Rachad Wildgoose headlines former Wisconsin Badgers making waves in UFL, looking for NFL second chance

Former Badgers players like Rachad Wildgoose and Olive Sagapolu are among those having success in the United Football League, trying to earn their second chance back into the NFL.

Mar 30, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; DC Defenders wide receiver Chris Rowland (12) runs the ball as Birmingham Stallions cornerback Rachad Wildgoose defends in the second half at Audi Field. | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Spring professional football in the United Football League is giving a handful of former Wisconsin Badgers a platform to audition for a second chance in the NFL.

Leading the way this year has been cornerback Rachad Wildgoose, a Miami native who played for UW from 2018-2020.

He was the starting slot cornerback for the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL for their first six games this season with 12 tackles and two pass breakups, one of which should have been an interception.

Wildgoose was a sixth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2021, but they put him on the practice squad his rookie season and he was later poached by the New York Jets.

He moved over to the Washington Commanders for his second season, starting three games and appearing in four more, but he hasn't played a regular season NFL snap now since 2022.

A strong showing in the UFL with the Stallions could be enough to convince an NFL team to give him another shot this fall, although Wildgoose hasn't played in Birmingham's last two games and hasn't appeared on their injury reports.

He's playing alongside another former Wisconsin player in the Stallions secondary. Cornerback Faion Hicks appeared in two games next to Wildgoose this season, recreating the cornerback room they shared in Madison for three seasons.

One other member of the 2018 Badgers team is also playing a key role in the UFL. Nose tackle Olive Sagapolu has stared every game for the Houston Roughnecks this spring.

He doesn't have any sacks, but PFF credits him with a quarterback hit, seven hurries and five run stops.

While this is the first season in the UFL for Hicks and Wildgoose, Sagapolu is on his fourth stint playing spring football and his second year in a row with the Roughnecks.

He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and spent time with four different teams during training camps.

Former Badgers long snapper Peter Bowden is also in the UFL, playing for the Michigan Panthers.

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