What Adding Julius Pope Means for Wisconsin's Running Back Room

With optimism swirling for the future amidst a flurry of commitments in the Badgers' class of 2027, Wisconsin sneakily added an intriguing JUCO transfer out of the portal who will join the team immediately.

Julius Pope, who transferred to Wisconsin from Northwest Mississippi Community College after he began his career at Arkansas, joins an already loaded Badgers backfield. He's now the 6th scholarship halfback on the roster, and there will be seven once summer arrival Qwantavius "Fatboy" Wiggins gets to town.

Post-spring ball, with the addition of Pope, this is what the Badgers' running back room looks like:

Running Back	Eligibility (Fall 2026)
Abu Sama	Senior
Darrion Dupree	Junior
Bryan Jackson	Junior
Nate Palmer	Redshirt Sophomore
Julius Pope	Redshirt Sophomore
Gideon Ituka (injured for 2026)	Redshirt Sophomore
Mason Lane	Redshirt Sophomore
Harrison Bortolotti	Sophomore

Taking a quick glance at this room, you have to like what you see. There's a good blend of experience, potential and talent, as well as a wide variety of skillsets. Let's take a look at a few instant ramifications from Wisconsin adding Pope into the fold:

New RBs Coach Jayden Everett has a new toy

Joining Wisconsin in January, Jayden Everett helped build what, as mentioned, appears to be a very solid room. He's now added another dimension to the position, giving him another option in what should be a well-rounded rotation.

Everett was coy this spring when asked about how he plans to split his carries: "The game dictates what the game dictates," the coach said. But after spring ball, Everett assessed his group and decided there was room to add another pair of legs. With three years of eligibility remaining as well, the tailback could be a longer-term developmental piece as well — he doesn't have to contribute immediately for this to be a worthwhile signing.

Pope adds a receiving threat

Pope immediately becomes one of the best pass-catching backs on the roster. Darrion Dupree is a skilled, natural receiver. Pope, who caught 29 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns last season at the JUCO level, looks to fall into the same category.

Abu Sama is well-rounded but isn't the most natural pass-catcher. Bryan Jackson is more of a Power Back. Nate Palmer has some wiggle in the open field but also has just one career catch. Thus, Dupree and Pope look to be the top options for Jeff Grimes' offense when he needs a halfback to catch a ball out of the backfield.

Where does Pope fall in the rotation?

Sama is the unquestioned top back. Dupree is right behind him at RB2. Before the addition of Pope, I'd probably put Jackson behind those two at RB3. I'm not sure Pope alters the pecking order at the very top, but past the top two, he could shake things up.

When projecting where Pope will fall into the halfback rotation, his skillset and that of others in the room must be taken into account. Sama is certainly an early-down back. Dupree, meanwhile, has receiving chops and has taken big strides in pass protection, according to Everett. That makes him a pretty perfect third-down back. Thus, I'd say Pope falls right behind those two, neck-and-neck with the power back Jackson for RB3.

It appears Grimes and company wanted another back who could catch the ball out of the backfield while bolstering the overall depth. The running back room should remain largely status quo at the top, but it'll be fascinating to see how he pushes his new teammates for a role in fall camp.

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