It’s been an eventful last week of spring ball for the Wisconsin Badgers, as they’ve started to ramp up, reaching the midway point of April.
With a lot of updates coming, let’s do a long notebook that breaks down the last four practices individually, giving my thoughts on each. Wisconsin had its sixth practice of the spring last Thursday, seventh on Saturday, eighth on Tuesday, and ninth today on Thursday.
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Notes on spring practice No. 6
The defense dominated to start the day last Thursday, especially in team drills in the run game. The front seven were consistently getting stops at or near the line of scrimmage, and the energy was completely on the defense’s side to start the day.
Players who stood out making plays included defensive lineman Nolan Vils, who has been quite consistent all camp, and Micheal Garner, who has been in and out due to injury.
But I thought things started to flip a switch in 1-on-1s between the offensive and defensive line, as the former had an impressive performance there. Kevin Heywood was a clear standout, winning all of his one-on-one reps, regardless of who he went up against. He’s poised to be the leader of the offensive line this season after missing all of last year with a torn ACL.
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Overall, though, I thought the offensive line did a pretty good job keeping things even (or even winning more reps) in the 1-on-1s, where the defense usually has more of an advantage.
Going back to team drills, I thought Colton Joseph had a nice start in 11-on-11s, which included four straight completions, including a rollout throw to Shamar Rigby for a good gain. The lone incompletion in that first set of plays? A pass breakup from Jai’mier Scott, who has absolutely been a riser in the cornerback room all spring long.
True freshman Ryan Hopkins continued to get a ton of reps behind Joseph, working in with Deuce Adams, and it was more of what we’ve seen so far: some flashes met by moments of inconsistency throwing the football. Hopkins is continuing to learn through reps, but is still figuring out his accuracy and feel with the speed of the game.
Carter Smith did get a few reps in team drills, but things continued to be a struggle for the sophomore quarterback, who hasn’t been able to build off his freshman campaign much this spring.
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Overall, while the offense had a few moments, I thought it was a pretty clear day for the defense, who dominated with sacks, run stuffs, and forcing short plays.
One key note at the end of practice, though, was that right guard Emerson Mandell ended up in a boot after starting the day on the field. Arkansas transfer Blake Cherry hopped in his spot, working in at right guard, while Stlyz Blackmon got some reps with the top offense as well. Head coach Luke Fickell shared this week that Mandell had surgery on his foot and will be out for the rest of the spring.
Notes on spring practice No. 7
While I wasn’t present for Wisconsin’s seventh or eighth spring practice, 247Sports’s Payne Blazevich had a good breakdown of both days, and I’ll share the highlights and key takeaways that he had of the practices.
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On Saturday, Wisconsin had one of its bigger days of practice to date, going live with around 60 reps, which has been a goal for the team. They’re looking to ramp up and simulate game experience with the live reps on Saturdays, so it was an eventful day.
“The energy reached a peak as the Badgers built up to an animated day of practice that blended intense 11-on-11 work with individual competition,” Blazevich wrote. “It was a stage for several different names to stand out amid the ferocious atmosphere. The defense reveled in the physicality, while Wisconsin’s offense was challenged to overcome the pressure.”
One of the standouts of the day was the safety room, which has impressed throughout spring ball. Wisconsin did a lot of work to improve that room with the additions of Missouri transfer Marvin Burks Jr. and Iowa State transfer Carson Van Dinter. Both are in line for key roles in 2026.
“Their desire for contact shined bright as the pair of expected starters Marvin Burks Jr. and Matt Jung flew downhill for a handful of forceful stops near the line of scrimmage,” Blazevich continued. “Newly converted safety Cairo Skanes darted around the field with a near interception, while transfer Carson Van Dinter displayed his athleticism as he tracked down a ball carrier for a touchdown-saving tackle.
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“Each grouping of safeties came away with standout plays in a high-intensity session. And near the end of practice, Grant Dean knocked down a pass in the back corner of the end zone, before Luke Emmerich closed out the day with a red zone interception.”
It was also an impressive day for true freshman Ryan Hopkins, who continued to receive a substantial amount of reps.
“The freshman signal-caller has flashed this spring as he begins to integrate within the offensive system. That reached another level with some standout plays in full speed competition,” Blazevich added.
“Hopkins delivered a dime to wideout Eugene Hilton Jr. down the sideline, dropping the pass right over the defense for a touchdown. He’s utilized his legs throughout camp, and he wiggled through the defense for some key pickups again.
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“The first-year quarterback has only grown more comfortable with seven practices under his belt, and he’s played at his best when the intensity is at a maximum. That was no more reflected than when Hopkins lined up across from safety Kah’ni Watts with the ball in his hands while the team huddled around the pair and a set of pads. The young QB dropped his shoulder and battled as roars erupted from the crowd.”
The pass rush also continued to impress, thanks to efforts from sophomores Nick Clayton and Jaylen Williams, who each had a few pressures and stops on the day. With the physicality amping up, this room and blitzing linebackers were highlights of the day.
