Three Wisconsin Football Returning Starters with the Most to Prove This Season

The newcomers to Wisconsin football have dominated conversation this offseason, and rightfully so.

The Badgers welcome 47 new players to campus between freshmen and a sprawling transfer class, and the majority of Wisconsin's starting lineup figures to be populated by transfers.

Between guaranteed starters like quarterback Colton Joseph and tailback Abu Sama, coupled with longer-shot developmental pieces like outside linebackers Liam Danitz and Jayden Loftin, the Badgers flipped about a third of their roster this offseason.

But which returning starters have something to prove, in the sense that they'll be asked to step up their games this fall? Badgers On SI takes a look at three below:

1. Safety Matt Jung

Big Ten Media Day representative or not, Jung still has plenty to prove ahead of his fifth year of college ball. The former D-III standout was expected to be a backup his first season in Madison, but an injury to starter Preston Zachman thrusted him into the fire at perhaps the worst possible time — on the road against Alabama. Jung, and the rest of the Badgers' secondary, was shredded by Crimson Tide gunslinger Ty Simpson in surgical fashion.

Still, it got better for Jung as the year wore on. He wasn't exactly an impact player by season's end, but he became much more comfortable in the back end and by November, it was clear that the game began to slow down for him. His best and most crucial play of the year was likely his PBU against Washington on the Huskies' final third down of the game. When all was said and done, Jung was tied for third on the team in tackles with 49.

The Neenah native is clearly doing things the right way off the field, hence his invite to Chicago alongside outside backer Sebastian Cheeks and wideout Chris Brooks Jr. But more than just being a leader of the program, Wisconsin needs Jung to continue his ascent and pitch in a few splash plays for the Badgers this fall in addition to being Mr. Reliable on the back end.

2. OGs Emerson Mandell and Colin Cubberly

We'll cheat and include two for the price of one here. Yes, Mandell and Cubberly are two distinct players but they're very much joined at the hip in that they're entering their third year in the program together, and both return as projected starting offensive guards after getting a hefty taste of starting action last fall.

Cubberly was probably a little better than Mandell in 2025, but the latter was playing out-of-position at right tackle. Now, the pair will be Wisconsin's starting guards with Mandell back at his natural spot.

Both players are listed at 325 pounds on the program's updated fall roster, with Cubberly a hair taller at 6-foot-6. Both are big, physical linemen who, if all goes according to plan development-wise this season, should be forces to be reckoned with on the interior. Still, they both need to prove that Wisconsin's trust in them wasn't misplaced. They both need to continue to grow and develop on what should be a much more stable offensive line.

3. WR Chris Brooks Jr.

Again, Big Ten Media Day or not, Brooks has a lot to prove this season. Like Jung and perhaps to an even greater extent, he's embodied what it means to be a leader for this program. He's stuck around in Madison through multiple season-ending injuries, and last fall, he finally got his shot, starting 10 of 12 games, the first time in his career doing so.

Still, he only managed to parlay that into 11 catches for 124 yards. Of course, the Badgers' quarterback situation and offense as a whole was comically bad at times; Brooks can hardly be blamed for his lack of production.

Still, like the other players on this list, he now needs to reward the coaching staff for their faith in his ability to translate leadership and intangibles into on-field production. The 6-foot-2, 224-pound receiver is likely the Badgers' best blocker out wide, which should earn him plenty of snaps. But can he finally break out as a receiving threat?

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