Wisconsin Football 2025

[LouisEly]

1 hour ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

NIL or not, there are plenty of excellent HS players who would play at Wisconsin. They either aren't getting the right kids anymore or don't know how to put them together, or some combination of both. 

There is a third reason - there has been a lack of talent coming from WI and MN the last 6 years.

Yes, there have been a handful of really good players, but most of them came from Catholic families and went to Catholic schools and when you're a Catholic family and Notre Dame comes calling... it's really hard to say no.  The other really good player went to Ohio State.  And Ohio State and Notre Dame have a lot bigger NIL war chests than UW has. 

The few other top recruits went to HS their last 2-3 years in WI but didn't grow up there, so there wasn't the history of watching the Rose Bowl teams and JJ Watt, Russell Wilson, etc.  No emotional connection to UW, it's just another school near where they lived at some point in their life.

But behind those guys there has been a big dropoff in talent.  There hasn't been the underrated mid-3-star to high 2-star kids that filled the roster.  Some of the others (JP Benzschawel, etc.) just didn't pan out.

[nate82]

1 hour ago, owbc said:

The real reason was the pressure to be a national championship contender which caused them to fire coaches who were loyal to Wisconsin and doing a pretty good job in pursuit of a radical program change that would supposedly vault them to the next level. This just happened to occur at the same time as NIL, which gave the programs with the biggest donor/sponsorship bases a huge advantage that they didn't previously have.

The program was fading fast and hard under PC.  This isn’t a recent problem.  This has been occurring for awhile now and at least one or two years before Fickell arrived.

PC basically gave up on recruiting after Mertz.  He completely gave up and was disinterested in even recruiting at all.  PC was a serious problem for the program and was rightly fired.  The others leaving have hurt but how much no idea.

I don’t believe Leonhard would have faired any better than Fickell in fact I believe the record would be worse.  

[Jim French Stepstool]

8 hours ago, RedStickBrew said:

It was nice to see the TEs involved in the pass game. 

With the state of the OL, I think they're going to need help blocking in both the run game & pass pro from guys like Acker, Yacamelli & the TEs. I don't know if Stec is physical enough for that, and in the past I never noticed a lot from Ashcraft in that regard. But yeah, Stec seems to have good hands & looked like he could find seams.

Here's hoping they give you a good effort down there in a couple weeks.

[Jim French Stepstool]

8 hours ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

I'll be the first to say my knowledge of CFB is minimal, but the NIL sounds like a half-hearted excuse. UW has never really been recruiting blue chips in either major sport. They get them now and again, but they weren't getting guys who would have scored big NILs outside of a handful of kids. They did well on local kids, mostly linemen, and a pipeline of skill guys from NJ who were getting passed over by the top tier.

NIL or not, there are plenty of excellent HS players who would play at Wisconsin. They either aren't getting the right kids anymore or don't know how to put them together, or some combination of both. 

The basketball program will power through probably because they simply don't need as many players and similarly, they've been doing it anyway with a core of unsexy guys. I don't know. Just seems like there is more to it than 'Poor UW, the NIL just isn't fair.' Seems like that's a pass they don't deserve.

Not to steer this away from what it is---a FB thread---but basketball has been much less 'unsexy' in recent years w/regard to the type of players they're going after & getting, while still having a firm handle on the "developmental program" aspect. Combined with an excellent coach, staff & philosophy, while smoothly transitioning to the portal & pay era has left the program in a pretty strong spot.

I agree that NIL isn't a good excuse for FB. Bringing in a new coach that made some obvious hiring mistakes on his staff, while at the same time enduring the changes to the recruiting landscape w/o having anyone directly involved in state ties (still important even if it's less so than years ago) leads to a continuity challenge, which they still seem to be fighting heading into year three.

[Jim French Stepstool]

7 hours ago, LouisEly said:

 

But behind those guys there has been a big dropoff in talent.  There hasn't been the underrated mid-3-star to high 2-star kids that filled the roster.  Some of the others (JP Benzschawel, etc.) just didn't pan out.

