5 Standouts from Day 11 of Wisconsin Fall Camp

Defense has another productive day in front of fans at Camp Randall

Wisconsin's Aaron Witt. | Christian Borman

In the public’s first opportunity to see Wisconsin on the field, the defense definitely won the day, but not without a couple of crowd-pleasing plays from the offense. 

It remains worth noting that the offense is still without Kevin Heywood and Emerson Mandell, who could be the team’s top-two linemen this fall if they can get healthy. The tendency for the offense to look stuck can be partially attributed to their absence.

More notably, however, the defense is simply making plays. Downfield in the secondary, in the backfield, around the line of scrimmage, you name it. Both projected starters and reserves have stood out all over the field, and Tuesday was no different.

Here’s five players who stood out under the lights at Camp Randall in practice No. 11.

Aaron Witt

No player on the roster has been more resilient than Witt, after all, he’s been here since 2020 and dealt with numerous injuries. He doesn’t project as a starter, but there’ll be a role for the veteran in 2026, and tonight was an indicator of that. 

Witt was everywhere on Tuesday. He notched a tackle for loss in the first live period of the evening, and followed it up by stuffing a run play near the line of scrimmage. Later in the practice, with the offense trying to convert on a third-and-short scenario, Witt blew up the play for another tackle for loss.

The graduate student plays with an infectious energy, which was on full display Tuesday on what was arguably his best day of camp. If Witt can get in the backfield and blow up plays on Saturdays this fall, he gives Tuf Borland a change-of-pace option behind Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano.

Darrion Dupree

With a dinged up offensive line, in practices where tackles aren’t being taken to the ground, it’s hard to form solidified conclusions about the running back room. Still, it felt like Dupree had a good day Tuesday.

During a drill where running backs and tight ends worked on picking up edge rushers, Dupree had two quality reps. Granted, he knew where the blitz was coming from, but he won a rep against Jai’mier Scott, and followed it up with a big pop on Bryce West which fired up the offense more than any other rep in the period.

In live periods, the junior had a couple nice runs, made plays out of the backfield as a receiver and showcased his ability to protect Colton Joseph in the backfield. It feels increasingly likely that Abu Sama is Jeff Grimes’ bell cow, but Dupree is still showing plenty to earn his fair share of snaps.

Nov 22, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Darrion Dupree (6) runs the ball for an 84-yard touchdown against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Taylor Schaefer

Schaefer has had a relatively quiet camp to this point, but completely flipped a switch Tuesday. The JUCO product was swarming to the ball and created multiple turnovers for the defense.

He started his breakout day with an interception during a 7-on-7 period, then chased down the ball in front of the fans during a live period and forced a fumble. There’s been an emphasis from the defense on jarring the ball loose, especially when there’s no tackling, and Schaefer did it to perfection.

Like Witt, Schaefer isn’t a guy who’s going to see high snap-counts this fall, but any time you can trust a guy to go into a game for a few plays at a time and be solid, and maybe even make a play that creates a spark for the defense, it’s a bonus. Schaefer fit that description Tuesday.

Shamar Rigby

There were two big plays through the air on Tuesday, with Eugene Hilton and Jacob Harris on the receiving end. While Rigby didn’t reel in a highlight grab as he had in his first couple of days going live, he once again had a productive day.

Rigby continued running with both the ones and twos, and appears to be a target Joseph feels comfortable throwing to. He came down with a couple of contested catches, and a big first down during some situational work. Production within 10-15 yards of the line of scrimmage isn’t as exciting as downfield shots, but Wisconsin needs it, so it’s a very positive sign.

The Oklahoma State transfer likely won’t start at Lambeau Field in a few weeks, but he’s looked like one of the more-likely candidates to be a productive receiver in this offense.

Wisconsin's Shamar Rigby. | Christian Borman

Grant Dean

Yesterday it was Matthew Traynor, on multiple occasions it’s been Carson Van Dinter and on Tuesday, it was Dean who made plays in the safety room. The Neenah native has been sharing second team reps with Cairo Skanes throughout camp, and had arguably his best day of camp Tuesday.

During a 7-on-7 period, Dean showcased his ability to play near the line of scrimmage, jumping a route in the flat for an interception. Later, during a live period, with Nizyi Davis free down the field, Dean stepped in and forced him out of bounds to prevent a big gain.

With two veterans starting at safety, and a competition for reps with the twos, Dean seeing the field on Saturdays feels pretty unlikely barring injuries, but it’s good to see him making progress in his second season and looking like he could play a role down the line.