Three Badgers Who’ll Feel the Heat When Fall Camp Kicks Off

When the Badgers roll out onto the practice fields in August, there’s a buzz you can almost taste. Coach Luke Fickell keeps reminding everyone that the first game – a showdown with Notre Dame at Lambeau Field – isn’t just another slot on the schedule; it’s the moment the nation will start listening again.

“We try not to talk about it as much. As we go into fall camp, we’ll talk about it a lot more. We all know it’s there,” Fickell said earlier this summer. The message is clear: every rep, every drill, every snap counts, and a handful of Badgers feel that weight more than the rest.

1. Quarterback Deuce Adams

Deuce Adams arrived in Madison after a stint at Louisville, a transfer‑portal story that, frankly, seemed a little upside‑down. He knew the depth chart already had a name on top – Colton Joseph – and then a freshman, Ryan Hopkins, burst onto the scene during spring camp, sharing snaps with the two seniors. Hopkins is looking, after just fifteen practices, like the future of Wisconsin’s passing game.

That’s good news for the program but puts Adams in a weird spot. He’s supposedly the reliable backup, yet every coach’s eye is flicking to the 18‑year‑old’s performance. One misstep in a fall practice could push Adams from a comfortable QB2 role into a battle for a roster spot. The pressure? It’s real, and it’s personal.

2. Left Tackle PJ Wilkins

Wilkins has never actually started a college game at left tackle – his résumé is all about raw size and athletic upside. Still, the Badgers have handed him the blind‑side job, a position that, in the Big Ten, is almost sacred. The catch? Former Florida State standout Lucas Simmons‑Johansson, a former top‑10 recruit who’s 6‑foot‑7, is lurking in the background, earning reps late in spring camp.

If you’ve ever watched a left tackle wrestle with a defender on the edge of the pocket, you know there’s no room for error. Wilkins can’t afford a slip‑up, because the coaching staff will quickly turn to Simmons‑Johansson if the line looks shaky. The competition is fierce, and the stakes are as high as a Badger’s chance to protect the quarterback against a ferocious Notre Dame defense.

3. The Whole Wide‑Receiver Room

Admittedly, saying “the entire WR group” sounds like a cop‑out, but the truth is the unit has yet to show it can be a consistent threat. New offensive‑passing coach Ari Confessor inherited a room full of talent on paper: Chris Brooks Jr., a physical 6‑foot‑5 presence; Tyrell Henry, a shifty slot specialist; Eugene Hilton, the football‑IQ guru; and speedsters Shamar Rigby and Malachi Coleman, both standing over six feet tall.

The problem? None of them have turned that potential into Big Ten production yet. For a team that will rely on a quarterback who’s still fighting for the backup spot, having a reliable go‑to receiver is essential. The coaches need one or two names to step up, to become the safety valve against a Notre Dame defense that can close windows in a heartbeat.

All told, the Badgers enter fall camp with a mountain of expectation. Everyone – from the freshman who just signed his National Letter of Intent to the seasoned senior feeling the tick of his final year – is aware that the window to impress is closing fast. For Adams, Wilkins and the receivers, the August sun feels a little hotter, and the pressure a little heavier. But if they can handle it, Wisconsin could be the team that finally puts the nation on notice.