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Wisconsin Badgers have a lot to figure out at running back after injury-riddled season

The Wisconsin Badgers have a group of young running backs they like, but injuries this season made it difficult to tell who should be leading the backfield moving forward.
Lorin Cox|
Sep 20, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Dilin Jones (7) carries the football during warmups prior to the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Camp Randall Stadium.
Sep 20, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Dilin Jones (7) carries the football during warmups prior to the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers entered the 2025 season trying to sort out all the upside they had in a young backfield

They finished the 2025 season still trying to figure out what the future of the running back position is going to look like.

Injuries made it harder to fully evaluate the three second-year players who saw significant carries, along with the more experienced Cade Yacamelli, who is heading off to the transfer portal.

Inconsistency on the offensive line didn't make their jobs any easier, as none of the backs could consistently generate an effective rushing attack until late in the year.

This offseason will be critical toward finding more clarity about who will be toting the rock in Madison next fall.

RB Grades

Dilin Jones: C

Jones started the year as the No. 1 back, winning the offseason competition while still sharing reps with Darrion Dupree and Yacamelli.

The RB rotation didn't have a lot of clear rhyme or reason to it, but Jones was unspectacular after a decent showing in the season-opener against Miami (OH).

He showed flashes of upside for the future, but his season was cut short by a turf toe injury against Ohio State that required surgery.

Jones left Badgers fans wanting more, but he still has time to show more and re-take the top spot this offseason.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers injuries don't excuse coaching missteps from Luke Fickell in bad 2025 season

Darrion Dupree: B

Dupree had an up-and-down sophomore season while dealing with a knee injury along the way, but he finished strong with inspiring performances in the last two games against Illinios and Minnesota.

He finished the season with the most carriers and highest yards-per-carry average of any Badgers running back, and PFF charted him with the most missed tackles forced and highest yards after contact on the team.

That makes him the early favorite to lead the running back rotation in 2026, but he also needs to round out his game and find more ways to contribute as a receiver and pass blocker out of the backfield.

Cade Yacamelli: D

Yacamelli had plenty of opportunities this season move up the depth chart as the running backs ahead of him battled injuries. He failed to do much to earn a bigger role.

He was in a tough spot as the third man in the pecking order, but he failed to even reach 3.5 yards per carry this season.

Yacamelli was largely a non-factor in his fourth year with the program, prompting him to enter the transfer portal with one more year of eligibility.

He didn't receive a carry after Week 9 against Oregon, though he was dealing with injuries of his own.

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Gideon Ituka: B-minus

Ituka went from sitting on the bench and playing exclusively special teams to being thrust into the No. 1 running back role late in the season.

He had barely touched the ball all season before he got 21 carries for 85 yards against Oregon, and he added 73 more yards in the upset win over Washington.

He was far from the elite play-makers Wisconsin is used to at running back, but he provided a real spark from the backfield that made Badgers fans wonder why he wasn't used more all season.

Then Ituka took a scary hit to the head against Indiana, and his season was over.

He showed a lot to like up to that point, and he could give Dupree a strong challenge for the top running back spot during offseason practice.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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