As Wisconsin looks ahead to its 2026 slate, the Badgers’ defense will have its hands full with a deep group of opposing wideouts. Badgers On SI has been rolling out rankings of the top players at each position among Wisconsin’s 12 regular-season opponents, and the receiver list brings plenty of firepower. From Week 1 at Lambeau Field to a late-season trip to Rutgers, these are the five pass catchers set to test Wisconsin.
The biggest problem for the Badgers may come right out of the gate with Notre Dame’s Malachi Faison. A former walk-on and ex-lacrosse player, Faison has grown into the Fighting Irish’s top target.
Last season, he led Notre Dame with 49 catches for 640 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games. Over three seasons, he has posted 98 receptions for 1,318 yards and nine scores, while also helping on punt returns.
At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Faison is not the biggest receiver on the field, but he brings dependable hands and the burst to turn short catches into bigger gains. He is still developing as a route runner, yet the connection he has built with quarterback CJ Carr is already strong. Notre Dame’s receiver room has depth, but Faison should draw plenty of attention when the Irish and Badgers meet in Week 1 at Lambeau Field.
USC’s Ja’Kobi Hines is another name Wisconsin will have to track closely. The true freshman played behind Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane last season, but he still managed 34 receptions for 561 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. When Lemon and Lane sat out the Alamo Bowl, Hines showed what he can do as a lead option, catching six passes for 163 yards against TCU.
Hines has the kind of speed that can stress a defense in a hurry. He can stretch the field and create after the catch, and at 6-foot, 190 pounds, he is also willing to battle for contested balls.
USC added more talent to the room this offseason, including Terrell Anderson from North Carolina State and freshmen Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Ethan Feaster, but Hines already has a strong working relationship with quarterback Jayden Maiava. Wisconsin gets that challenge in Week 8 at Camp Randall Stadium.
The Badgers will also run into one of the Big Ten’s most dangerous returning receivers when Rutgers comes to town in Week 10. Ian Duff is coming off a breakout 2025 season in which he caught 60 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. Those numbers ranked him 10th nationally in receiving yards and earned him Second-Team All-Big Ten recognition.
Duff’s size makes him a headache for defenses. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, he is built to win contested catches and overwhelm defenders at the catch point.
He also flashed his ceiling on the road against Purdue, when he piled up 241 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. With Athan Kaliakmanis gone, AJ Surace and Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan are competing for Rutgers’ starting quarterback job, but Duff should still be a central piece of the offense.
Penn State’s Trebor Eskildsen brings a different kind of threat. He followed head coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State and quickly turned heads after leading the Cyclones in receiving yards last season. In 11 games, he totaled 30 catches for 526 yards and five touchdowns, and he picked up All-Big 12 honorable mention honors.
Eskildsen’s profile jumps off the page. He is listed at 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, and his background as a high school track star gives him elite speed.
That combination landed him on Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” for 2026. Chase Sowell and tight end Benjamin Brahmer could take some targets away, but Eskildsen has the tools for a big junior year.
Wisconsin will see him on the road in Week 4.
Iowa’s Darius Diaz rounds out the group, and he has already made a strong impression since arriving in Iowa City this offseason. As a redshirt freshman at UT Rio Grande Valley, he broke out with 67 catches for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games, earning Southland Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-Conference honors.
Diaz is listed at 5-foot-11 and 176 pounds, but he plays with toughness as both a route runner and a blocker. He can move around the formation, work all three levels of the field, make contested grabs and generate yards after the catch.
Jumping from the FCS level to the Big Ten is no small task, and he will have to fight for targets with Reece Vander Zee, Evan James and tight end DJ Vonnahme. Even so, Diaz has the chance to become a real difference-maker for an Iowa passing game that has not produced a 500-yard receiver since 2019.
Wisconsin visits Kinnick Stadium in Week 9.
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