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A definitive ranking of the top nicknames on the Wisconsin Badgers 2025 football team

UW's social media team asked its players to reveal their nicknames
Lorin Cox|
Oct 12, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Vinny Anthony II (8) catches the ball during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium.
Oct 12, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Vinny Anthony II (8) catches the ball during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Nicknames are tricky because you can't choose your own, and once one is given to you, you're stuck with it.

But with over 100 names on the Wisconsin Badgers football roster, nicknames are a necessary part of trying to keep everyone straight. (Jersey numbers help too)

UW's social media team asked its players to reveal their nicknames, and the results were a lot of fun.

Some of them are more boring, like calling someone by their initials or just a basic shortening of their name.

We sifted through all of them to put together the definitive ranking of the coolest Badgers nicknames.

5. OL Joe Brunner, nicknamed "Rip" (from the show Yellowstone)

If you didn't watch the Paramount show Yellowstone, this nickname won't mean much to you, which is why it only lands at number five on our list.

The versatile Badgers offensive lineman got the nickname because of his demeanor and facial resemblance to one of the characters in the show named Rip Wheeler, who is played by the actor Cole Hauser.

The two share similarly shaped eyes with dark hair and scruffy beards. In the social media video, Brunner points out that he and Wheeler are also both fighters "in a good way, though. Holding it down."

Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Brunner (56) is shown during their game against Buffalo
Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Brunner (56) is shown during their game Saturday, September 2, 2023 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin beat Buffalo 38-17. | Mark Hoffman / USA TODAY NETWORK

If he trimmed his beard, "Rip" Brunner could have an easy Halloween costume ready to go.

4. TE Jackson McGohan, nicknamed "Gohan" (from the show Dragonball Z)

Wisconsin tight end Jackson McGohan makes a catch during practice at the McClain Center
Wisconsin tight end Jackson McGohan makes a catch during practice at the McClain Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Tuesday April 23, 2024. | Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Another television reference, McGohan's nickname isn't about a physical resemblance. It's a pronunciation issue.

Gohan, pronounced GOH-han, is a character from the Japanese animated show Dragonball Z who grows up from being an toddler to one of the universe's top fighters over the course of the series' nine seasons.

McGohan's last name is pronounced mic-GOH-in, like the word "going." But he says his teammates can't say it correctly, so they call him Gohan instead. Also less cool if you don't know the show.

3. DL Nolan Vils, nicknamed "Big Red" or "Sexyy Red"

Any redheads out there will appreciate what Vils has to go through from his teammates.

If you're 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds, and you have red hair, people are going to call you Big Red. It's as certain as death and taxes.

What elevates his nickname to the next level, though, is a special version given to him by his teammate Ben Barton.

Barton played for UW from 2020-2024, spending the last two years with Vils in the defensive line room.

Vils said Barton calls him "Sexyy Red," presumably named after the female rapper who has risen in popularity over the last few years.

Anytime a defensive lineman can be associated with anything "sexy," you have to cherish it.

2. K Gavin Lahm, nicknamed "Lahm Bomb"

Whenever the Badgers lineup for a kickoff, it's time for a Lahm bomb.

The senior kicker has worked as Wisconsin's kickoff specialist for three seasons, and Lahm really earned the nickname in 2024.

He improved his average yards per kickoff attempt to 68.8 last season, the third highest in the Big Ten and tied for 21st in the country according to PFF.

Only 23.2 percent of his kickoffs were fielded by a returner last season, which also ranked in the top 50 nationally.

Kickers don't often get much respect, but they know they have a weapon in Lahm at UW.

1. WR Vinny Anthony II, nicknamed "V8"

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Vinny Anthony II (8) runs with the football against the Oregon Ducks
Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Vinny Anthony II (8) runs with the football during the third quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Nicknames that include a player's jersey number are always plus, and Anthony's works well on every level.

No, he's not named after the vegetable juice. He's all about the speed and power of an eight-cylinder engine.

Anthony led Wisconsin last year in receiving yards, yards per reception, touchdowns and missed tackles forced after the catch, according to PFF.

He has the speed to win on the deep ball, and he's tough to bring down once the ball is in his hands. It doesn't get much more "V8" than that.

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Published
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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