Four Offensive Players We're Excited About After Four Spring Practices

Wisconsin football is currently on spring break, but the Badgers have already hit the practice field four times and are nearly a quarter of the way through spring ball.

Badgers On SI has taken in a handful of practices, and there's already plenty to discuss and dissect after four sessions.

Specifically, there's already several standouts on both sides of the ball who are turning heads early. With the intel Badgers on SI has compiled thus far throughout spring practice, here's four offensive players we're excited about:

QBs Colton Joseph, Deuce Adams

Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Colton Joseph. | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

While it's certainly early in spring practice, and the offense as a whole is far from settled, Wisconsin's two incoming transfer quarterbacks have both flashed the traits that made them sought-after in the portal.

Joseph's biggest calling card is his mobility; he has 1,654 career rushing yards and 24 scores on the ground across two seasons. But by all accounts, he's made some nice throws after a rough start.

Adams has impressed with his arm at times as well, and it appears offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes likes what he sees from the Louisville transfer.

"I like his poise. He’s a guy that doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low. He’s a good all-around player, has some really nice touch on the ball," Grimes said.

Adams' mobility is also a factor in his game — Wisconsin appears prepared to run its quarterbacks frequently.

“If you make the decision to go and recruit athletic quarterbacks, which we have...that’s a part of your game. You have to be willing to live with the fact that they are going to be exposed to contact a little more than a guy that’s not in that position. How you do that depends on the quarterback themselves," Grimes said.

Injury risk or not, the mobility of the Badgers' quarterbacks has clearly made a difference early on.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re playing the 1 unit, the 2 unit, the 3 unit, there’s quarterbacks that can sling it and take off," defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said. "t’s exciting to see our offense have those tools.”

OT Kevin Heywood

Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Kevin Heywood. | Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

All eyes were on Heywood, Wisconsin's prized former blue-chip recruit left tackle, at the start of spring camp, and for good reason. The 6-foot-9, 318-pound tackle isn't limited physically, according to Grimes, after tearing his ACL in spring practice a year ago.

“The best thing that Kev did, he didn’t wait until the offseason," head coach Luke Fickell said. "(He's) already established himself as a leader."

Heywood, who's now listed as an inch taller than he was last season, is also holding down the right tackle spot, as opposed to the left where he was in 2025. Ole Miss transfer PJ Wilkins, meanwhile, is playing the blindside tackle spot.

"I think they both could play either side, and we’re still in the evaluation phase there. PJ is interesting because he’s played more guard in games, however, as we started to get to know him, we felt like he was a guy who…has tackle feet and an incredible wingspan," Grimes said. "Both of em are tackles…just trying to find which spot both are comfortable at.”

The former consensus top-60 recruit is a key cog for the Badgers' offensive front this season, and the fact that he's without limitations and holding down a starting tackle spot is an excellent sign.

TE Jacob Harris

OH MY, @realjacobharris 🤯@BG_Football | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/4IaFaSxuUK
— MACtion (@MACSports) November 8, 2025

Last season, Wisconsin finally had an athletic, pass-catching tight end in Montana State transfer Lance Mason, who led the team in receiving with 30 catches for 398 yards and four touchdowns. Mason graduated after one year in Madison, but the Badgers appear to have yet another talented pass-catcher at tight end — and he has two seasons of eligibility to his name.

Bowling Green transfer Jacob Harris has flashed as a jump-ball, contested-catch receiver. Considering his 6-foot-6, 270 pound frame, that's not all that surprising. But Wisconsin has lacked a true jump-ball pass-catcher for several seasons now, and that skill could come in particularly handy in the red zone.