New faces lead the way at wide receiver this year for Wisconsin.
Spring ball has officially started for the Wisconsin Badgers, who will resume practices after spring break starting on Tuesday.
Rebuilding their roster this season, the Badgers saw several changes in and out at wide receiver, losing three of their top players from a season ago: Bryson Green (eligibility), Will Pauling (transfer), and C.J. Williams (transfer).
As a result, there was work to be done, so Wisconsin hit the transfer portal, bringing in Ohio State transfer Jayden Ballard and Idaho transfer Mark Hamper to join returner Vinny Anthony.
Now, with some new faces, how does the wide receiver room look for Wisconsin entering spring ball?
Projected Depth Chart
Starters: Vinny Anthony, Jayden Ballard, Trech Kekahuna (slot)
Backups: Mark Hamper, Tyrell Henry, Kyan Berry-Johnson (slot)
There’s quite a bit of room for movement with the wide receivers, but currently, Vinny Anthony is one set-in-stone starter on the outside, while Trech Kekahuna should be the top slot receiver after coming back.
Anthony had a strong season in 2024, accumulating 672 receiving yards in a breakout year, which led the Badgers. Kekahuna, on the other hand, has a ton of potential, which was seen when he replaced an injured Will Pauling in the starting lineup for a few games last year.
After that, the other wide receiver spots in the rotation are up for grabs. Ballard seems like the early leader to start opposite Anthony, given his speed, experience, and ability to separate.
But, Hamper had production at a lower level, catching 48 passes for 966 yards and six touchdowns as a redshirt freshman at Idaho in 2024.
There are a lot of names at the boundary receiver spot for the Badgers. Tyrell Henry is the early leader to be in the rotation as a backup, but Quincy Burroughs, Joseph Griffin, and even freshman Eugene Hilton could all play their way into game reps this offseason.
Hilton is the most intriguing of the bunch, as he’s already made a few plays in spring ball while working with the backups, and has a pro-ready frame at 6’0, 201 pounds.
In the slot, Kyan Berry-Johnson seems primed for a bigger role backing up Kekahuna after showing flashes last offseason and even getting into games later in the season.
Berry-Johnson has a prime opportunity in the spring, as Kekahuna will be out with a lower-body injury, leaving the redshirt freshman more chances to play with the starters. He’s put on significant weight, now standing at 5’10, 186 pounds, and could form a strong tandem with Kekahuna this year.
Ultimately, the Badgers will need production at receiver to fulfill offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’s vision of a vertical passing attack. Anthony will need to take another step as the lead receiver, but there’s a lot to figure out in the room alongside him on the boundary. That will be one of the bigger questions of the spring.