Wisconsin Football Fall Camp Day 1: Standouts and Takeaways
Who and what stood out during the Badgers' first day of fall camp?
Wisconsin football season is upon us.
The Badgers were back on the Camp Randall turf on Thursday morning for the first practice of the 2026 season. Luke Fickell talked about the different vibe on the team and the urgency to win this season, and it was evident during practice with the amount of pad popping, hooting and hollering, and on the field.
It's just day one of camp, and we have a long way to go before they kick off the season against Notre Dame in Week 1, but here are my takeaways and standouts from the Badgers’ first practice.
There Is a Legitimate QB Battle
Colton Joseph is the unquestioned QB1 after the Badgers aggressively pursued him in the transfer portal. The Badgers also added Louisville QB Deuce Adams in the portal as depth and the assumed backup.
It may not be that cut-and-dried. True freshman QB Ryan Hopkins burst onto the scene during spring practice, making a handful of plays and impressing as an early enrollee.
Now it’s a true battle for the backup quarterback spot, which we all know is important after watching the Badgers over the past three seasons.
Today, Adams took the reps after Joseph and before Hopkins, but that isn’t necessarily going to be the case each day. Coach Fickell was asked if the plan is to have the pair split reps.
“It is. I mean, I haven’t shied away from saying one of the best things about where we are now, from where we’ve been, is the quarterback room. I just feel like there’s some competition, there’s some depth there.”
There are also so many reps to go around, so it definitely feels like whoever takes advantage of the reps they are given these next few weeks will head into the season as QB2.
The Secondary is Loaded with Depth
Following the 2025 season, the Wisconsin staff made a concerted effort to revamp the secondary for the Badgers. After just one practice, I can already say with confidence that they are a vastly improved group.
Safety Matt Jung is the lone returning starter. Javan Robinson and Jaimier Scott were the boundary corners with the first group, while Ohio State transfer Bryce West lined up in the slot. Missouri transfer Marvin Burks Jr. joined Jung on the back end of the defense.
That group can fly. The speed of the group caught my eye, making multiple plays, including a nice interception by Scott, picking off Joseph on an ill-advised throw.
In the second group, Cai Bates and Eric Fletcher were on the boundary with Raphael Dunn in the slot.
True freshmen Donovan Dunmore and Carsen Eloms round out the rest of the room.
There's Plenty of Juice in the Edge Room
If the secondary is a unit that has depth, then the edge room is ‘loaded.’
Sebastian Cheeks and Tyreese Fearbry are two edge defenders returning from last season who got some meaningful reps. Michael Garner, who Fickell talked about very positively post-practice, Nicolas Clayton, and Jaylen Williams are three players I’d expect to get some more run this year, too.
But they also went into the portal and landed redshirt senior Justus Boone (Arkansas), Jayden Loftin (Tennessee), and Liam Danitz (Hope).
Yahya Gaad is a true freshman who already looks physically ready to play in the Big Ten. Unfortunately for him, he is buried on the depth chart.
With all this depth, the Badgers will have a lot of competition, be able to keep the edge rushers fresh, and replace injured players. But there’s not just depth in this group; there’s a lot of talent. It should be a fun group to watch this season.
Players Who Caught My Eye
RB Bryan Jackson II
The USC transfer made a few splash plays. In one, he caught a pass from Ryan Hopkins and took it about 50 yards to the end zone, running well in space and using his speed to blow past defenders. He looked solid on day 1.
Edge Sebastian Cheeks
Cheeks is a player I think could really break out this year. He is one of those players taking on a leadership role in the program. When he wasn’t playing, he was talking to guys nonstop and encouraging his teammates.
He really caught my attention in 11-on-11s today when he beat left tackle PJ Wilkins on back-to-back plays, getting into the backfield almost immediately. Both plays would have been sacks.
LB Cooper Catalano
Unsurprisingly, Catalano was all over the field. He just has a nose for the ball. He was in on or around every tackle in the running game, but also had an interception in coverage today, too.
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