Would part of the problem be that the 2-3 star kids in past years were under the wing of a coaching staff that was exceptional at developing? Or that kids of that ilk are no longer going to stay in one place long enough to get developed because they can leave w/o having to sit out? Could be either, or both.

I know that when you bring in a replacement from another school that's played for 2-3 years, you may be able to tweak a little but for the most part you're getting what you're getting. It's why my biggest hope for the defensive lineman they added is that they can occupy blockers so the LBs can make plays.

[LouisEly]

5 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Would part of the problem be that the 2-3 star kids in past years were under the wing of a coaching staff that was exceptional at developing? Or that kids of that ilk are no longer going to stay in one place long enough to get developed because they can leave w/o having to sit out?

I'm referring to those kids who are from Wisconsin.  The ones who traditionally filled out the OL/LB/TE spots.  WI just hasn't been producing many of them the last 5-6 years.  It's been a couple of 4-star kids, one or two 3-stars, and then a sharp dropoff to the kids who go to Northern Illinois/South Dakota State.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, LouisEly said:

I'm referring to those kids who are from Wisconsin.  The ones who traditionally filled out the OL/LB/TE spots.  WI just hasn't been producing many of them the last 5-6 years.  It's been a couple of 4-star kids, one or two 3-stars, and then a sharp dropoff to the kids who go to Northern Illinois/South Dakota State.

Got it, and I agree. Just saying the ones from WI or elsewhere that don't see the field immediately just aren't quite as likely to stick around for developmental time like they were pre-portal. It's true everywhere else as well, but for a place known for coaching kids up it's that much bigger of a change.

Yeah, we're in Classic 8 (WI) country, arguably the best HS FB league in the state. And indeed there does seem to be a dry spell talent-wise.

[nate82]

I am tired of hearing about how WI can’t compete in the NIL money.  The war chest that UW has is rather large.  Far larger than Nebraska’s, is what I have been told by some insiders.  Can the Badgers compete with the Texas or Ohio States?  No but they can compete with the ASU’s, PSU and other likely teams.

It feels like some are like we can’t compete with the best so we are doomed.  I don’t believe this and the Badgers have signed some highly ranked prospects in the last recruitment cycle.  This is a complete change from the PC era where it was we wouldn’t even try to recruit unless the player already committed.  PC was such a lazy coach when it came to recruiting. 

[homer]

Interesting article on elite recruits and NIL money:

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-recruiting-elite-2026-commits-sound-off-on-nil-packages-schools-offering-most-money-to-sign/

I think the NIL stuff will mostly impact the 5-star elite recruits which UW rarely gets. Maybe 1 every couple of years?

Quote

One recruit said he was offered nearly $1 million to sign with the promise of a "$100,000 bonus if you start." He did not commit to that program despite that being the largest NIL package he received.

"I picked my school based on where I could see myself growing and developing into the best player I can be for the next three to four years," the recruit said. "I don't want to go somewhere just for the money and end up transferring and looking for somewhere else."

But also

Quote

Even college football's elite have felt the effects of losing recruiting battles to others over money. Five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry helped Texas secure the top-ranked signing class in the 2025 cycle after pledging to the Longhorns over Georgia largely due to an enhanced offer.

Miami's sizable NIL package helped the Hurricanes land five-star 2026 offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell over Georgia, Oregon and Ohio State. And the Bulldogs lost out on retaining two-year starting quarterback Carson Beck this offseason after he chose to transfer to Miami for reportedly more than $4 million as one of the top players on the market.

 

[LouisEly]

Underwood reportedly got $10M to go to Michigan.  Allegedly it came Larry Ellison via the urging of his 33-year-old sugar baby, err, wife, who is a Michigan alum.

[Samurai Bucky]

So I went to Seattle this weekend and had my standard Badgers hat, shirts (along with some Brewers stuff, too).  Little did I know that I was staying at the same hotel as the Washington Huskies (they stay off campus the night before home games).  Sporting my red Motion-W hat, I got to meet a bunch of players.  They joked and said that it was the wrong "W".  They were all very cool.

