Wisconsin’s Week 1 trip to Notre Dame didn’t just offer a glimpse of where the Badgers stand early in the season. It also gave NFL scouts a fresh look at several players who helped themselves in a big way.
After a rough stretch for the program that has included its worst season since 1990 and a weak showing in the NFL draft, Wisconsin needed somebody to pop. On Sunday night, a few guys did exactly that.
Malachi Coleman was the headliner. His route-running clips made the rounds for a reason, and the production backed it up: four catches, 76 yards, and a 28-yard touchdown on a double move that showed off exactly why evaluators are intrigued.
At 6-5, Coleman brings a rare blend of wiggle and fluidity, and those traits were on full display against Notre Dame’s secondary. Coleman said this week that Wisconsin wide receivers coach Ari Confesor has sharpened him as a route-runner, helping him get in and out of breaks more cleanly and stop him from “playing too high” - in other words, to help the 6-5 Coleman run routes like he's 6 feet tall.
If that refinement holds, he could be a major problem in the Big Ten.
Sebastian Cheeks also made his case early and often. The leading returner at outside linebacker entered the season with a lot riding on him, especially after defensive coordinator Mike Tressel publicly challenged him to make the kind of jump Darryl Peterson made before his fifth-year senior season.
Cheeks answered on Wisconsin’s first defensive series, strip-sacking Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr while bending around former five-star offensive tackle recruit Will Black. He finished with just the one sack, but he kept showing up as a disruptive force and gave both Irish tackles problems throughout the night.
If that edge-rush juice becomes a weekly thing, Cheeks will get a long look from NFL teams.
On the offensive line, Kevin Cubberly looked like Wisconsin’s best blocker. He came into the season with plenty of buzz after the praise Eric Mateos gave him this offseason and after being thrown into the fire last fall, and he looked like a player who had taken another step.
At 6-6, 325 pounds, Cubberly has the build of an NFL guard, and the physical edge was obvious against Notre Dame. Mateos calls him a “dirtbag,” and Cubberly looked every bit the part Sunday night.
Punter Sean West also added to his resume with one monster kick. West was solid last season, averaging 47.7 yards per punt and landing 14 punts of 50-plus yards, and he even handled two fake punts, one through the air against Washington and one with his legs against Ohio State. Against Notre Dame, he delivered what might have been the best punt of his life: a 70-yarder that landed at the Irish seven-yard line and somehow rolled out of bounds right in front of the front pylon of the end zone.
West won’t be launching that kind of punt every week, but if he keeps performing at a high level, he’ll have a strong case as one of the nation’s top punters.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Fans Face A New Camp Randall Hassle As Demand Slips
Getting to Camp Randall already comes with its own pregame routine, and this fall there is another wrinkle for Wisconsin fans. Badger Way, the pedestrian path near the stadium, is closed because of construction, so anyone heading to the gates will need to find alternate routes. On game days, the traffic picture will get tighter too, with street closures on Breese Terrace and Monroe Street set to begin six hours before kickoff.
The inconvenience arrives at a time when interest around the program is showing some softness as well. Wisconsin footballs 2026 season ticket sales are down 13.1% from the previous year, a reminder that the game-day experience is being shaped by more than what happens between the lines. For a fan base that prides itself on showing up, the combination of detours and declining demand adds a little extra friction to the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Former Badger Xavier Lucas Just Hit Another Rough Turn At Miami
Xavier Lucas second season at Miami has already been interrupted before it could really get going. The former Badgers cornerback was hurt in the Hurricanes season opener, and head coach Mario Cristobal said Lucas is expected to miss about a month, a setback that immediately thins Miamis depth at a spot where continuity matters.
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 🡒]
Luke Fickell Enters Wisconsin Home Opener With More Pressure Than Expected
Wisconsins home opener against Western Illinois should be the kind of game that lets a team breathe a little after Week 1, a chance to settle in, clean up the rough edges and remind everyone what the program is supposed to look like. Instead, it has become another early test of where Luke Fickells tenure stands, because anything short of a convincing showing will only keep the pressure pointed squarely at the Badgers as they try to build some confidence in front of their home crowd.
The setup is complicated by the usual September uncertainty, with injury questions already circling and a few important names still not fully settled heading into the game. There is also the possibility of a sparse turnout, which would leave Wisconsin trying to make its statement in a quieter building than anyone expected for an opener. For a team looking to steady itself, the margin for a flat afternoon feels awfully thin. [Read more 🡒]