At First Glance: Week 12 Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) gives a handoff to running back Darrion Dupree (6) during football practice, July 30, 2025, at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium in Platteville, Wisconsin. Subscriber Content Week Week: Wisconsin Badgers Date & Time: Saturday, November 15th, TBA Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana TV: TBA Badgers at a Glance Head Coach: Luke Fickell Entering his 3rd season as Wisconsin’s Head Coach (13-13, 8-1) Head Coaching Record: 76-38 (Ohio State, Cincinnati, Wisconsin) Last Season: 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) Badgers Returning Leaders Passing: No player that threw a pass for Wisconsin is returning in 2025 Rushing: Darrion Dupree (79 carries, 317 yards, 1 TD) Receiving: Vinny Anthony (39 receptions, 672 yards, 4 TDs) Tackles: LB Christian Alliegro (66 tackles, 3 Sacks, 5 TFLs) Badgers Preseason Predictions Athlon: 13th in Big Ten Lindy’s: 12th in Big Ten Phil Steele: 12th in Big Ten SP+: 37th Nationally Impact Newcomers for the Badgers Billy Edwards Jr, QB (Transfer from Maryland) Jayden Ballard, WR (Transfer from Ohio State) Charles Perkins, DT (Transfer From UT-Martin) Parker Peterson, NT(Transfer From Tulane) Biggest Questions Facing the Badgers Can Luke Fickell navigate a difficult, front loaded schedule? How quickly can Wisconsin get back to their roots on offense? Can the transfers on the defensive line help solidify that side of the ball? Wisconsin football head coach Luke Fickell observes practice Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium in Platteville, Wisconsin. Program Preview The Wisconsin Badgers have fallen from their perch among the Big Ten’s best over the last several years. The Badgers haven’t been to a bowl game in head coach Luke Fickell’s first two seasons and have not looked like the smash mouth Badgers that everyone was used to seeing. Wisconsin’s schedule is their biggest hurdle in getting back to the postseason and building momentum. The Badgers play at Alabama, Michigan and Oregon along with home games against Ohio State and Iowa all before November. The final four games are home dates with Washington and Illinois and road trips to Indiana and Minnesota. It’s year three of Luke Fickell and his seat may be getting warm quickly by the time the Badgers come to Bloomington. In an effort to improve offensively Fickell brought in Jeff Grimes (BYU) to run the offense. Offensive Preview New offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes wants to get back to what Wisconsin Badger football has been for nearly 30 years. Grimes’ offense works around a wide zone running game and a play action passing game. Sounds like a good fit for the Badgers, but personnel matters too. Wisconsin brought in former Maryland starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. to run the offense. Edwards has the ability to run the ball and throw the ball well. IU fans know he can do both as he has burned the Hoosiers in the past. However, Edwards struggles with pressure as he threw nine interceptions to his 15 touchdowns last year. If Edwards struggles, the Badgers may be in as the depth behind him is thin. Danny O’Neil comes in from San Diego State where he threw for more than 2,000 yards in 11 starts, but it speaks volumes that there is not a quarterback battle. Behind O’Neil is Southern Illinois transfer Hunter Simmons. Much of the offense’s success will be determined by the offensive line. It could be a good one that has some veteran pieces who are ready to get back to pounding the football. Center Jake Renfroe (6’4’, 313) has not been as good as he was as a freshman at Cincinnati, but he’s experienced. Senior Joe Brunner (6’5”, 318) has played in 26 games the last three seasons and will be starting at left guard. JP Benzchawel (6’6”, 320) is another senior with a ton of experience. He returns to start at right guard. The tackle positions will be manned by junior Riley Mahlman (6’8”, 320) and senior Davis Heinzen (6’5”, 310). There is plenty of solid depth on the line as well. The Badgers run game will feature some fresh faces. Redshirt freshman Dilin Jones, sophomore Darrion Dupree and junior Cade Yacamelli will all compete for carries. Jones will likely get the nod for the starting spot, but if Wisconsin is going to run the ball more, all three backs will get plenty of time. Wisconsin did lose wide receiver Will Pauling to Notre Dame, but the group could be the best it has been in the last few years. Vinny Anthony is a big play threat, averaging 17.2 yards per catch. Former top recruit Jayden Ballard transferred in from Ohio State and could play his way into the starting lineup. Junior Chris Brooks played in 12 games last season, but only had 27 yards receiving. Slot receiver Trech Kekahuna is back after making 25 catches for 339 yards as a redshirt freshman in 2024. Tucker Ashcraft is back for his junior season after 12 catches and 82 yards last season. Missouri State transfer Lance Martin has 25 games of starting experience under his belt and 800 yards receiving over the last three seasons. He could be the playmaker at tight end Wisconsin has been desperate to see again. Defensive Preview Mike Tressell and his 3-4 defense is back in Madison. The Badgers allowed 23.1 points per game, their highest total since 2018. There could be improvements on this side of the ball if the transfers along the defensive line can play to their potential. The Badgers hit the portal hard on the defensive line and reeled in some big fish. Defensive End Corey Walker comes over from Western Michigan after 23 starts and appearing in 32 games. He’s had eight sacks and nine passes deflected in the last three seasons. He will likely be behind Darryl Peterson who has 21 starts over the last four years. Peterson has been productive with 104 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. Ben Barten will try to hold off Tulane transfer Parker Petersen who played in 20 games with the Green Wave, for one of the defensive tackle positions. Jay’Viar Suggs will play the three-tech position and be backed up by UT-Martin transfer Charles Perkins who had an outstanding spring. Christian Alliegro will man the weak side linebacker spot after posting 66 tackles and five tackles for loss last season. Senior Sebastian Cheeks is back after making only 12 tackles in 2024 after arriving from UNC. Tackett Curtis will man the middle. He made 27 tackles last season. The returning production is pretty thin at linebacker. The Badgers do play with a nickel back instead of fourth linebacker usually. Cornerback Ricardo Hallman returns to headline the secondary. He has had a very productive career, but that did not show in the stat book last season. Hallman has eight career interceptions, with seven coming in 2023. Nyzier Fourqurean will start opposite Hallman and had 51 tackles and an interception last season. At nickel, the Badgers will turn to Jacksonville State transfer Geimere Latimer. Latimer started 14 games and picked off four passes over the last two seasons. Replacing safety and leading tackler for 2024 Hunter Wohler will fall to junior Austin Brown and senior Preston Zachman. They combined for two interceptions and 88 tackles last season. Special Teams Preview Punter Atticus Bertrams is back and is one of the better punters in the conference with a 41.3 yard per punt average. Michigan transfer Stone Anderson backs him up. The Badgers will be breaking in a transfer at kicker with Ohio transfer Nathanial Vakos. He has made 22-of-27 field goals in his career. Wisconsin had Vinny Anthony handle kick and punt returns last season and could do so again this year. But they have options in Jayden Ballard. 2025 FIRST GLANCE PREVIEWS Week One: Old Dominion Week Two: Kennesaw State Week Three: Indiana State Week Four: Illinois Fighting Illini Week Five: Iowa Hawkeyes Week Seven: Oregon Ducks Week Eight: Michigan State Spartans Week Nine: UCLA Bruins Week Ten: Marryland Terrapins Week Eleven: Penn State Nittany Lions Subscribe to get access Read more of this content when you subscribe today. Log in

At First Glance: Week 12 Wisconsin Badgers

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