Notes on spring practice No. 8
This was a rather uninspiring day, and head coach Luke Fickell had a lot to say about that following Tuesday’s practice when speaking with reporters.
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It was another day where the defense was dominant, as the offense looked lethargic on all fronts. One group that continued to shine? The secondary.
“It was another proficient showing for Wisconsin’s secondary. The Badgers saw multiple members of the cornerback and safety rooms fly in for pass breakups and interceptions in a busy day downfield,” Blazevich wrote in his write-up on Tuesday’s practice.
“Cornerbacks Jai’Mier Scott and Carsen Eloms notched takeaways on deflected passes in seven-on-seven work. And cornerback Eric Fletcher Jr. jumped a route for a pick-six during live action.
“The Badgers were strong in coverage with safety Cairo Skanes and cornerback Javan Robinson surging in to knock the ball away. Skanes and safety Marvin Burks Jr. also made their presence known defending the run.”
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It was also a day where the quarterbacks were consistently on the move, be it by design or due to pressure coming in.
Whether by design or necessity, Wisconsin’s quarterbacks were constantly on the move as they looked to pick up yards on the ground or fire the ball downfield while evading pressure.
“Colton Joseph utilized his legs on option plays and scrambles to slice through the defense and move the chains on Tuesday morning,” Blazevich added. “Deuce Adams slipped through a collapsed pocket before finding running back Abu Sama breaking open to notch a long catch-and-run down the sideline, and Carter Smith picked up a lengthy carry to move the sticks on a QB keeper.
“Wisconsin’s quarterbacks are well equipped to manage the pressure that’s been brought by a tenacious defensive front this spring. And with pass catchers like Zion Kearney, Tyrell Henry and Jaylon Domingeaux consistently finding open space on busted plays, the quarterbacks have been able to reliably deliver the ball or keep it themselves.”
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Notes on spring practice No. 9
Let’s get to Thursday, where we saw some better work from the offense, but it was still a defense-dominant day.
With Mandell out, it was exclusively Blake Cherry playing at right guard with the top offense again, slotting in between Austin Kawecki at center and Kevin Heywood at right tackle.
We also saw redshirt freshman Emmett Bork being used as an H-back and seeing time with the top offense, and he had quite a strong day. Bork saw a ton of reps, with his best catch being a deep corner from Deuce Adams in 7-on-7s for about a 35-yard gain up the sideline.
Bork also had a touchdown when Wisconsin was working red zone drills at the end of the day.
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We did see more of Bryce West as the Badgers ran some more nickel against Wisconsin’s offensive look on Tuesday, while the cornerback rotation continued on the outside. One player who continues to shine with one of the best spring camps of any on the team is cornerback Jai’mier Scott, who has been a regular with the top defense on the outside. Scott had a pick, breaking on a pass in 7-on-7s, to add to his quality spring.
Marvin Burks Jr. also had an interception in 7-on-7s, as the offense just couldn’t muster much consistency.
There were some good runs on the day, with Abu Sama and Bryan Jackson breaking off ones, but Wisconsin continues to struggle to effectively run the ball inside the tackles. The defense has gotten the better of the offense there with good edge seals and swarming to the ball.
Thought one of the standouts of the day on offense, though, was Ryan Hopkins. As we’ve reported, he continues to get a lot of work, and he ended the day on a high note on Thursday. Early on, in 11s, Hopkins had a nice throw to Tyrell Henry, stepping up with a clean pocket and firing on a 15-yard dig over the middle to his wideout for a completion.
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He’s also got some quality speed, being able to hit the edge under pressure on a play. After a near-interception on an ugly overthrow towards the end of practice, Hopkins finished strong. He had a nice deep ball to Eugene Hilton for a score, then followed that with a great backshoulder throw on a go ball where he allowed Shamar Rigby to go up and get it. One play later, with a defender in his face, Hopkins lowered his arm slot rolling left, and fired a great ball over the middle to Rigby again on a dig.
The quarterback ended his day with an easy touchdown throw rolling right to find Emmett Bork for the score. It was a solid end to his day.
It continued to be a tougher spring for Carter Smith, who struggled a bit again with his few opportunities. We’ll see if he can start to turn things around with his accuracy and reading defenses.
The defensive pressure continues to be a positive, and Sebastian Cheeks and Nick Clayton were among those who had sacks. Overall, there are still a lot of questions about this offense, namely whether they’ll be able to have a good enough run game this year. The Badgers have not been able to generate enough traction inside the tackles, despite having some quality running backs in the room. It’s either been a chunk play or a stop.
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Colton Joseph has had his moments as well this spring, but we’re waiting for the consistency from the starter. There are a lot of high expectations on him, and you’d expect him to continue to grow over time, but Wisconsin needs more consistency from him when facing the top defense over the final six practices of the spring.
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