ESPN doesn’t hold back on Wisconsin football’s offseason

According to ESPN, Wisconsin entered the 2026 offseason labeled a bottom-half Big Ten program in offseason success, but the early shape of the roster suggests a more optimistic story than a 14th-place league ranking.

The biggest departures tied to that evaluation came with plenty of context. Running back Dilin Jones moved on after a stretch that never translated into major production in Madison, and center Jake Renfro’s time in the program included a familiar caveat as he battled injuries. Those exits sting on paper, yet they did not remove proven, week-to-week cornerstones from Wisconsin’s offense the way some Big Ten peers lost high-volume starters at premium positions.

Wisconsin also positioned itself to make the kind of move that can flip an offseason and a program around in a hurry. The Badgers landed a potential difference-making quarterback, Colton Joseph, from Old Dominion, and his 2025 production jumps off the page. Joseph accounted for 34 touchdowns last season, the type of dual-threat output Wisconsin has chased as it tries to raise its ceiling in a conference built to punish one-dimensional offenses.

If Joseph hits, Wisconsin’s offseason looks less like damage control and more like targeted roster management. Quarterback play drives everything from third-down efficiency to red-zone scoring, and the Badgers have struggled in recent years with quarterback health and production.

Time will tell if Wisconsin turns these offseason swings into on-field success, but with the addition of Joseph, the Badgers have added upside and excitement at the quarterback position that they've lacked for much of Luke Fickell's tenure.

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