Ranking the Deepest Position Groups on Wisconsin's Offense

Wisconsin football's offense is significantly revamped after the Badgers deployed one of the least effective units in the nation last fall, including the worst passing offense in the Power Four.

With an influx of talent at every position, Wisconsin should be poised to take a big leap on that side of the ball in 2026.

As the Badgers toil through summer workouts ahead of media days and fall camp, let's take a look at each position on Wisconsin's offense and rank them from least deep (5) to deepest (1).

5. Tight End

Wisconsin tight end Grant Stec. | Christian Borman.

The Badgers added two transfer tight ends to Nate Letton's room this offseason, but this position still looks like their weakest.

The top of the room features an intriguing athlete in Jacob Harris. The Bowling Green transfer is a listed 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, but he's uniquely agile in the open field and has extremely soft hands for his size. If Harris can prove to be a capable blocker, you have to like what he brings to the table as the likely starter.

Behind him, FCS transfer Ryan Schwendeman looks like the No. 2 option. He spent 60 percent of his snaps as an in-line player at Southern Illinois and figures to primarily be a blocker.

Redshirt sophomore Grant Stec should see the most action of his career, and according to Letton, he's taken strides as a receiving threat. The staff also appears enamored with redshirt freshman Emmett Bork, but I'd expect just a sprinkling of reps out of him.

Overall, there's a promising top option in this room and several rising depth pieces, but a distinct lack of proven ability. Tight end is as big a question mark as any on this offense.

4. Offensive Line

Wisconsin OL Coach Eric Mateos. | Christian Borman.

There's a few pieces on Wisconsin's offensive line to be really excited about. Projected starting right tackle Kevin Heywood is a physical freak and could be the Badgers' top NFL prospect. Ole Miss transfer and projected starting left tackle PJ Wilkins looks the part thus far. Oklahoma State transfer center Austin Kawecki appears as steady as they come.

There's some definite promise here and a solid mix of talent, experience and potential. Depth? Not so much.

At tackle, you may only have three players you feel really comfortable about playing: Heywood, Wilkins and the Florida State transfer Lucas Simmons, who began to receive reps with the ones late in spring ball. Tackle Barrett Nelson is a fifth-year senior but has just 19 career snaps.

At guard, Emerson Mandell and Colin Cubberly both appear poised to take a third-year leap after getting thrown into the fire last fall as redshirt freshmen. Behind those two, who are already unknown quantities? Arkansas transfer Blake Cherry (20 total snaps last season) and D-II transfer Stylz Blackmon.

Ryan Cory looks to be the Badgers' backup center, and that's the most nerve-rack racking proposition on the entire offensive line — last fall, he got one start at center (Maryland) and was absolutely un-playable.

3. Wide Receiver

Shamar Rigby, Wisconsin's wide receivers run drills during spring camp. | Christian Borman.

Wide receiver got one of the biggest makeovers on the entire team this offseason, as the Badgers brought in five transfers and three true freshmen.

Still, I'm not sold on this group just yet. There's a lot of promising players and what appears to be some nice individual talent, but all of it is unproven at the Big Ten level. Sure, Wisconsin has six or seven wideouts who you could feasibly imagine starting. But they also don't have one go-to guy who you're absolutely sure will start — that's a problem.

Thus, we must be careful not to mistake a handful of largely unproven yet promising players for "depth." Depth can't be evaluated based on potential, and at the moment, that's all Wisconsin's wide receiver room is.

That's not to say there's not things to like here. I love Eugene Hilton's feel for the game. I love Malachi Coleman's size and jump-ball prowess. I love Chris Brooks Jr.'s blocking ability. But do the Badgers have a complete player at the position?

2. Quarterback

Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph. | Christian Borman.

After Wisconsin trotted out four quarterbacks last season, each seemingly more incompetent than the last, it obviously hopes it doesn't need any depth in its quarterback room and that Colton Joseph will remain healthy the whole season.

Recent history in Madison suggests otherwise. But in 2026, the Badgers finally appear to have the requisite depth at quarterback.

The starter is the most exciting gunslinger yet in the Luke Fickell era, dynamic dual-threat gunslinger Colton Joseph who amassed 5,923 total yards and 56 touchdowns in two seasons at Old Dominion.

The backup quarterback gig is still up for grabs, as true freshman Ryan Hopkins is way ahead of schedule and pushing Louisville transfer Deuce Adams for the role. Between those two, you have an extremely promising freshman from Mater Dei who has shattered every expectation since stepping on campus and a very athletically gifted Power Four transfer with starting experience.

Behind those two, Carter Smith and Danny O'Neil return in 2026. And while neither was particularly good last fall, they both started multiple games last season and hold multiple years of eligibility.

Whenever your quarterback room features four players that have started a Power Four game and a promising true freshman, that's a deep position group.

1. Running Back

Wisconsin running back Bryan Jackson. | Christian Borman.

The Badgers' running back room was constructed very intentionally this offseason, and the result is a deep, talented group of halfbacks.

Iowa State transfer Abu Sama is the clear top dog, and he was one of the best backs available on the open market this season after tallying over 2,000 yards in three years at Iowa State while he was never even the RB1.

Returnee Darrion Dupree has excellent pass-catching chops and has also reportedly taken strides as a pass-blocker; he screams third-down back.

Then, you have two Power Four transfers in former USC power back Bryan Jackson and former TCU scatback Nate Palmer. Throw in the top JUCO tailback in Julius Pope for good measure, and you've got the deepest room on Wisconsin's offense.

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