Wisconsin

2026 season

Big Ten

2026 preseason report

Historical preseason snapshot from 2026-07-29, including roster context and illustrative season projections. This is not a live injury feed.

What every system says

Wisconsin's rank in each system (1 = best). Middle rank 24.5 across 8 systems; best 11, worst 40, so they disagree by 29 places.

Lab EPA: #13; Through week 82026 · 138 rated FBS teams · Through week 8. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings take separate places, ordered by team name.
Lab SRS: #22; up 102026 · 138 FBS roster teams, including prior-only teams · Through week 8 · built 2026-10-30T11:17:06.745613+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings take separate places, ordered by team name.
SP+: #40; up 32026 · 138 published SP+ teams · Provider week 9 · captured 2026-10-25T21:28:39.844929+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Published provider ranks; tie handling is not documented in this snapshot.
Elo: #31; up 62026 · 138 rated FBS teams · Through week 8 · captured 2026-10-30T11:02:01.130624+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings share the best tied rank; the next rank skips places.
FPI: #36; up 32026 · 138 rated FBS teams · Event cutoff not supplied · captured 2026-10-30T11:02:01.130624+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings share the best tied rank; the next rank skips places.
CORE: #11; up 4 · Through week 8 · captured 2026-10-30T11:02:01.130624+00:002026 · 138 rated FBS teams · Through week 8 · captured 2026-10-30T11:02:01.130624+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings share the best tied rank; the next rank skips places.
CFBD SRS: #27; up 102026 · 138 rated FBS teams · Event cutoff not supplied · captured 2026-10-30T11:02:01.130624+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings share the best tied rank; the next rank skips places.
WEPA: #13; down 12026 · 138 rated FBS teams · Event cutoff not supplied · captured 2026-10-30T11:02:01.130624+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings share the best tied rank; the next rank skips places.

Compare every team

FPI context

ESPN FPI via CFBD · 2026

Résumé and schedule

Results earned and schedule difficulty

Strength of record: #20 of 138
Schedule strength: #19 of 138
Remaining schedule strength: #68 of 138
Game control: #31 of 138

Unit efficiency

Performance by unit

Overall: #28 of 138
Offense: #56 of 138
Defense: #15 of 138
Special teams: #71 of 138

Ranks calculated among rated FBS teams; ties share rank. #1 means strongest résumé, hardest schedule, best game control or highest efficiency. These are separate measures, not a combined forecast. Captured Oct 30, 2026, 06:02:01 CDT. FPI supplies no results-through week; capture time records when we received it.

Why the ratings disagree

Wisconsin · 2026. Each system answers a different question. The cards show each source's rank (published or computed here) and coverage, so a rank gap can also reflect which teams have data.

Record

5-2 wins–losses

No rank assigned

Results earned. Wins and losses do not account for opponent strength or victory margin.

2026, provider Week 9; captured 2026-10-25T21:28:39.844929+00:00

SP+ workbook record

Descriptive EPA

0.159 net EPA/play

#13

2026 · 138 rated FBS teams · Through week 8. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings take separate places, ordered by team name.

Observed per-play efficiency after opponent adjustment. FBS-vs-FBS plays; no preseason strength prior. Sparse schedules can produce sharp early movement.

2026, through CFBD Week 8; opponent adjusted ridge

Lab EPA from CFBD plays

Local predictive SRS

8.97 points

#22 · Up 10 places since the previous CFBD cutoff

2026 · 138 FBS roster teams, including prior-only teams · Through week 8 · built 2026-10-30T11:17:06.745613+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings take separate places, ordered by team name.

This season's 7 games, with recent games counting a bit more: average margin +9.92 (with blowouts capped at 35 points and overtime games counted as a 1-point result, then 2.5 points of home field removed) against opponents averaging +2.07, schedule #22 of 138 (#1 = toughest); 1 FCS opponent counts at −25; FBS opponents alone average +6.12. That is worth +11.99 on its own; the preseason prior of -0.21 still carries 25% of the weight, giving +8.97.

How each game enters this SRS rating

Wisconsin · 2026, through CFBD Week 8. Margins are team minus opponent. The fit caps margins and treats overtime as a one-point result before adjusting for venue. Recent games carry more weight; the fit share includes the preseason prior in its denominator.

