Wisconsin’s Week 2 opponent brings a different kind of test than Notre Dame, but Western Illinois still has a handful of players worth tracking when the Badgers line up at Camp Randall on Saturday.
The Leathernecks arrive at 1-1 as an FCS program that has not finished a season above .500 since 2017, and they won’t have the same national cachet Wisconsin just dealt with at Lambeau Field. Even so, Joe Davis’ team has enough recognizable production on both sides of the ball to merit a closer look.
At quarterback, Western Illinois is working through a split that could keep both options involved. McGill handled most of the workload in the opener against Northwestern College and made the most of it, completing 15 of 17 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns while adding 98 rushing yards and two scores on 15 carries.
Carswell had a quieter night in that game, going 5 of 8 for 24 yards and an interception, but the balance shifted in the loss to Illinois State. Carswell finished 9 of 18 for 140 yards and a rushing touchdown, while McGill went 14 of 22 for 123 yards with an interception.
McGill, a fifth-year senior, comes in with experience and a fresh honor after earning Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year following a strong dual-threat 2025 season at Central Washington. Carswell has credentials too, having been the Leathernecks’ primary starter last year and the OVC Offensive Freshman of the Year as a true freshman. Both are captains, both have a case to play, and McGill appears likely to get the first crack while Carswell should still see extended time against Wisconsin.
The most reliable target so far has been Anaya, who has become the early focal point no matter who is under center. Through two games, the fifth-year senior wideout has nine catches for 166 yards, both team highs, and his receiving total is more than 100 yards better than anyone else on the roster. He also finished 2025 with 44 receptions for 458 yards and four touchdowns in eight games.
At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Anaya isn’t the kind of receiver who wins by bullying defenders, but he does have the frame to be a steady all-around threat. He’s already flashed the ability to stretch the field, too, with catches of more than 45 yards in each of Western Illinois’ first two games. That makes him the name Wisconsin has to locate quickly on anything thrown deep.
On defense, Reinicke has been the most active force in the front seven. The senior linebacker has piled up 12 tackles, including eight solo stops, along with two sacks, two tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and a forced fumble across the first two games.
He arrived from Iowa State this season after spending three years there in a reserve role, where he logged 10 tackles and an interception in 11 appearances. He won’t be facing the kind of talent Wisconsin saw from Notre Dame or will run into in Big Ten play, but he’s been around the ball enough to demand attention.
Another name to know in the secondary is Kruger, who has gone from a limited role in his first two seasons to a real playmaker this fall. He made his biggest splash against Northwestern College with two interceptions in the blowout win, then followed that up with eight tackles, including two solo, in the loss to Illinois State.
The junior defensive back from Ankeny, Iowa, checks in at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, and his presence matters after Wisconsin turned it over twice in the loss to the Fighting Irish. Ball security and clean decisions from Colton Joseph will be a big part of keeping the Badgers out of trouble.
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Former Badger Xavier Lucas Just Hit Another Rough Turn At Miami
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For Lucas, it is another frustrating turn after a first year with the Hurricanes that was solid but not spectacular. His absence leaves Miami waiting for one of its more experienced defensive backs to get healthy again, while also putting added pressure on the rest of the rotation to hold up until he returns. [Read more 🡒]