for snaps, but he is already viewed as an important piece of the defensive plan and a key backup behind Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano. If he settles into that package role the way Wisconsin hopes, the Badgers could get a bigger front without giving up coverage or pressure ability, which is exactly the kind of optionality that can matter once the season starts to tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Has Wisconsin On Verge Of Another 2028 Recruiting Win
Wisconsins 2028 recruiting class could be getting another early boost, this time up front. Brock Barrows, a three-star offensive lineman from Lees Summit West in Missouri, has become a name to watch after drawing interest from several programs and showing enough pull toward Madison to put the Badgers in a strong position.
If Barrows follows through, he would join linebacker Cale Britt as the second commitment in the class and give Luke Fickell another building block in a cycle that already has Wisconsin sitting near the top of the early national picture. For a program trying to stack talent well before signing day becomes a real conversation, landing an offensive lineman this early would be another sign the Badgers are making themselves a serious factor with 2028 prospects. [Read more 🡒]