Game	Raw margin → transformed	Venue adjustment	Recency weight	Fit share	Opponent rating	Margin term	Opponent term	Total term
Week 1 · Notre Dame neutral · 2026-09-06 · ID 401858438	-28.00 → -28.00	0.00	0.7637	9.44%	+19.89	-2.642	1.877	-0.765
Week 2 · Western Illinois home · 2026-09-12 · ID 401858447	+27.00 → +27.00	-2.50	0.7937	9.81%	-25.00 (fixed lower division)	2.403	-2.452	-0.049
Week 3 · Eastern Michigan home · 2026-09-19 · ID 401858460	+44.00 → +35.00	-2.50	0.8249	10.19%	-9.30	3.313	-0.948	2.365
Week 4 · Penn State away · 2026-09-26 · ID 401858466	+4.00 → +4.00	+2.50	0.8572	10.59%	+7.11	0.689	0.753	1.442
Week 5 · Michigan State home · 2026-10-03 · ID 401858479	+28.00 → +28.00	-2.50	0.8909	11.01%	+0.05	2.807	0.006	2.813
Week 7 · UCLA away · 2026-10-17 · ID 401858494	-10.00 → -10.00	+2.50	0.9622	11.89%	+12.00	-0.892	1.427	0.535
Week 8 · USC home · 2026-10-24 · ID 401858500	+17.00 → +17.00	-2.50	1.0000	12.36%	+7.22	1.792	0.892	2.684

Game terms +9.02 points; prior term -0.05 points. Their unrounded sum is the fitted rating +8.97 points. The preseason prior is -0.21 with 24.71% of the fit weight. Displayed values are rounded; the producer checks the unrounded identity within 0.00000001 points.

These are additive terms of the current fit, not the effect of removing a game. Opponent ratings already reflect the connected schedule. Lower-division opponents use the fixed anchor, not an individually fitted rating. The rating's model-based 95% band is ±9.2 points; this decomposition does not reduce uncertainty or assign causal effects.

Download fitted terms and source hashes

Estimated strength from schedule-adjusted scoring margins, margin caps, home-field adjustment and recency weighting. Half of prior-season strength, including postseason, carries forward with two games of weight. SRS includes FCS opponents under a fixed strength assumption. 7 current games; prior available.

2026, through CFBD Week 8; generated 2026-10-30T11:17:06.745613+00:00

Lab SRS from CFBD scores

External SP+

8.7 SP+ points

#40 · Up 3 places

2026 · 138 published SP+ teams · Provider week 9 · captured 2026-10-25T21:28:39.844929+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Published provider ranks; tie handling is not documented in this snapshot.

Bill Connelly's published predictive strength estimate. Its method and scale differ from local SRS.

2026, provider Week 9; captured 2026-10-25T21:28:39.844929+00:00

Bill Connelly SP+ workbook

External CORE

18.78 net points per 100 offensive + 100 defensive plays

#11 of 138 by overall (ranked here; CORE publishes no rank)

2026 · 138 rated FBS teams in this CORE board · 2026, through regular Week 8; model core-v1; captured 2026-10-30T11:02:06.855798+00:00. Rank 1 is best; lower rank numbers are better. Higher rating values are better. Equal ratings share the best tied rank; the next rank skips places.

CFBD's context- and opponent-relative efficiency. Offense is higher-better; defense is points allowed above average, so lower is better; overall is offense minus defense. It counts only pass and rush plays from FBS-vs-FBS games, with no special teams, overtime or garbage time; early-week values are pulled toward average but are still uncertain, and it is not a résumé ranking. Its scale is not comparable to EPA, SRS or SP+. Offense 0.92 on 331 plays; defense -17.86 on 378 plays.

2026, through regular Week 8; model core-v1; captured 2026-10-30T11:02:06.855798+00:00

CFBD CORE rating CORE board: offense vs defense

EPA ranks Wisconsin 9 places higher than local SRS at the matched cutoff. This identifies a disagreement; it does not isolate its cause. SP+ movement compares provider weeks 8 and 9. Provider weeks may differ from CFBD weeks, so no cross-provider rank gap is calculated. CORE reports its own inclusive cutoff and is shown beside these systems for comparison only; it is an external research rating and is never blended into the lab's opponent-adjusted EPA, local SRS or any pick.

Team ratings and rank gaps are not matchup spreads or win probabilities. Matchup context and a calibrated forecast mapping are required. Do not average EPA, SRS, SP+ and CORE values across their different scales.

Read local SRS assumptions and forecast evidence

Program context

2026 · CFBD records, polls, recruiting, coaches

Record: 5-2 · conf 3-1 · home 4-0 · away 1-1 · expected wins 4.8
Polls (Week 9): AP Top 25 #25
CFP latest: not published
CFP final: not published
Against the spread: 2026: 4-3 ATS (+6.0 avg) · 2025: 6-6 ATS (-1.8 avg)
Head coach: Luke Fickell · hired 2022-11-27 · 16-21 over 4 captured seasons
Recruiting classes: 2024 #23 (239 pts) · 2025 #27 (227 pts) · 2026 #78 (187 pts)
Returning: 31% of production · 47% of usage
Passing, receiving and rushing detail
Category Production Usage
Passing -500% 52%
Receiving 34% 23%
Rushing 32% 58%
Shares of prior-season PPA and usage returning in each category. Missing values are unavailable.

