The Wisconsin Badgers are still a work in progress, but the jump they’ve made from 2025 to 2026 is hard to miss. They’re 4-1 now, and a matchup with the No. 12 UCLA Bruins is sitting right in front of them this week.
A lot has sharpened up for Wisconsin along the way. The defense is still getting heat on the quarterback through Sebastian Cheeks, holding up against the run well enough, and doing strong work in coverage. On offense, the Badgers have produced explosive plays and started to get more out of the ground game, even if the unit still hasn’t hit its peak.
One of the clearest bright spots has been pass protection. Through five games, the offensive line has consistently given Colton Joseph clean pockets, and that’s helped stabilize the offense. Wisconsin also made a tweak in week five, moving Kevin Heywood to the left side and sliding Emerson Mandell to right tackle to make room for Stylz Blackmon at right guard.
Whether that alignment becomes the long-term answer remains to be seen, but the line has already put together a strong start. Through six weeks, Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in fewest sacks allowed.
The Badgers have given up just one sack all season and have allowed only 30 pressures through five games. Remove PJ Wilkins and his 10 pressures allowed, and that number looks even better.
That strength is about to be tested. UCLA has generated 56 pressures in its first five games, with Sahir West pacing the Bruins at 16. Sammy Omosigho has 13, and Scott Taylor has 11.
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 🡒]
Wisconsins Fast Start Has Fans Debating Whos Delivering And Who Isnt
Wisconsins 4-1 start and 2-0 mark in conference play have done more than boost the mood around Camp Randall. They have also sharpened the conversation about which players have helped drive the early success and which ones still have room to come around as the season settles in. Through five games, the Badgers have seen some clearly positive surprises emerge from roles that were not always expected to produce this much so soon.
Jacob Harris, Gavin Lahm and Sebastian Cheeks have stood out as players outperforming expectations, while PJ Wilkins, Justus Boone and Abu Sama III have not quite matched the level Wisconsin has needed from them yet. Those kinds of early-season judgments are never final, especially this early in the year, but they do matter for a team trying to keep building on a strong start and sort out where the biggest gains still have to come from. [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 🡒]