Three Wisconsin Football Players About to Break Out in Fall Camp

Though we certainly know more about the 2026 Badgers ahead of fall camp than we did going into spring ball, there's still plenty of questions to be answered about Wisconsin's roster with the season just over a month out.

There's a heightened sense of urgency in August, as players' chances to climb the depth chart and lock down roles for the season dwindle by the day.

While more is set in stone, 15 August practices always reveal new information about Wisconsin football; particularly which under-the-radar names deserve more attention.

With that, I'm calling my shot — here's three Badgers about to break out in fall camp:

1. WR Jaylon Domingeaux

WR Jaylon Domingeaux at spring practice. | Christian Borman.

Domingeaux came on towards the end of the spring for Wisconsin, settling into the offense and making a handful of big plays. The former FCS Southeastern Louisiana transfer may hail from a lower level of the sport, but his talent, namely his hands and body control, certainly look applicable to the Big Ten.

Last fall, Domingeaux reeled in 52 catches for 857 yards and 11 touchdowns, looking the part of a WR1.

"Nah, JD’s special. He’s came in, been like a sponge," wide receiver Tyrell Henry said. "He's become one of my best friends on the team."

Wisconsin is in desperate need of a downfield threat to emerge at wide receiver. There's a handful of intriguing players in this room, but Domingeax has production, momentum from spring ball and traits that look like they'll play in the Big Ten.

“He’s just a competitor, he’s another guy that brings some leadership," new wide receivers coach Ari Confessor said this spring, adding that he handles his day to day like a professional. That maturity should also help him find a consistent role in this offense.

2. OLB Nick Clayton

Wisconsin OLB Nick Clayton. | Christian Borman.

Clayton has been on the radar since early this offseason when Matt Mitchell compared his potential impact in 2026 to that of Mason Posa way back in February. He also completely transformed his body this offseason, getting up to 247 pounds while maintaining his elite twitch and get-off that Mitchell also said rivals Sebastian Cheeks in terms of the best on the team.

Wisconsin has a couple of older, larger outside backers in Justus Boone and Michael Garner that figure to be early-down players whose main task is to set edges and stuff the run. But the Badgers are going to need players to get after the quarterback, preferably without sending extra pressure from linebackers or defensive backs. Enter Clayton; if he truly is one of the best pass-rushers on the team, he needs to play a sizable amount of snaps.

This is a crowded outside linebacker room and snaps are going to be at a premium. But Clayton could very well be the most gifted player at the position.

“The kid’s a freak. He’s a freak of nature, god has blessed him no doubt genetically. He has traits that you just can’t coach. The pass-rush, the twitch, the instincts," strength and conditioning director Brady Collins said this spring.

3. OT Lucas Simmons-Johansson

Simmons-Johansson has the look of a player who's picking up a lot of steam at a very opportune time. Like the wideout Domingeaux, he also began to heat up towards the back half of spring practice and eventually took some reps with the ones away from the tentatively penciled-in starter at left tackle, PJ Wilkins.

What's more, he apparently carried that momentum into summer workouts. Offensive line coach Eric Mateos said that he's been one of the more impressive players this summer, and he's now listed at 323 pounds, 15 pounds heavier than his initial listing when he got to Madison.

If he continues his rapid ascent, he has a great shot to unseat Wilkins at blindside tackle. Wisconsin could be on the verge of a great problem; having three starter-quality tackles between Wilkins, Simmons-Johansson and right tackle Kevin Heywood.

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