Category	Production	Usage
Passing	-500%	52%
Receiving	34%	23%
Rushing	32%	58%

Provider values from CFBD captures dated 2026-09-22, 2026-10-30. head coach for the season; tenure counts cover only the captured seasons, hire date is the provider's. Returning usage carries no signal beyond returning production in this repo's research; neither is a model input.

Recruiting by position group

2023–2026 classes · High school · CFBD · captured 2026-10-30 UTC

Position group	Commits	Avg. stars	Avg. rating	Total rating
Defensive Back	14	3.21	0.8760	12.26
Defensive Line	14	3.29	0.8825	12.35
Linebacker	9	3.11	0.8618	7.76
Offensive Line	13	3.38	0.8858	11.52
Quarterback	5	3.20	0.8582	4.29
Receiver	13	3.00	0.8605	11.19
Running Back	4	3.50	0.8936	3.57
Special Teams	6	3.33	0.8819	5.29

Recruiting class aggregates, not current roster strength. Commits count recruits across the window; total rating also reflects class size. JUCO, prep-school and transfer ratings are excluded. These values do not enter the prediction model.

Player efficiency and usage

2026 · observed 2026-10-30 UTC

Passing and rushing WEPA adjust efficiency for opponents. Kicker PAAR measures points added above replacement. Higher is better within each metric. Metric rows are ordered by sample size, followed by usage-only players. Usage is the share of team plays involving the player within each category; categories overlap and should not be added. CFBD definitions

Player / history	Metric	Value	Plays / attempts	Overall usage	Usage detail	Recruiting
Colton Joseph · QB CFBD athlete 5125715. Wisconsin (2026–2026); Old Dominion (2023–2025)	Passing WEPA	0.313	159	60.6%	Pass 99.4% · Rush 32.5% 1st 52.9% · 2nd 60.9% · 3rd 74.7% Standard downs 56.3% · Passing downs 68.8%	2023: 3★ · 0.8306
Colton Joseph · QB CFBD athlete 5125715. Wisconsin (2026–2026); Old Dominion (2023–2025)	Rushing WEPA	0.329	78	60.6%	Pass 99.4% · Rush 32.5% 1st 52.9% · 2nd 60.9% · 3rd 74.7% Standard downs 56.3% · Passing downs 68.8%	2023: 3★ · 0.8306
Darrion Dupree · RB CFBD athlete 5079378. Wisconsin (2024–2026)	Rushing WEPA	0.088	45	15.9%	Pass 5.6% · Rush 25.3% 1st 18.5% · 2nd 16.9% · 3rd 10.1% Standard downs 16.7% · Passing downs 14.4%	2024: 4★ · 0.8970
Abu Sama III · RB CFBD athlete 5078005. Iowa State (2023–2025); Wisconsin (2026–2026)	Rushing WEPA	0.196	41	18.7%	Pass 4.0% · Rush 30.8% 1st 27.3% · 2nd 14.6% · 3rd 9.5% Standard downs 20.9% · Passing downs 14.7%	2023: 3★ · 0.8756
Gavin Lahm · PK CFBD athlete 5089194. Wisconsin (2022–2026)	Kicker PAAR	4.390	12	—	Pass — · Rush — 1st — · 2nd — · 3rd — Standard downs — · Passing downs —	Not linked
Bryan Jackson · RB CFBD athlete 5079500. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	12.9%	Pass 2.2% · Rush 20.1% 1st 15.8% · 2nd 14.1% · 3rd 5.8% Standard downs 16.1% · Passing downs 6.3%	Not linked
Chris Brooks Jr. · WR CFBD athlete 4917172. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	5.0%	Pass 11.4% · Rush 0.4% 1st 4.6% · 2nd 5.8% · 3rd 4.4% Standard downs 4.8% · Passing downs 5.6%	Not linked
Emmett Bork · TE CFBD athlete 5212589. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	3.0%	Pass 6.5% · Rush 0.0% 1st 1.6% · 2nd 4.9% · 3rd 3.0% Standard downs 3.1% · Passing downs 2.8%	Not linked
Eugene Hilton Jr. · WR CFBD athlete 5141505. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	6.3%	Pass 13.1% · Rush 1.3% 1st 6.3% · 2nd 5.1% · 3rd 8.8% Standard downs 6.3% · Passing downs 6.3%	Not linked
Grant Stec · TE CFBD athlete 5079705. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	3.8%	Pass 8.2% · Rush 0.0% 1st 6.6% · 2nd 1.6% · 3rd 2.5% Standard downs 5.2% · Passing downs 1.5%	Not linked
Jacob Harris · TE CFBD athlete 5122018. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	5.8%	Pass 13.6% · Rush 0.0% 1st 3.4% · 2nd 8.0% · 3rd 7.7% Standard downs 3.7% · Passing downs 9.7%	Not linked
Jaylon Domingeaux · WR CFBD athlete 5154809. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	2.8%	Pass 9.1% · Rush 0.0% 1st 2.3% · 2nd 2.7% · 3rd 4.3% Standard downs 2.8% · Passing downs 2.9%	Not linked
Malachi Coleman · WR CFBD athlete 4917947. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	3.9%	Pass 10.0% · Rush 0.0% 1st 5.3% · 2nd 2.6% · 3rd 3.8% Standard downs 4.8% · Passing downs 2.4%	Not linked
Nate Palmer · RB CFBD athlete 5079552. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	6.2%	Pass 0.0% · Rush 14.0% 1st 5.4% · 2nd 7.1% · 3rd 7.4% Standard downs 6.7% · Passing downs 5.0%	Not linked
Ryan Hopkins · QB CFBD athlete 5210475. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	3.3%	Pass 0.0% · Rush 5.5% 1st 2.0% · 2nd 5.4% · 3rd 3.6% Standard downs 4.1% · Passing downs 2.1%	Not linked
Ryan Schwendeman · TE CFBD athlete 5086150. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	1.6%	Pass 1.4% · Rush 1.8% 1st 1.3% · 2nd 0.0% · 3rd 4.7% Standard downs 2.7% · Passing downs 0.0%	Not linked
Shamar Rigby · WR CFBD athlete 5146753. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	2.7%	Pass 5.5% · Rush 0.0% 1st 3.8% · 2nd 0.0% · 3rd 5.0% Standard downs 2.6% · Passing downs 3.0%	Not linked
Tyrell Henry · WR CFBD athlete 4714046. Team attribution from the captured season usage record.	Not available	—	—	11.8%	Pass 25.6% · Rush 1.7% 1st 9.8% · 2nd 9.4% · 3rd 18.7% Standard downs 9.9% · Passing downs 15.3%	Not linked