I got to chat with one of the assistant strength and conditioning coaches.  He was awesome as well.  "We got you guys here in a couple of weeks."  All of the interactions were very positive.

I should have taken some selfies... 😢

[da swedish german]

went to school at Madison. loved the badgers. sold dong bags and candy to high as hell pj hill and Johnathan casillas daily

college football is so gross and grimy. I cheer on it's eventual death 

[AKCheesehead]

On 9/1/2025 at 8:57 AM, Samurai Bucky said:

So I went to Seattle this weekend and had my standard Badgers hat, shirts (along with some Brewers stuff, too).  Little did I know that I was staying at the same hotel as the Washington Huskies (they stay off campus the night before home games).  Sporting my red Motion-W hat, I got to meet a bunch of players.  They joked and said that it was the wrong "W".  They were all very cool.

I got to chat with one of the assistant strength and conditioning coaches.  He was awesome as well.  "We got you guys here in a couple of weeks."  All of the interactions were very positive.

I should have taken some selfies... 😢

Good thing you were there and not Eugene.  Ducks fans probably would have thrown who knows what at you, the bunch of animals. 

[Samurai Bucky]

This is going to be a very, very long season...

[yourout]

10 minutes ago, Samurai Bucky said:

This is going to be a very, very long season...

Athletic coffers are going to take a big hit.

[AKCheesehead]

11 minutes ago, Samurai Bucky said:

This is going to be a very, very long season...

Yes.  Although I've been pretty well emotionally detached from college football for a few years now.  I would like to see them beat PJ and his goofs though.  I hate not having the axe. 

[OldHeidelberg]

After so many happy Badger football memories it’s really painful to say they are pretty much unwatchable at this point. Ugh.

[yourout]

Fickel is a fraud. His Cincinnati teams were strictly because of his two coordinators neither of which came with him.

[nate82]

Just now, yourout said:

Fickel is a fraud. His Cincinnati teams were strictly because of his two coordinators neither of which came with him.

Ehh that third down pass was on the QB the TE was wide open and an easy pass to make and for whatever reason the QB threw it so far away from the TE.  On 4th down again off the mark with the throw but the WR was able to adjust and make the catch for the TD.  

The run on 2nd down was seen well before the play was even ran.  I am glad we don't have PC as he would have just ran it again on 3rd down and it would have been stuffed and then kicked a FG.  Assuming he would have even been able to get the ball down the field that is.  Definitely wouldn't have the WR's we have now on the team with PC.  I believe the Badgers would look more like Northwestern with PC or Leonhard leading the team.  Leonhard probably is fired after year this year if he was picked over Fickell.  

[nate82]

This center sucks.  Has he ever played center in his life?

[nate82]

The passing game looks very far ahead of the running game and Trech looking good but not sure he was inbounds on that catch but what a catch with Trech!

[Samurai Bucky]

This reminds me of Gary Anderson v2.  Remember when he came in and was going to change the Badger identity?  He was looking for smaller lineman who were "more athletic."  That is what I see with Fickel.

No border around the state to keep the lineman local.

It starts in the trenches and the Badgers have shown zero ability to win in the trenches.  They also do not have any DBs that can play cover.  Boooo.

 

43 minutes ago, AKCheesehead said:

Yes.  Although I've been pretty well emotionally detached from college football for a few years now.  I would like to see them beat PJ and his goofs though.  I hate not having the axe. 

I graduated in '92 and was in the band during my years at Wisconsin starting in '87.  Since I graduated, I have ALWAYS followed the Badgers closely.  This year, not so much.  Of course, it might be because I'm spending more time following the Brew Crew.  Hmmmmm....

[nate82]

Oh man loving some of these play fakes.  I don't think PC was smart enough to do these type of plays.

[nate82]

2 minutes ago, Samurai Bucky said:

No border around the state to keep the lineman local.

There really hasn't been many good lineman in the state in the past few years let alone players that want to stay in state and play for the Badgers.  There have been a lot of 1 star and 2 star players in the state.  Do we really want to covet those players just because they are from WI?  This just doesn't make any sense.  

[nate82]

Much better in the 2nd half.