Wisconsin’s 2026 season opener is already looking like a heavyweight test.
When the Badgers meet Notre Dame on Sept. 6 at Lambeau Field, they’ll be staring across from one of the deepest and most dangerous rosters in the country. USA TODAY’s preseason player rankings only sharpen that picture: five Fighting Irish players made the outlet’s Top 100 College Football Players for 2026, and three of them landed inside the top 30.
At the top of that group is cornerback Leonard Moore, who checked in at No. 4 overall. Moore comes off unanimous All-American honors in 2025 and heads into the new season as one of the nation’s premier defensive backs.
That makes him a major early hurdle for Wisconsin’s new offense, which will be led by Old Dominion transfer quarterback Colton Joseph. Joseph was recently added to the Manning Award Watch List.
Notre Dame’s quarterback also drew a prominent spot on the list. CJ Carr came in at No. 18 after a strong redshirt freshman season in which he threw for 2,471 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
The Irish defense is stacked beyond Moore, too. Three more Notre Dame defenders cracked the rankings: Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa at No.
28, Tae Johnson at No. 60 and Drayk Bowen at No. 77.
The team-wide respect is just as loud. Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 in USA TODAY’s preseason team re-rank, which only underscores how steep Wisconsin’s challenge will be in Week 1. For the Badgers, that opener offers a chance to make a statement right away against a roster loaded with proven talent.
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Wisconsins Notre Dame Opener Just Got More Interesting For One Reason
The lead-up to Wisconsins opener against No. 4 Notre Dame has taken on a different look on both sides of the ball, with the Badgers dealing with questions up front and the Irish sorting through a couple of notable injury issues of their own. For Wisconsin, the focus has been on the availability of starting offensive linemen Emerson Mandell and Kevin Heywood, a concern that only adds to the challenge of protecting the quarterback in a matchup that already looked steep on paper.
Notre Dames latest injury report makes the matchup even more worth watching, especially with linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa listed as questionable and wide receiver Quincy Porter ruled out for Week 1. Porters absence matters because he was expected to be part of the starting receiving group, while Viliamu-Asas status could affect the Irish defenses depth as the game approaches. For the Badgers, any edge in a season opener like this can matter, and the health updates on both sidelines could shape how the first major test of the year unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins 2027 Class Is Sparking A Debate Badgers Fans Wont Ignore
Wisconsins 2027 basketball recruiting class has already stirred up a familiar kind of debate among Badgers fans, and it starts with how the national services are valuing the group. Guard Jalen Brown, forward Baboucarr Ann and center Jack Thelen are all viewed by most outlets as top-100 level prospects, which is enough to make this class stand out before any of them have even arrived in Madison.
ESPNs latest update, though, only included Brown at No. 96 and left Ann and Thelen unranked, a discrepancy that has only added fuel to the discussion. Rankings always come with some built-in subjectivity, and the real test for Wisconsins staff will come later, when the trio is actually on campus and the comparisons shift from internet lists to what they look like once practice starts. [Read more 🡒]
Eight Former Badgers Just Earned A New Reason For Fans To Watch
The 2026 NFL Draft came and went without a Wisconsin selection, but the Badgers still found a way into the league conversation. Several undrafted former Wisconsin players signed free agent deals, got into preseason action and kept themselves in the mix long enough to survive the first wave of roster cuts, which is no small accomplishment in a league where the margins are razor thin.
Now eight former Badgers have a new home on practice squads around the NFL, with landing spots spread across teams like the Rams, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Saints, Giants, Panthers and 49ers. For Wisconsin fans, it is a familiar kind of late-summer scoreboard to follow: not draft night headlines, but the slower, quieter progress of players hanging on, earning another chance and giving the Badgers a reason to keep an eye on Sundays a little differently. [Read more 🡒]