Transfers

Incoming · 33 reported

Player	From	Date	Stars / rating	Eligibility
Abu Sama III · RB	Iowa State	2026-01-03	3★ / 0.8800	Immediate
Austin Kawecki · IOL	Oklahoma State	2026-01-04	3★ / 0.8700	Immediate
Blake Cherry · OT	Arkansas	2026-01-06	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Bryan Jackson · RB	USC	2026-01-07	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Bryce West · CB	Ohio State	2026-01-06	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Cai Bates · CB	Florida State	2026-01-05	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Carson Van Dinter · S	Iowa State	2026-01-03	3★ / 0.8500	Immediate
Colton Joseph · QB	Old Dominion	2026-01-04	3★ / 0.8700	Immediate
DeNigel Cooper · DL	App State	2026-01-16	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Deuce Adams · QB	Louisville	2026-01-09	3★ / 0.8500	Immediate
Eli Adams · WR	Louisville	2026-01-23	3★ / 0.8300	Immediate
Eric Fletcher · CB	Oklahoma State	2026-01-03	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Ethan Tranel · P	Not reported	2026-01-16	3★ / 0.8300	Immediate
Hammond Russell IV · DL	West Virginia	2026-01-08	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Jacob Harris · TE	Bowling Green	2026-01-03	3★ / 0.8700	Immediate
Jake Anderson · DL	Illinois State	2026-01-09	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
James Roe · LS	Toledo	2026-01-13	3★ / 0.8000	Immediate
Javan Robinson · CB	Arizona State	2026-01-05	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Jayden Loftin · EDGE	Tennessee	2026-01-10	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Jaylon Domingeaux · WR	Not reported	2026-01-07	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Jon Jon Kamara · LB	Kansas	2026-01-05	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Junior Poyser · DL	Buffalo	2026-01-07	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Justus Boone · EDGE	Arkansas	2026-01-04	3★ / 0.8700	Immediate
Liam Danitz · EDGE	Not reported	2026-01-16	3★ / 0.8600	PendingAppeal
Lucas Simmons · OT	Florida State	2026-01-07	3★ / 0.8500	Immediate
Malachi Coleman · WR	Minnesota	2026-01-12	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Marvin Burks Jr. · S	Missouri	2026-01-08	3★ / 0.8700	Immediate
Nate Palmer · RB	TCU	2026-01-08	3★ / 0.8500	Immediate
PJ Wilkins · IOL	Ole Miss	2026-01-07	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Ryan Schwendeman · TE	Southern Illinois	2026-01-04	3★ / 0.8500	Immediate
Shamar Rigby · WR	Oklahoma State	2026-01-04	3★ / 0.8800	Immediate
Stylz Blackmon · IOL	Not reported	2026-01-16	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Zion Kearney · WR	Oklahoma	2026-01-19	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate

