Wisconsin’s Injury Spiral Continues – Rutgers Star Receiver KJ Duff Likely Out for Week 10, Leaving Both Teams in a Bind

Wisconsin hasn’t exactly been blessed with good health this fall. The Badgers entered the season hoping the line would stay intact, but one after another, starters have gone down, and the roster is looking a little thinner than the coaches hoped.

Sure, quarterback Colton Joseph has somehow avoided the injury bug – even if he spent last week on the bench after a 30‑0 drubbing by Iowa. It’s the O‑line that’s taken the hardest hits, and skill players like wideout Jaylon Domingeaux and tailback Abu Sama have missed a decent chunk of practice time, too.

Now the latest casualty appears to be senior defensive lineman Kevin Heywood. He’s expected to miss the Week 10 clash with Rutgers, and the prognosis isn’t great – it could be the season, or at least a long stretch.

That sounds bleak for Wisconsin, but the bad news department seems to be a two‑way street. Opponents have also been battling their own injury avalanches, often right before they travel to Madison.

Think back to the start of Big Ten play: Penn State lost its top receiver Koby Howard just before falling to the Badgers. The next week, Michigan State’s leading rusher Cam Edwards was sidelined before taking on Wisconsin. Even UCLA’s starter Nico Iamaleava went down for the year right before the Bruins faced the Badgers in Pasadena – a loss that, honestly, hurt Wisconsin more than it helped.

And don’t forget USC playing without star tight end Mark Bowman, or Iowa losing running back Kamari Moulton for the season ahead of their meeting with Wisconsin. Whether those injuries mattered is up for debate, but the pattern is clear: the Badgers have been dealing with a steady stream of key players walking the hurt‑walk.

Enter Rutgers’ own nightmare – star wide receiver KJ Duff is listed as doubtful for the Week 10 game in Madison. That’s a big blow, not just for the Scarlet Knights but also for the Badgers, who suddenly find themselves without a high‑octane matchup.

Duff is a spectacle to watch. At 6‑6 and 225 pounds, the Long Island native turns contested catches into something that looks like pure gravity‑defying art. He’s big enough to make most defensive backs think twice, yet fluid enough to outrun them on the outside. Through seven games he’s hauled in 45 receptions for 774 yards and nine touchdowns – that’s 17.2 yards per catch, a stat line that explains why every coach wants him on the field.

The timing, however, couldn’t be worse for Rutgers. Their starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan is also dealing with an injury that could keep him out longer than just a week. Backup AJ Surace is now the man under center, and his numbers haven’t exactly inspired confidence. Last week against Michigan he was 3‑for‑12 (still managed a touchdown), and the week before he was 7‑for‑18 against Northwestern. Overall, he’s completed just over 51 % of his passes this season.

In plain English, Surace could really use a big‑bodied, jump‑ball specialist to serve as a safety valve – someone who can step into the middle of the field, make a contested grab, and keep a drive alive. With Duff’s status hanging in the balance, that option may never materialize in Madison.

For Wisconsin, the upside is that they won’t have to game‑plan for a receiver who can take the ball over the middle and force their secondary into a bind. It’s a small mercy in a season already riddled with setbacks. Yet it’s also a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in college football – one team’s misfortune can become another’s opening, and vice‑versa.

Bottom line: the Badgers will have to lean on the pieces they still have, especially the few healthy linemen, and hope Joseph can rediscover his rhythm. Meanwhile, Rutgers will be scrambling to keep the offense moving without their marquee target and with a backup quarterback still finding his footing. Week 10 promises to be a gritty, injury‑tested showdown – and it will be fascinating to see which side adapts better.