Could this slept-on Badgers RB carve out a role for Wisconsin football?

Wisconsin football's spring practices are scheduled to kick off on March 19. With dozens of incoming transfers, a handful of new position coaches and a new starting quarterback once again, there'll be no shortage of intrigue when the Badgers hit the practice field.

At Badgers On SI, we'll preview spring ball position-by-position. Today, we keep it going with the running backs.

RELATED: QB Preview

Best Player

Abu Sama, Wisconsin's headliner transfer at the running back position, is the best player in new position coach Jayden Everett's room.

Sama was productive in all three years at Iowa State, getting involved as a true freshman to the tune of 665 total yards and six touchdowns. He never looked back, and is coming off a junior season in which he ran for 732 yards and five touchdowns on 5.2 yards per carry.

In terms of his play-style, Sama is a powerful back who's surprisingly shifty in the open field. He likely won't be a three-down player due to his limited receiving chops, but Sama should set the tone in the Badgers' backfield.

Biggest Question

Who looks primed to earn the RB2 role?

There may not be a straight answer to this question, as Wisconsin has a deep and multi-faceted running back room from which it could deploy players very selectively depending on the in-game situation.

There's returning leading rusher Darrion Dupree, who is a skilled pass-catcher out of the backfield. There's USC transfer Bryan Jackson, who was a hot commodity coming out of high school and boasts a large 6-foot, 235-pound frame. There's Nate Palmer, the TCU transfer who's shiftier but has fewer career carries.

Given his prior experience in the offense and his natural ability as a receiving back who could come in on passing downs, I'd expect Dupree to receive the second-most snaps in this room pre-spring practice. Of course, a lot could change once we see the 2026 Badgers in person.

Player to watch

We know Sama is the starter, and we've seen what Dupree can do in the past. The other two incoming transfers, both with limited experience at the college level, will be worth keeping an eye on.

Specifically, Jackson from USC should command some eyeballs.

In two seasons with the Trojans, he picked up 311 rushing yards and five touchdowns. His numbers won't blow you away, but he's a legitimate talent. Though just a three-star prospect out of high school, Jackson racked up over 30 offers including Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Notre Dame. It'll be fascinating to see that talent manifest itself on the practice field.

Most to gain

Let's go slightly unorthodox here and shout out a seldom-discussed Badger: linebacker-turned-fullback Tyler Jansey.

Jansey played exactly one offensive snap in 2025, lining up as a tight end for one play against Middle Tennessee. Still, Wisconsin converted him to offense to play a role similar to Jackson Acker, who played 293 total snaps last season across running back, tight end and even the slot as a do-it-all H-back type of player.

Thus, it'll be facinating to see if offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes has similar plans for Jansey, or if he'll go by the wayside as a forgotten member of the offense/running back room. But with a good spring, proving his worth as a blocker, in particular, Jansey could earn himself some reps on offense this fall.

One bold prediction

This is Wisconsin's deepest running back room since 2022, when the Badgers deployed Braelon Allen, Chez Mellusi and Isaac Guerrendo.

In Sama, you have a proven, battle-tested workhorse back. In Jackson and Palmer, you have a thunder-and-lightning duo who both have experience in power conference action. In Dupree, you bring back your leading rusher who specializes as a pass-catcher.

Could a similar "big three" emerge from that group? It certainly seems possible, especially with how run-oriented this offense will be. Of course, mobile quarterback Colton Joseph should gobble up a chunk of the team's rushing yards, but there should be plenty of room for two or three backs to garner significant carries.

Projected depth chart

Projected Running Back Depth Chart
1. Abu Sama
2. Darrion Dupree
3. Bryan Jackson
4. Nate Palmer
5. Tyler Jansey
6. Gideon Ituka (injured)