After Wisconsin missed a bowl game for a second straight year, the Badgers knew they had plenty of work to do in the offseason. Head coach Luke Fickell and the Badgers are in the midst of a roster overhaul, a common step in this era of college football made all the more necessary by a string of disappointing seasons in Madison.
The Badgers lost 23 players to the portal, including starters Joe Brunner, Preston Zachman, Christian Alliegro, Omilio Agard and Trech Kekahuna, while also losing several key seniors. But to fill their places, Fickell has added a whopping 33 players from the portal. Bringing in a mix of low-level FCS and Group of Five talent to highly-touted recruits with untapped potential and proven Power 4 starters, Fickell went all-in on the transfer portal in a make-or-break offseason.
Here are five names to lookout for next season as immediate contributors.
Colton Joseph, QB
Quarterback is the most important position in football, but for Fickell, it’s been the biggest stain on his time in Madison. This will be Fickell’s fourth year, each with a different starting quarterback, and in the past three seasons, all have endured injuries early.
Wisconsin went through four quarterbacks last year, rifling through Billy Edwards Jr, Danny O’Neil, Hunter Simmons and Carter Smith. All of them had major flaws, and Wisconsin’s offense suffered accordingly. The Badgers ranked worst in the offense among Power Four teams, averaging just 12.3 points per game.
By bringing in highly-touted Old Dominion quarterback Colton Joseph, the Badgers hope they can change their lowly offensive ways.
Joseph was one of the country’s best dual-threat quarterbacks last season. He threw for over 4,250 yards and 32 touchdowns the last two seasons, and he’s extremely impactful on the ground, as he’s rushed for 1,600 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career. He averaged nine yards per throw and 6.4 yards per carry last season and was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year.
The steep jump from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten brings question marks to Joseph’s ability to lead Wisconsin, but Joseph has shown he can compete against Power Four schools.
Against eventual National Champions Indiana, Joseph rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns, but he did throw three interceptions. He also dominated a game against Virginia Tech, throwing 276 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 63 yards and a touchdown.
With two years of eligibility remaining, Joseph has potential to bring stability to a quarterback room that has been rife with turmoil in Fickell’s tenure. Bringing in Joseph, a quarterback who held offers from many Power Four programs, was Wisconsin’s biggest win of the offseason.
Marvin Burks Jr., S
Adding Burks, who started at safety last season at Missouri, is a huge pull for Wisconsin. Burks, a junior, has managed to see time on the field since he was a true freshman. Burks totaled over 130 tackles in his career, along with an interception and a forced fumble.
Burks will immediately fit into the starting safety role, especially without Zachman. He will bring high caliber skills and experience to the secondary, ranked the 213th best player and 18th best safety in the transfer portal according to On3's rankings.
Abu Sama, RB
Sama, an experienced running back from Iowa State, can drastically elevate Wisconsin’s offense. Wisconsin has always been known for their iconic running backs and their ability to control the game through the ground, but they struggled mightily on the ground last season.
Sama rushed for over 1,900 yards and 13 touchdowns in three years with the Iowa State Cyclones. He ran for five touchdowns and 732 yards on 140 carries last season, averaging 5.2 yards a carry. He’s ranked as the 128th best player and ninth best running back in the transfer portal according to On3's rankings.
Javan Robinson, CB
Robinson started his career at Washington State before transferring to Arizona State, where he spent his last two seasons. Robinson accumulated 67 solo tackles, 12 pass deflections and three interceptions during his time at ASU. He will help fill the void starting corner Ricardo Hallman left after graduating and will become an instant starter in a depleted secondary that was inconsistent last season.
Austin Kawecki, C
After Jake Renfro put his name in the portal, Wisconsin knew they needed to find a starting center for 2026. Wisconsin’s offensive line play was shoddy throughout the season, and in bringing in an experienced center in Kawecki, Wisconsin will hope for some stability.
Kawecki has a big frame, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 300 pounds. He started 10 games at center for Oklahoma State last season and has played 873 career snaps. Wisconsin has been known for its excellent offensive line play throughout history, but experienced a major regression from its line in recent years, resulting in the firing of former o-line coach AJ Blazek. With the addition of Kawecki, Wisconsin will look to receive a bedrock that will anchor the rest of the line.
