Player Previews: Can Oklahoma State Transfer Eric Fletcher win the CB2 Job?

Over the course of the summer leading up to Big Ten Media Days and fall camp, Badgers On SI will extensively preview Wisconsin football's roster with a write-up for each player expected to be remotely involved in 2026.

We continue the series with former Oklahoma State starting cornerback Eric Fletcher.

2025 Stats

12 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, three PBUs (136 snaps)

Overview

Fletcher played a limited 136 snaps last season in Stillwater, but he saw plenty of action and was thrown into the fire at at outside cornerback plenty of times. He had an up-and-down performance as a redshirt freshman last fall; the corner showed the ability to play the ball and is a willing, physical tackler, but his coverage reps were a mixed bag and he especially struggled when he was isolated one-on-one with no safety help.

Still, when he transferred to Wisconsin, he was tentatively penciled in as a starter opposite Arizona State transfer Javan Robinson due to his experience, which surpasses that of both second-year corner Jai'mier Scott and third-year Florida State transfer Cai Bates. However, he was sidelined during spring ball with an injury, which allowed Scott to get plenty of reps. What happened next is well-documented, as Scott became one of the most praised players on the entire team during spring ball.

Still, Fletcher brings some legit size and speed to Wisconsin's cornerback room, and the staff likes what he could potentially bring to the table.

"Eric Fletcher is super fast. We had him in the boundary at first. There’s a little bit more to the boundary than there is to the field. Now we moved him to the field, and he’s excelled, just because he has good instincts and he’s super fast so he can challenge things," secondary coach Paul Haynes said.

Fletcher should be one of the more talked-about players in fall camp, as his battle with Scott and Bates for the CB2 spot opposite Robinson is one of the biggest remaining position battles on the team.

Best-Case Scenario

Wisconsin cornerback Eric Fletcher runs through a drill at spring practice. | Christian Borman.

The best-case scenario for Fletcher is rather simple. He has a tremendous fall camp, wins the second starting cornerback job and doesn't look back. His coverage gets tighter in his third year of college ball, as new cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples helps him refine his technique and in Mike Tressel's zone-heavy defense, he isn't isolated one-on-one nearly as much.

If that transpires, Fletcher would easily have a career year, statistically and in terms of snap count. His speed helps solve a lot of problems for then Badgers' secondary, and his willingness to tackle and relentless physicality help Wisconsin's run defense remain very strong.

"You talk about (Fletcher), that's Flash. He can burn, he's fast as heck," Steeples said this spring.

Worst-Case Scenario

The CB2 job is there for the taking if Fletcher can lock it down, but he could also feasibly lose out to Scott and potentially even Bates as well. Still, even in a worst-case scenario, Fletcher should be a primary backup at one of the cornerback spots, and that should still translate to some playing time.

If Fletcher does wind up being a backup, his snap count and statistics probably drop from last fall. He still has two more seasons of eligibility following the 2026 season; a developmental year as a backup, especially after getting thrown into the fire last fall in Stillwater, probably isn't the worst thing that could happen to the corner. Still, he came to Madison to win a starting job.

Prediction

Former Oklahoma State cornerback Eric Fletcher. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

I ultimately see Fletcher losing out to Scott for the CB2 role. Both are talented players, but after listening to his coaches and teammates alike rave about him all spring, it's hard to imagine Scott rides the bench this season. Fletcher should still play; Steeples has mentioned planning to rotate his cornerbacks this fall.

I imagine Fletcher has a similar season to his 2025 campaign in Stillwater. Around 100 snaps and a few tackles and pass-breakups sounds about right.

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