3 Optimistic And 3 Concerning 2026 Wisconsin Football Takes

Sep 13, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Old Dominion Monarchs quarterback Colton Joseph (1) runs the ball as Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Isaiah Brown-Murray (9) pursues during the third quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images Kickoff for this year’s version of Luke Fickell’s squad is still over three months away, but there are some obvious themes that are making Wisconsin Badgers fans both excited and anxious already. As the summer descends, there’s a lot of chatter around how the Badgers will fare in 2026, so it’s a good time to share three optimistic and concerning takes for the program ahead of the season.

Optimistic: Middle Linebackers While we won’t know which position groups will dominate this squad until September, it’s a reasonable guess that the standout unit will be the middle linebackers. Led by potential All-Big Ten talents Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano, who will get some welcome assistance from Thomas Heiberger, vet Aaron Witt, and newcomers Jon Jon Kamara and Taylor Schaefer, I believe that the Badgers’ linebackers will be a stout, disruptive, hair-on-fire type of group with a diverse set of skills. Look for them to be dominant at times this season.

Concerning: Starting QB Okay, pessimism is a bit strong. I have every reason to believe that talented transfer Colton Joseph (when healthy) will find success at the position not seen for several years at Wisconsin. My concern is more about expectations.

As a big-ticket, super hyped addition for Fickell, the bar has been set unusually high (think Mertz, Graham in 2020), so it’s easy to envision the growing pains associated with a massive step up in competition giving Joseph some issues. While his spring camp reviews were a bit mixed, they trended upward, which is good news. That all said, I still expect a solid if not spectacular fall from the new signal caller, who should present problems for all but elite defenses.