Updated Wisconsin Football Projected Two-Deep Post-Fall Camp

Fall camp is a wrap for the Badgers, and all eyes have now shifted towards the No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who await on Sunday night of Week 1 at Lambeau Field.

Game week is almost upon us. August is almost over. Football season is around the corner in Madison.

With that, let's take one more stab at projecting Wisconsin football's two-deep a week before the Badgers release their official Week 1 lineup.

Quarterback

Wisconsin QB Deuce Adams. | Christian Borman.

No. 1	Colton Joseph (4th year)
No. 2	Deuce Adams (3rd year)

No changes here. Adams roared back in the battle for backup quarterback, and the Louisville transfer looks to have surpassed fast-rising freshman gunslinger Ryan Hopkins. For just how long remains to be seen, but the Badgers look poised to enter 2026 with Adams as their primary backup.

Running Back

Wisconsin RB Abu Sama. | Christian Borman.

No. 1	Abu Sama (4th year)
No. 2	Darrion Dupree (3rd year)
No. 3	Bryan Jackson (3rd) OR Nate Palmer (3rd)

Jackson has been banged up throughout fall camp and it remains to be seen how ready he is for Week 1. With Juju Pope also nursing an injury in the back half of fall camp, I'd expect to see TCU transfer Nate Palmer out there as the RB3 early in the season. However, Jackson remains on the depth chart for now as his status is murky.

Wide Receiver

Wisconsin WR Kash Brock. | Christian Borman.

WR	WR	SLOT
Eugene Hilton Jr (2nd year)	Chris Brooks Jr (5th year)	Tyrell Henry (5th year)
Shamar Rigby (3rd year)	Malachi Coleman (4th year)	Kash Brock (1st year)

No changes to the starting trio here, but true freshman wideout Kash Brock really turned it on in the second half of fall camp to the point where offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes asserted that he'll have to "play some role" this season. Shamar Rigby and Malachi Coleman could potentially be considered co-starters at the outside receiver spots, but it remains to be seen how much rotation we'll see out of Ari Confesor's room.

Tight End

Jacob Harris (4th year)	Grant Stec (3rd year)
Ryan Schwendeman (5th year	Emmett Bork (2nd year)

Harris and Schwendemen are the pass-catchers in this room while Stec and Bork are the more rigid, in-line blockers. Not much has changed, pecking order wise, in this room all offseason.

Offensive Line

Wisconsin center Austin Kawecki. | Christian Borman.

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
PJ Wilkins (4th year)	Colin Cubberly (3rd year)	Austin Kawecki (5th year)	Stylz Blackmon (3rd year)*	Lucas Simmons-Johansson (3rd year*
Peyton Lange (5th year)	Logan Powell (2nd year)	Ryan Cory (3rd year)	Blake Cherry (2nd year)	Hardy Watts (2nd year)

We're at the point where Blackmon (who's replacing Emerson Mandell) and Simmons-Johansson (who's replacing Kevin Heywood) are penciled in as starters. There's certainly a chance both Mandell and Heywood can return for Week 1, but at this juncture, it feels foolish to bank on it. Blackmon quickly ascended during fall camp and appears to have surpassed Arkansas transfer Blake Cherry.

Defensive Line

Wisconsin DL Charles Perkins. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Hammond Russell IV (6th year)	Charles Perkins (5th year)
Junior Poyser (4th year)	Dillan Johnson (3rd year) OR Nolan Vils (4th year)

Vils has pushed his way into the two-deep conversation at the conclusion of fall camp. Otherwise, it's status quo up front for EJ Whitlow's unit.

Outside Linebacker

Wisconsin football linebacker Sebastian Cheeks warms up before practice. | Christian Borman

JACK	SAM
Justus Boone (6th) OR Michael Garner (4th)	Sebastian Cheeks (5th year)
Tyreese Fearbry (5th year)	Nick Clayton (2nd year)

Again, these are two distinct positions: the Jack is the bigger-bodied, edge-setting outside backer while the Sam is the twitchy, pass-rush focused outside backer. Fearbry is considered a starter by many, but I just see it being hard to take Boone and or Garner off the field on early downs.

Inside Linebacker

Wisconsin LB Jon Jon Kamara. | Christian Borman.

MIKE	WILL	STAR
Cooper Catalano (2nd year)	Mason Posa (2nd year)	Jon Jon Kamara (3rd year)
Landon Gauthier (3rd year OR Drew Bramm (3rd year)	Aaron Witt (6th year)	Thomas Heiberger (3rd year)

No changes at middle linebacker. Again, it's worth a reminder that if Wisconsin needed to replace Catalano or Posa for whatever reason, Heiberger (who's played all three ILB spots this fall) would slide over from his role as the backup star before the Badgers turned to Gauthier, Bramm or Witt.

Cornerback

Wisconsin CB Eric Fletcher. | Christian Borman.

Field CB	Boundary CB	Nickel
Eric Fletcher (3rd) OR Jai'mier Scott (2nd)	Javan Robinson (5th year)	Bryce West (3rd year)
Donovan Dunmore (1st year)	Cai Bates (3rd year)	Raphael Dunn (3rd year)

Fletcher shined this fall, tightening the race at field corner to the point where cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples has no choice but to play both players. That's a win for Wisconsin all around, as the room looks even deeper than it did in the spring. As a result the freshman Dunmore, who had a nice fall camp, slides into the two-deep.

Safety

Marvin Burks Jr. (4th year)	Matt Jung (5th year)
Cairo Skanes (2nd year)	Carson Van Dinter (3rd year)

No changes here to what looks like a strong, experienced room. Burks had an injury scare towards the end of fall camp, but it's not something that's expected to limit him come Week 1.

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