Three Wisconsin Football Unknowns who Could Become Standouts in 2026

Part of what makes college football so beautiful is how deep and robust each and every roster is.

No, not all teams are stacked with talent in the same way, but every team has 100-plus players and no shortage of interesting individual stories, athletes and personalities.

Wisconsin football is no different. By now, most fans should be familiar with the regulars expected to be the biggest contributors in Madison this fall. Still, there's a handful of lesser-known players who have a legit shot to make a big impact in head coach Luke Fickell's fourth season at the helm.

Badgers On SI takes a look at three Wisconsin football "unknowns" who could become household names by season's end:

1. DL Nolan Vils

Wisconsin DL Nolan Vils (92). | Christian Borman.

The Badgers' have a handful of very solid options at the top of their defensive line room, with two transfers (Hammond Russell IV and Junior Poyser) joining two home-grown talents (Charles Perkins and Dillan Johnson). Still, what made Wisconsin's defensive line room so potent last fall was its ability to constantly rotate fresh, enormous bodies — enter redshirt junior Nolan Vils.

The former walk-on has apparently made great strides this offseason, according to defensive line coach EJ Whitlow:

“Nolan Vils has really worked his ass off. Coming from a guy that was a walk-on, he’s really put in the time. He’s changed his body. He’s got himself over 300 pounds. He’s worked in the offseason as far as increasing his foot speed. But he plays the game the right way, too. He plays with a nastiness, he plays with an edge to him, which at the end of the day, that’s what it takes inside," he said this spring.

Wisconsin went with four primary defensive linemen rotating in and out last fall, but Vils appears to be pushing for reps even from his perch further down the depth chart.

2. CB Isaiah Hackett

Michigan State's Jack Velling, left, catches a pass as Youngstown State's Isaiah Hackett defends. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Hackett might've been the sneakiest move the Badgers made all offseason. The journeyman cornerback, who's spent time at the JUCO level, UNLV and most recently FCS Youngstown State, appears to have joined the Badgers this summer to exactly zero fanfare. The signing has yet to be officially announced.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound corner entered the portal in January, but took his sweet time to make a decision. He drew interest from Illinois and Maryland, both of whom he visited, as well as a handful of SEC schools including LSU, Florida and Mississippi State. Wisconsin looks to have won out in the end, scooping him up to bolster what already looked like a strong cornerback room.

At the moment, Hackett looks like he's in Madison to provide depth. But he's quite experienced and should Wisconsin suffer some attrition at the position, it may want to turn to the veteran, who's played significantly more college ball than players like Jai'mier Scott, Cai Bates and Bryce West.

3. Safety Will Mikonowicz

Reedsburg quarterback Will Mikonowicz. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Admittedly, this is an extremely deep pull. But when I say unknowns, I mean unknowns — and Mikonowicz is arguably Wisconsin's most intriguing freshman walk-on.

The Reedsburg, Wisconsin native set a school track record in the process of qualifying for the state meet, clocking a 10.59 in the 100-meter. That's an impressive time, but perhaps more impressive is that he's that fast at a listed 6-foot-1, 200 pounds with an alleged 6-foot-4 wingspan and some quality (yet not confirmed) numbers in the weight room.

Now, I'm not saying the walk-on is going to play snaps on defense. But with those measurables, he could certainly earn a role on special teams this fall. Household name? Probably not. But valued special teams contributor? It's certainly a possibility.

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