Wisconsin’s 2026 schedule may look friendlier on paper, but the Badgers still have a couple of heavyweight offensive tests looming.
That’s especially true after Notre Dame and USC were both named to On3’s preseason top 10 offenses for 2026. Those two were already obvious headaches for Wisconsin’s defense, and now they’re officially sitting among the nation’s most dangerous units.
The Irish bring back redshirt sophomore quarterback CJ Carr, who threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions last season while completing 66.6 percent of his passes. He also added three rushing scores.
Notre Dame won’t have generational tailback Jeremiyah Love, who is off to the NFL, but Aneyas Williams looks ready to take over that role, and Jordan Faison gives Carr one of the better returning receivers in the country. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock also remains a major piece of the puzzle.
USC has its own firepower. Jayden Maiava is back after a season that saw him post 3,711 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 66 percent of his throws. The Trojans also have a stable of promising running backs, most of their offensive line returning and, as usual, a deep group of productive wideouts.
For Wisconsin, the bigger question is who else on the schedule could join that elite offensive tier. Penn State looks like the most obvious candidate right now. The Nittany Lions’ offensive depth chart is heavily shaped by Iowa State transfers, and fifth-year senior quarterback Rocco Becht leads a group that looks experienced and productive.
That’s a far cry from last fall, when Wisconsin drew one of the nation’s toughest schedules while also fielding its worst team in recent memory, especially on offense. The Badgers faced a third of the College Football Playoff field and six teams that finished in the top 25. Their strength of schedule was rated at 9.40 by sports reference, and the last time Wisconsin had anything close to that kind of slate was 1995, when it went 4-5-2 and posted a 9.94 strength of schedule.
This year is a different story. Wisconsin has the easiest schedule in the Big Ten and one of the lightest among Power Four teams. The Badgers avoid Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan, and their conference slate includes Maryland, Purdue, Rutgers and Michigan State.
Even with that break, Mike Tressel’s defense won’t get much time to settle in. Notre Dame is waiting in Week 1, and that’s a brutal opening assignment for a unit that will need to be ready right away.
In Other News...
Wisconsin May Finally Have A Tight End Answer Fans Can Trust
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Harris still has to earn his role in a room that includes portal addition Ryan Schwendeman and returnees Grant Stec and Emmett Bork, so nothing is being handed to him. Still, position coach Nate Letton has been encouraged by what he sees from Harris as a receiver and a mover, which is why this competition feels more promising than the usual preseason guesswork around Wisconsin's tight ends. [Read more 🡒]
Nolan Winter Is Finally Getting The National Buzz Badgers Fans Expected
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The attention is still in its early stages, but it is notable all the same because Winter is the only Wisconsin player included in the initial preseason Wooden Award odds. He sits with the 19th-best chances entering the year, a sign that his production has begun to travel beyond Madison, even if the bigger question now is how far he can push that profile once the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Three Former Badgers Are Fighting For Very Different NBA Futures
The 2026 NBA Summer League is down to its final game for every team, and three former Wisconsin Badgers are still trying to turn a few strong weeks into something more permanent. John Tonje, Nick Boyd and Steven Crowl all got their shot to show they can belong at the next level, but the paths ahead are already starting to look very different as the league calendar winds down.
Tonje appears to have the cleanest route into an NBA opportunity, while Boyd is staring at a much tougher climb with Golden State and may have to look beyond the league if the door stays shut. Crowl, meanwhile, is fighting just to keep his name in the conversation for a training camp look, which makes this last game feel especially important even if it does not fully settle what comes next. [Read more 🡒]