What to expect from the Wisconsin Badgers in 2025

The Wisconsin Badgers will always be a hard team to figure out in the Big Ten. Are they close enough to ever turn things around? Or are they just in stasis, remaining a middling group with no desire to either push forward and improve or just enough talent so that they don't slip up? In 2024, it was more of the latter with little signs of maturity and development. With an overwhelmingly young squad, the second year of the Luke Fickell era did not gain any momentum at all. Nevertheless, 2025 at the very least looks slightly more hopeful. Maryland QB transfer Billy Edwards Jr. brings experience and key players on both sides of the ball are one year older. With a slightly more manageable schedule, it should be bowl eligibility or bust for the Badgers this season.

2024 in Review

After only just barely reaching bowl eligibility in Luke Fickell's first season, the Badgers followed it up with a stinker of a 2024. Only winning three conference games was a major embarrassment. Against perhaps the three easiest opponents in the entire conference (Rutgers, Purdue, and Northwestern) to boot does not ease the sting any further for Badgers fans. Even their best loss, a 16-13 decision against Oregon, was not promising as former QB Braedyn Locke could not manage to make a play downfield big enough to hurt the Ducks late. Losing your final game of the season to one of their biggest rivals in Minnesota, to try and extend their 23-year bowl streak compounded their misery. The sobering reality for Fickell and Co. is starting to settle in.

2025 must deliver more promise and especially more commitment from the players. The Badgers have potential breakout candidates up and down the roster, especially offensively. Billy Edwards Jr. must be competent from the get-go, and all of Wisconsin's top offensive talent must produce for him as well. This operation is too close to flying off the handle early in the Luke Fickell era.

Head Coach Profile

There is almost certainly no doubt in people's minds that Luke Fickell should be capable of leading a Power 4 team. He was one of the most important head coaches in Group of 5 history after all. After leading the Cincinnati Bearcats to the CFP, the first time any G5 coach had ever done so, his star began to rise. So when Wisconsin came calling a couple of years later, Fickell willingly accepted the job. He actually took over during Wisconsin's bowl game in 2022, replacing Paul Chryst wth a nice bowl win over Oklahoma State. His 2023 season was a success, extending Wisconsin's bowl streak to 23 years, no matter the bowl loss to LSU. It was last year when all hell broke loose.

Wisconsin started off 5-2, but off-field issues, especially amongst Fickell's staff, created a sense of turmoil. Jack Del Rio, his advisor, personally removed himself from the staff after a bizarre off-field incident. 10 games into the year, Fickell fired OC Phil Longo and was surly in response to media questions about the firing. This resulted in an epic collapse that saw the Badgers fall from the brink of bowl eligibility to 5-7. They even lost all their Big Ten rivalry trophies as well.

The bottom line is that Fickell must control the chaos behind the scenes, or things could boil over quickly and affect the play of his squad. If he doesn't find that balance, he will surely be getting the hook this year.

Top Offensive Player

While Billy Edwards Jr. certainly brings a Big Ten pedigree to the Badgers that they may desperately need, Vinny Anthony has been a paragon of consistency and the primary beacon of hope for the Wisconsin offense. Any positive production from the wide receiver position stems from him, and Billy Edwards must understand that very quickly.

Anthony led the Badgers in receiving yards last season with 672, which is all you need to know about the state of the Badgers' receiver room. It was how he produced those yards that was most impressive. He averaged over 17 yards per catch, which hadn't been done by a Badgers receiver in over 50 yards in almost 20 years. He was also fourth in the Big Ten as a result in that category. His most impressive game last season was perhaps against Penn State, when he had a career-high seven receptions. While it was only for 68 yards, it showed his reliability and loyalty to this team. He will almost certainly be the end-all, be-all for this offense in his final season in Madison.

Top Defensive Player

A revamped defense could certainly see major development from all levels of the Badger defense. Yet it is one of their veterans who will be established as the overall leader of the pack. Preston Zachman, the redshirt senior who decided to come back for his extra COVID year of eligibility, is an indispensable athlete who Fickell will be glad decided on a return to Madison.

His career-high 58 tackles, three of which were tackles for loss, are an elite number for the safety position. His team-leading two interceptions, while a disappointing figure, are still a sign of his leadership and coverage abilities. His four pass breakups show his ranginess and length at an integral position for the Badgers. Most impressively, his eight tackles in consecutive weeks against Penn State and Iowa show he doesn't shy away from physicality. Fickell will be saddened when he leaves because he truly embodies the type of player Wisconsin is looking for: physical, dedicated, and most importantly, loyal. Not many players will come along throughout this journey for the Badgers. Fans, coaches, and teammates alike must cherish him while he lasts.

2025 Schedule Preview

• Aug 28 (Thu) vs. Miami OH
• Sept. 6 vs. Middle Tennessee State
• Sept. 13 at Alabama
• Sept. 20 vs. Maryland
• Oct. 4 at Michigan
• Oct. 11 vs. Iowa
• Oct. 18 vs. Ohio State
• Oct. at Oregon
• Nov. 8 vs. Washington
• Nov. 15 at Indiana
• Nov. 22 vs. Illinois
• Nov. 29 at Minnesota

There are tough opponents on Wisconsin's schedule, with some even saying that it's one of the toughest schedules any team in the Big Ten could face. On the other hand, this steadily improving team feels like they can at the very least disrupt the status quo if not themselves make some noise in the conference. Bowl eligibility will be a big ask with this slate, but not out of the question.

After two cupcakes, Wisconsin gets one of the toughest non-conference opponents in the Big Ten this year as they go down to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. While the Tide will be breaking in a replacement for quarterback Jalen Milroe, it's certainly not an easy task. Their toughest portion of the schedule comes midseason, starting in Week 5 when they welcome Bryce Underwood and Michigan and ending in Week 9 when they take on Dan Lanning's Ducks in Eugene. Sandwiched in between are what should be a much more daunting Iowa team, especially offensively, and reigning champions Ohio State. This slate of games will make or break this season in Madison.

Another intriguing three-game slate for the Badgers is their end to the season. Indiana and Illinois will be CFP hopefuls yet again and will be looking to roll through the final weeks of their campaigns. Minnesota at the end of the season is simply more for pride and gaining back the Paul Bunyan Axe trophy.

Overall , 7-5 is there for the taking should players on the precipice of stardom for the Badgers have breakout years and the rest of this young squad grows up fast. But it is never easy in the Big Ten, and Fickell and Co. are finding that out equally as quickly. Should the Badgers continue to come up short in conference play, it won't be looking pretty for the Fickell regime in Madison.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: A quick look at the Wisconsin Badgers in 2025