Wisconsin Football Report Card: Grading Every Position After Notre Dame Loss

Malachi Coleman and the Badgers’ wide receivers provided a bright spot as Wisconsin showed both promise and room for improvement against Notre Dame.

Wisconsin mascot Bucky Badger | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin kicked off the 2026 season at Lambeau Field on Sunday against No. 4 Notre Dame. The underdog Badgers kept things close early, but the Fighting Irish dominated the second half en route to a 41-13 victory, the same score as the teams’ previous matchup at Soldier Field in 2021.

The overall result was lopsided and disappointing, but there were plenty of individual performances worth examining beyond the final score. So, how did each position group fare in the season opener? Here are letter grades for every Wisconsin position group:

Quarterback

Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Making his Badger debut, Colton Joseph showed some flashes and plenty of toughness, but the production was modest. The Old Dominion transfer finished 19-of-30 for 217 yards through the air, with his biggest highlight coming on a 28-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Coleman to even the game at 10-10 in the second quarter.

The clear lowlight for the fourth-year signal-caller was a pick-six on Wisconsin’s first drive of the second half, as poor timing and miscommunication on a pass intended for Chris Brooks Jr. resulted in an easy score for cornerback DJ McKinney that put Notre Dame firmly in the driver’s seat at 27-10.

Known for his dual-threat ability, Joseph’s athleticism and shiftiness weren’t hard to see, but the vaunted Fighting Irish defense keyed in on his running ability, limiting him to 12 carries for just three yards (10 carries for 15 yards excluding sacks) with a long of five yards. Joseph’s legs could be an incredibly valuable asset against lesser defenses, but he was kept in check as a runner at Lambeau Field.

Not to be overlooked given the Badgers’ atrocious injury luck at quarterback, Joseph came out of Sunday’s game healthy. His first game as a Badger wasn’t stellar, but it also wasn’t atrocious and came against the toughest defense the team will face all season. 

Joseph will have the chance to gain confidence and find a rhythm over the next two games against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan before Big Ten play begins at Penn State in Week 4.

Grade: C

Running Backs

Wisconsin Badgers running back Abu Sama III | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Running the ball effectively has historically been a pillar of the Wisconsin program and remains a key component of offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’ philosophy, but the Badgers struggled to establish anything on the ground against Notre Dame. Senior Iowa State transfer Abu Sama III saw the bulk of the workload, logging 15 carries for 49 yards (3.3 yards per carry) with a long of seven yards. Junior Darrion Dupree was the only other running back to record a carry, finishing with four attempts for 15 yards (3.8 yards per carry) with a long of eight yards.

Sama showed some real juice on a handful of outside runs, but there simply wasn’t much room to work against a stout Fighting Irish front. The offensive line struggled to consistently create openings, preventing either back from making much of an impact. This grade feels a bit harsh considering the factors outside the running backs’ control, and I still expect Sama to be a quality focal point of the Badgers’ offense throughout the season. 

For Sunday’s performance alone, though, the lackluster production warrants a C-.

Grade: C-

Wide Receivers 

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Malachi Coleman | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wide receiver was one of the biggest question marks entering the year with not much proven production in the room, but the results were encouraging in the season opener. Senior Minnesota transfer Malachi Coleman showed out with four receptions for 76 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. Fifth-year seniors Tyrell Henry (four receptions for 42 yards) and Chris Brooks Jr. (three receptions for 38 yards) also posted respectable numbers, while Eugene Hilton Jr. amassed three receptions for 31 yards on just 17 snaps while dealing with an apparent lower-body injury.

A highly touted prospect out of high school, Coleman has the physical tools at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds to be a major contributor, but he had never recorded more than two catches in a game until Sunday. Tapping into Coleman’s potential would do wonders for the Wisconsin aerial attack, and the same can be said for getting a healthy Hilton more involved given the immense upside of the son of legendary Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. 

It’d be foolish to jump to any major conclusions after just one game, but the wide receivers were a bright spot against Notre Dame and the group looks to be in a better place than some may have expected.

Grade: B

Tight Ends

Another position with a good bit of uncertainty entering the season, tight end offered limited production at Lambeau Field. Four players saw snaps at the position: junior Grant Stec (42), sophomore Emmett Bork (18), senior Bowling Green transfer Jacob Harris (17) and fifth-year senior Southern Illinois transfer Ryan Schwendeman (five). Stec pulled in three receptions for 20 yards, while Harris made one catch for three yards.

Based on Sunday, Stec looks to be the early leader among the bunch, both as a pass catcher and blocker, but playing time and roles at the position are likely to fluctuate and evolve. There wasn’t anything abhorrently bad from the tight ends, but there also wasn’t much substance or impact from the group, hence the middling grade.

Grade: C

Offensive Line 

Wisconsin offensive lineman Colin Cubberly | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Notre Dame’s front seven was always going to present a tough task for the Wisconsin offensive line, and that challenge became even greater with junior starting right guard Emerson Mandell sidelined by a foot injury. Without Mandell, sophomore Arkansas transfer Blake Cherry and junior Augustana transfer Stylz Blackmon saw extended snaps and struggled mightily in pass protection. 

