What Wisconsin Badgers star CB Ricardo Hallman focused on improving this offseason

Ricardo Hallman is entering his fifth and final season as a member of the Wisconsin football program with a clear mission.

The veteran cornerback has been a constant presence in the Badgers’ secondary since Luke Fickell took over, starting every game the last two seasons and building a reputation as one of the Big Ten’s most dependable cover corners. Hallman's decision to return for 2025 was a major win for a cornerback room that has undergone significant roster turnover.

Hallman’s 2023 campaign was one of the best by a Wisconsin corner in recent memory. The Florida native led the nation with seven interceptions, recorded 34 total tackles, 12 pass breakups, and added three tackles for loss. His performance earned him third-team AP All-America honors and a Pro Football Focus defensive grade of 83.5, ranking fourth among Big Ten cornerbacks who played at least half their team’s snaps. He allowed just a 50.8% completion rate on 63 targets, the seventh-lowest mark in the conference, while quarterbacks paid a steep price for challenging him.

Last season, the interceptions disappeared, but Hallman’s impact was still felt, just in a different way. Opposing quarterbacks avoided his side of the field, targeting him only 35 times across 319 coverage snaps. He allowed 21 catches for 279 yards, with a reception surrendered just once every 8.7 snaps, the ninth-best rate in the Power 5. Hallman finished with 16 total tackles and four pass deflections, ranking in the 77th percentile nationally for single-coverage grade and 63rd percentile among outside corners.

For cornerbacks coach Paul Haynes, Hallman’s return offered a chance to take an already polished player and push him toward an even higher level. The focus this offseason was not on learning the defense, Hallman knows it as well as anyone, but on sharpening physicality and refining technique.

Haynes said Hallman got stronger this offseason, and he believes that was a big part of improving his tackling.

"Jamar Fletcher talked to him," Haynes said. "And Jamar is a small guy of stature, but he was just like, man, even as a small dude, you’ve got to be able to tackle. If you want to go to the next level, you’ve got to be physical. You've got to be tackling. So, that was the one thing that we challenged Rico on: change his body, which he did. You can see him being more physical in camp and tackling, block destruction.”

Hallman’s size — 5-foot-10 and under 200 pounds — has never stopped him from excelling in man and zone coverage. But at the next level, his ability to bring down ball carriers and hold up against bigger receivers will matter as much as his knack for being around the football. Haynes made that point clear and has already seen progress during training camp.

“Those are the little things… he knows this defense back and forth, and he can do it in his sleep,” Haynes said. “Now it’s really about fine-tuning, the brake foot, drive foot, your eye control, your pad level, just the little things. And those are the things that I challenge him on every day.”

With Hallman anchoring the room, Wisconsin can lean on proven production while breaking in several new faces. Jacksonville State transfer Geimere Latimer has locked down the starting job in the slot and put together a strong camp, while Miami transfer D’Yoni Hill and redshirt freshman Omillio Agard are battling for the spot opposite Hallman on the outside. The Badgers also brought in three freshmen, Jaimier Scott, Cairo Skanes, and Jahmare Washington, to round out the room.

“As of right now, it’ll be a rotation,” Haynes said regarding Agard and Hill. “I think both of those guys have had a good camp and played well enough that both of them deserve to play. I haven’t really thought about it on the percentage of it [snaps], but both of those guys will play for us.”

The leadership Hallman provides is equally important. The secondary lost Xavier Lucas in a high-profile offseason transfer saga to Miami, and Nyzier Fourqurean’s eligibility status has left a level of uncertainty in the two-deep. Hallman’s dependability and experience give the defense a steadying presence heading into a pivotal third season under Fickell.

For Hallman, the 2025 season offers the chance to leave a lasting mark on the program while continuing to expand his NFL résumé. He has already proven he can be one of the Big Ten’s best in coverage. Now, with a focus on physicality, tackling, and sharpening the finer points of his technique, he’s out to prove he can be a complete corner, one who can take the ball away again and put himself firmly back on the NFL’s radar.

If the early signs from fall camp are any indication, Hallman is ready to deliver and help lead a revamped Badgers defense under Mike Tressel.