The Wisconsin Badgers have opened the year at 4-1 and 2-0 in conference play, and that strong team start has come with a few individual standouts and a few spots where the production has lagged behind the hype.
Some of the names on the “exceeded expectations” side were obvious. Others have simply blown past whatever people thought they’d deliver through five games.
Jacob Harris sits at the top of that list. He’s been the kind of player who changes games in the biggest moments, and his touchdown in the final seconds against Penn State stands out as one of the most memorable plays of the season.
There was reason to believe the Bowling Green transfer could bring something useful to Wisconsin, but he’s done more than that. He’s been the team’s most clutch player and has clearly outperformed expectations.
Gavin Lahm also belongs in that group, even if it’s a little surprising to say it now. After a camp that didn’t inspire much confidence, Lahm has answered in the regular season by coming through in high-pressure situations from all kinds of distances. Kick after kick, he’s delivered.
Then there’s Sebastian Cheeks, who was expected to be good - just not quite this good. He’s been disruptive snap after snap and currently leads the nation in quarterback pressures. He still needs to finish more often than he has, but he’s been punishing opposing left tackles all season.
On the other side, Wisconsin has a much shorter list of disappointments so far, which says plenty about how the season has gone overall.
PJ Wilkins is the first starter to be benched this year, and that alone makes him the clearest underachiever on the roster. He has the kind of ceiling that makes you want to keep believing, but the effort and consistency haven’t matched the talent.
He was out of the starting offense against Michigan State, and the line looked like it took a real step forward without him. Wisconsin can still use what he brings, but he has to go earn it.
Justus Boone is next. He hasn’t been a bust, but he also hasn’t given Wisconsin the pass-rushing juice it needs alongside Sebastian Cheeks.
Through five games, Boone has 12 tackles, yet he hasn’t emerged as the force off the edge that the Badgers were hoping for. He’s working in the rotation behind Tyrese Fearbry, and that’s part of why the bar here feels a little tricky, but the expectation was bigger than this.
The final spot goes to Abu Sama III, though even that comes with some hesitation. The rushing attack has been one of the softer parts of Wisconsin’s start, and Sama has been part of that story.
He missed multiple games and hasn’t yet looked like the dominant presence the Badgers were counting on when he’s been available. Jaylon Domingeaux was considered too, but since he’s been injured the whole season, that didn’t feel entirely fair.
Sama gets the nod here, with the sense that he may not stay on this list for long.
In Other News...
UCLA Puts Its Perfect Start To The Test Against Wisconsin
UCLA arrives at the Rose Bowl carrying real momentum, with a 5-0 start and a No. 12 national ranking after knocking off Oregon. For Wisconsin, this is the kind of early-season measuring-stick game that can say plenty about where the Badgers stand, even after opening 4-1 and putting themselves in position for a meaningful October road test.
The matchup also puts a spotlight on how Wisconsin handles a Bruin offense that has leaned on Wayne Knight and a running game that has been hard to slow. The betting market appears to favor UCLA to keep rolling, but the Badgers have enough on the board already to make this a useful indicator of whether they can hang with a team that has looked the part of a top-15 contender so far. [Read more 🡒]
Colton Joseph Has Extra Motivation For Wisconsins Biggest Road Test
Colton Joseph has a built-in storyline for Wisconsins trip to UCLA, and it starts with the setting as much as the opponent. The quarterback said he is excited to play in his home state and experience the Rose Bowl for the first time, a neat twist for a Badgers team heading into one of its biggest road tests of the season. Coming out of the bye week, Joseph also pointed to the work the offense put in during the break, with the offensive line spending time preparing for the challenge ahead.
Wisconsin has a little extra edge after being left out of the AP Top 25, and Joseph said the group understands the importance of responding on the road. UCLAs defense will demand clean football, and ball security came up as a major point of emphasis in his media availability. With family support in the stands and a familiar backdrop for him personally, Joseph enters the game with more than just a conference matchup on his mind. [Read more 🡒]
Why Wisconsin Suddenly Has A Real Shot At No. 12 UCLA
UCLA enters this matchup riding plenty of momentum under new head coach Bob Chesney, sitting at 5-0 and newly ranked No. 12 after taking down No. 13 Oregon. For Wisconsin, the timing of a bye week gives the Badgers a chance to reset before facing a team that has looked every bit like a top-15 contender, especially on the ground. The Bruins have leaned on a rushing attack that has been one of the more productive parts of their early-season success, which makes this a particularly interesting test for a Wisconsin defense built to resist exactly that kind of pressure.
The wrinkle, of course, is at quarterback. Nico Iamaleavas knee injury leaves UCLA scrambling to adjust behind center, and the burden now shifts to less experienced backups in a game that suddenly looks a lot less straightforward. Wisconsins path to making this one close gets clearer if its run defense holds up and forces UCLA into uncomfortable spots, but the Badgers also have to take advantage of a rare opening against a team that was rolling just days ago. [Read more 🡒]