Wisconsin Badgers Zeroing in on Replacement WR Coach With NFL Experience

The Wisconsin Badgers lost their wide receivers coach to the NFL, and now Luke Fickell is trying to replace him with a different NFL coach.

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Chris Brooks Jr. (1) catches a pass during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Badgers lost wide receivers coach Jordan Reid to the NFL.

Now, Luke Fickell is trying to replace him with a different coach from the NFL instead.

According to John Brice of Football Scoop, Wisconsin is targeting Ari Confesor to be their new wide receivers coach after his most recent stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

NEWS: Several sources tell @FootballScoop that Wisconsin @BadgerFootball is targeting former @Chiefs & @Jaguars staffer Ari Confessor to be the program's next wide receivers coach: https://t.co/pVddyR7nmX

— John Brice (@JohnDBrice1) February 20, 2026

Confesor was one the Jaguars staff this year as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship and stuck around for the full season.

He also previously spent time in the scouting department of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Prior to his time in Jacksonville, Confesor was the wide receivers coach at Wake Forest for the 2023 and 2024 season.

There, he coached WR Taylor Morin to become the program's all-time leader in receiving yards on his way to All-Conference honors in 2024.

Confesor also coached at Air Force, Holy Cross and Rhode Island, adding some special teams coaching duties along the way.

He himself was a two-time FCS All-American wide receiver at Holy Cross, where he is in their Hall of Fame.

Related: Unproven Wisconsin Badgers Wide Receivers Are Under Most Pressure To Step Up, With New Faces and a New Coach

Wisconsin Badgers wide receivers coach Jordan Reid left in February for a job with the Baltimore Ravens | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He would have big shoes to fill at Wisconsin to replace Jordan Reid, who left to take an assistant role with the Baltimore Ravens.

Reid was an effective recruiter who helped retain multiple wide receivers who initially entered the transfer portal in each of the last two winters.

He guided the Badgers through a tumultuous transfer period that saw a number of receivers graduate or depart, but he added a trio of true freshmen in the 2026 class in addition to four new veterans in the portal.

The group is already set for Confesor, but if he's hired, the pressure will be on to coach up and develop a group with a lot to prove in 2026.

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