Wisconsin wide receivers taking unselfish approach to Badgers passing struggles

Vinny Anthony was supposed break out as a bonafide No. 1 wide receiver in his senior season with the Wisconsin Badgers.

But a swath of injuries at the quarterback position have contributed to an inconsistent passing attack, and Anthony is averaging fewer than 30 yards per game.

He leads the team in catches with 27 (down from 39 last year), but he has only one receiving touchdown and he trails tight end Lance Mason for the Badgers' lead in receiving yards.

It's not what Anthony and the wide receivers signed up for this season, and head coach Luke Fickell has been proud of their unselfish approach.

"I can't say enough about how he's been able to handle this," Fickell said Monday. "The wide receiver position sometimes is very difficult to coach and really difficult to justify. You're open, you don't get the ball, you don't get many opportunities or shots down the field."

Related: Wisconsin Badgers' new offensive approach has spurred late-season turnaround

Wisconsin is averaging just 132 passing yards per game this year. That's their fewest in a season since 1998, when quarterback Mike Samuel was handing it off 40 times a game to Ron Dayne and a dominant Badgers running game.

Billy Edwards Jr. was supposed to bring renewed consistency under center, but he hasn't played since Week 5 against Maryland. Top backup Danny O'Neil is out for the season, too, and he struggled mightily in his limited starts.

Now, true freshman Carter Smith has jump-started the offense as their fourth-string option, but his strengths are more in his mobility than his arm, and the passing game still has its limiations.

Fickell called Anthony into his office last week just to express gratitude for his leadership in the receiver room despite the lack of production.

"Just make sure he understood how much I appreciate not just his play, but how he really has gone about handling all the different things that we've gone through offensively this year," Fickell said. "I know even for him, that wasn't what it was all about. It's all about being able to finish, all about winning, and it's all about doing what's best for the people around him."

everybody loves a V8 TD 😁@VinnyAnthony1 x #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/VZ9IvSr5zt
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 23, 2025

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On Senior Day, offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes still found a way to get Anthony one more touchdown. It came on a rushing play, a wide receiver reverse that worked to perfection for a six-yard score.

The coaching staff has taken a similar approach to getting redshirt sophomore Trech Kekahuna involved.

He has 13 rushes for 131 yards in addition to his 22 catches for 202 yards thanks to a concerted effort to get him the ball however they can.

"I hope that Trech understands and recognizes how much trust and faith we have in him," Fickell said. "There's going to be more opportunities for you as we move forward. And I don't know how many catches he had, but anytime we can get the ball in his hands, he can make some things happen."

Kekahuna entered the transfer portal last winter before the coaching staff convinced him to come back for 2025.

They may have to do some convincing again this winter and sell these receivers on more of a passing game in 2026

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