Junior right tackle Kevin Heywood is regarded as one of the Badgers’ highest-upside players, but he looked rusty in his first career start and first game action since 2023, while senior Ole Miss transfer PJ Wilkins didn’t fare much better at left tackle.

Fifth-year senior Oklahoma State transfer center Austin Kawecki and junior left guard Colin Cubberly held their own, but the unit as a whole struggled to create running lanes or consistently keep pressure away from Colton Joseph. Wisconsin averaged just 2.2 yards per carry, a poor reflection on the offensive line, and while the group surrendered only two sacks, Joseph’s athleticism and ability to get the ball out quickly helped keep that number down. 

The caliber of Notre Dame’s defense and Mandell’s absence provide some important context and save the offensive line from a failing grade, but there’s plenty to prove moving forward.

Grade: D+

Defensive Line 

Wisconsin outside linebacker Sebastian Cheeks | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin’s front got off to a blazing start, with fifth-year senior edge rusher Sebastian Cheeks strip-sacking CJ Carr to force a three-and-out on the opening drive. A strong group effort, including a six-man rotation on the interior, limited Notre Dame to just 1.8 yards per carry in the first half. The second half was a different story, as the Badgers failed to record another sack or apply consistent pressure on Carr, and running back Aneyas Williams also began finding his footing on the ground.

Stifling the run game in the first half was a major positive, and even after things went downhill following halftime, holding the Fighting Irish to 3.5 yards per carry overall is still a strong mark. The pass rush has room to improve, but Cheeks looked phenomenal and capable of stepping up with Darryl Peterson III and Mason Reiger gone. 

It wasn’t a complete performance from the defensive line, but there were encouraging signs nevertheless.

Grade: B-

Linebackers

Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Mason Posa | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Arguably Wisconsin’s best position group, the linebackers produced a bit of a mixed bag Sunday. Star sophomore Mason Posa racked up a game-high 15 tackles, but he was also flagged for unnecessary roughness in the second quarter, turning a would-be third-and-long into a first-and-goal that resulted in a Notre Dame touchdown.

Fellow sophomore Cooper Catalano missed a pair of tackles but was still serviceable, even if it wasn’t his best performance. Junior Kansas transfer Jon Jon Kamara saw limited playing time and struggled, getting lost in coverage and missing a tackle on Nolan James Jr.’s fourth-quarter touchdown.

This group deserves credit alongside the defensive line for a stellar first half and its role in limiting the Fighting Irish run game, but expectations are particularly high with Posa and Catalano leading the way. Both made their share of positive plays Sunday, but their mistakes loom larger given the level of play expected from the talented duo. Kamara’s debut was also disappointing after entering the season with the potential to emerge as a valuable and versatile complementary piece. 

There’s little reason for concern about Posa and Catalano in the grand scheme of things, as they remain the lifeblood of the defense, but that also means their performance warrants a higher level of scrutiny.

Grade: C+

Defensive Backs

Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Javan Robinson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Like the rest of the defense, there were both positives and negatives for the Badgers’ revamped defensive backfield. The cornerbacks were mostly good in coverage, as redshirt senior Arizona State transfer Javan Robinson was steady and junior Ohio State transfer Bryce West stood out with a pair of pass breakups in the second quarter. The safeties left more to be desired, as fifth-year senior Matt Jung was largely ineffective and senior Missouri transfer Marvin Burks Jr. made a minimal impact, though he may not be 100% after dealing with an injury toward the end of fall camp.

CJ Carr was able to find a rhythm through the air in the second half, completing 10 of 13 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown, in large part due to Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s overreliance on soft zone coverage. The tackling could’ve been better and the players ultimately have to make plays, but it’s hard to evaluate the secondary without factoring Tressel’s playcalling into the equation.

This is an intriguing group, led by Robinson, that I’d love to see get more opportunities in man coverage than it did against Notre Dame.

Grade: C+

Special Teams 

Wisconsin Badgers punter Sean West | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The extremes of this game are encapsulated in the Badgers’ special teams performance. Fifth-year senior Hope College transfer Liam Danitz made an immediate impact by getting his hand on a punt after the Fighting Irish’s first drive of the day stalled. Fifth-year senior kicker Gavin Lahm converted field goals from 27 and 36 yards, while junior punter Sean West delivered one of the greatest punts you’ll ever see, a 70-yard boot that went out inside the one-yard line.

But for all of that good, sophomore Harrison Bortolotti’s muff on a kickoff in the waning minutes of the first quarter stands out alongside Colton Joseph’s pick-six as one of the biggest backbreakers of the game for Wisconsin. Notre Dame recovered the fumble and turned it into a touchdown a few plays later. Bortolotti, a deep reserve running back, was taken off kickoff duties after the mishap, but the damage was already done and the coaching staff has drawn scrutiny for putting him in that position in the first place.

B- feels like a fair grade as a whole, but the Badgers’ special teams success at Lambeau Field varied drastically by phase.

Grade: B-