The Badgers have a lot of holes on their roster at a number of positions.
The Wisconsin Badgers are now in offseason mode after a 24-7 loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday officially eliminated them from bowl contention, marking the first time in 22 years that they won’t make a postseason appearance.
It was a disappointing campaign for the Badgers in Year 2 under head coach Luke Fickell, as they struggled against a tougher schedule, fading hard as the season ended with five consecutive losses.
Now, heading into a crucial offseason, it’s time to retool for the Badgers, as they have a number of key positions to address for 2025.
Let’s break down the state of every position and what the Badgers may need to do, starting on the offensive side of the ball.
Quarterbacks
The Badgers need a quarterback, even with the recent addition of 2025 four-star quarterback Carter Smith.
Wisconsin currently has five projected scholarship quarterbacks for the 2025 season: Tyler Van Dyke (assuming he takes a medical redshirt), Braedyn Locke, Mabrey Mettauer, Carter Smith, and Landyn Locke.
So, why do they need another option? Well, it’s extremely unlikely that all five quarterbacks will remain with the Badgers through the offseason, as there could be a wide number of possibilities with the transfer portal.
Wisconsin could lose their entire room outside of Smith in a scenario, but they could also retain a number of players. At the moment, it’s safe to say they will likely go with four or five scholarship quarterbacks heading into the 2025 season, with the transfer portal seeming like a more enticing option as the offseason looms.
But, who those four or five are is entirely up in the air.
Running Backs
Even with the departures of Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker, the Badgers seem pretty set at running back, which is one of the more stable groups on the roster.
They’re currently projected to have five scholarship backs next year: Darrion Dupree, Dilin Jones, Cade Yacamelli, Jackson Acker, and Gideon Ituka. They don’t have a 2025 commit at the position, nor are they expected to with the early signing period just days away.
But, could there be movement in the group? Potentially.
Dupree has taken on a big role in 2024 with the hopes of developing him into the No. 1 back in 2025, which seems to be the plan. But, his counterpart Dilin Jones didn’t earn any meaningful reps this season, maintaining his redshirt. Could he break into the fold or is it possible for him to entertain a move?
At the moment, if this is the current group, the Badgers seem to be content rolling into next year with a number of younger players leading the charge. But, movement out could result in some movement in to maintain roster flexibility.
Wide Receivers
The Badgers are losing two scholarship receivers this offseason with Bryson Green and Haakon Anderson out of eligibility, but they bring in two players in their 2025 class with four-stars Cameron Miller and Eugene Hilton.
As a result, they have 12 projected scholarship wideouts, but this group could very well see some movement in and out. Wisconsin’s wide receivers underwhelmed for the second straight year in 2024, and it’s becoming apparent they need a consistent No. 1 option on the outside, which could be a target in the transfer portal.
Movement out is expected as well, while the future of wideout Will Pauling is uncertain after a down season. He was expected to entertain the NFL waters, but that decision could change after hearing feedback from scouts.
So, this group has bodies. But, it doesn’t feel like it’s done, be it with movement in or out.
Tight Ends
Wisconsin’s tight end room is one of their youngest groups on the roster. They could lose Riley Nowakowski, a redshirt senior, but he is eligible to return for a sixth year with the COVID season.
Elsewhere, everyone else is set to return, giving the Badgers eight scholarship tight ends after landing two 2025 commits. Here’s the full projected room: Nowakowski, Tucker Ashcraft, JT Seagraves, Jackson McGohan, Grant Stec, Rob Booker, Nizyi Davis, and Emmett Bork.
Even if there is some movement out, this group is young enough with a ton of Luke Fickell-recruited players that it seems fairly set heading into 2025. But, there needs to be more production from the group, both from a blocking and a receiving perspective.
Offensive Line
Wisconsin is expected to lose much of its starting line to the NFL this year, as tackles Riley Mahlman and Jack Nelson are expected to declare, while right guard Joe Huber is out of eligibility. There is also the chance that center Jake Renfro could leave, but he does have another season of eligibility thanks to a medical redshirt and did not walk on Senior Day.
If Renfro stays, he and left guard Joe Brunner would be the two returnees along the offensive line, and Wisconsin has a ton of scholarship talent at the position.
Kevin Heywood is expected to step into the starting left tackle role, while rising redshirt senior JP Benzschawel should be the projected right guard after patiently waiting his turn at Wisconsin. At right tackle, the Badgers have options with Vanderbilt transfer Leyton Nelson and rising redshirt freshman Emerson Mandell potentially being the top candidates.
This group could see movement out. After all, there could be 16 scholarship linemen in the group if Renfro stays. But, it seems like the Badgers are set at the position after racking up back-to-back five-linemen classes in 2024 and 2025.