Outgoing · 26 reported

Player	To	Date	Stars / rating	Eligibility
Angel Toombs · EDGE	Jacksonville State	2026-01-11	— / —	Immediate
Antarron Turner · LB	Colorado State	2026-01-11	— / —	Immediate
Atticus Bertrams · P	UCF	2026-01-08	2★ / —	Immediate
Billy Edwards Jr. · QB	North Carolina	2026-01-04	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Cade Yacamelli · RB	Miami (OH)	2026-01-17	3★ / 0.8500	Immediate
Charles Perkins · DL	Not reported	2026-01-10	— / —	Withdrawn
Christian Alliegro · LB	Ohio State	2026-01-08	3★ / 0.8800	Immediate
Cody Raymond · EDGE	Ohio	2026-01-10	3★ / —	Immediate
D'Yoni Hill · CB	Oklahoma	2026-09-07	3★ / —	Immediate
Deed Capper · LS	Virginia Tech	2026-01-21	3★ / 0.8000	Immediate
Dilin Jones · RB	LSU	2026-01-13	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Ernest Willor Jr. · EDGE	James Madison	2026-01-24	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Eugene Hilton Jr. · WR	Not reported	2026-01-13	3★ / —	Withdrawn
Geimere Latimer Jr. · CB	West Virginia	2026-01-05	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Jake Renfro · IOL	Illinois	2026-01-05	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Jamel Howard Jr. · DL	Sacramento State	2026-01-21	3★ / 0.8400	Immediate
Joe Brunner · IOL	Indiana	2026-01-14	4★ / 0.9300	Immediate
Joseph Griffin Jr. · WR	Massachusetts	2026-01-17	3★ / 0.8400	Immediate
Kyan Berry-Johnson · WR	Sam Houston	2026-01-13	3★ / 0.8400	Immediate
Leyton Nelson · OT	Not reported	2026-01-17	3★ / —	Immediate
Omillio Agard · CB	Virginia	2026-01-13	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Preston Zachman · S	Indiana	2026-01-04	3★ / 0.8600	Immediate
Remington Moss · S	Elon	2026-01-09	3★ / 0.8500	Immediate
Tackett Curtis · LB	UCF	2026-01-06	3★ / 0.8500	Immediate
Trech Kekahuna · WR	North Carolina	2026-01-05	3★ / 0.8800	Immediate
Tucker Ashcraft · TE	USC	2026-01-15	3★ / 0.8800	Immediate

Transfer observations can include unresolved destinations. CFBD supplies no timezone for transfer dates and no athlete ID linking these records to the efficiency table. These observations do not establish current roster membership or game availability.

Descriptive context only; no player or transfer value enters the prediction model. Adjusted metrics require unambiguous season/team history. Usage-only rows use the captured athlete ID and team; conflicting usage identities are omitted. Missing values are unavailable, not zero. Provider coverage is incomplete.

Coaching eras

Continuous appointments at Wisconsin. Records are CFBD-attributed results; active tenures and the current season may be incomplete.

Luke Fickell · career 80–46 across 11 seasons and 3 schools

Tenure timeline · 34 appointments

2022–2022 · Jim Leonhard · interim
4–3 · 7 attributed games · 1 seasons · incomplete attribution
Hired 2022-10-02. Exact effective dates unavailable.
2022–present · Luke Fickell · active at capture
17–21 · 38 attributed games · 5 seasons · incomplete attribution
Hired 2022-11-27. Exact effective dates unavailable.
2015–2022 · Paul Chryst
67–26 · 93 attributed games · 8 seasons · incomplete attribution
Hired 2014-12-17. Exact effective dates unavailable.
2014–2014 · Barry Alvarez
1–0 · 1 attributed games · 1 seasons · incomplete attribution
Exact effective dates unavailable.
2013–2014 · Gary Andersen
19–7 · 26 attributed games · 2 seasons · incomplete attribution
Hired 2012-12-21. Exact effective dates unavailable.
2012–2012 · Barry Alvarez
0–1 · 1 attributed games · 1 seasons · incomplete attribution
Exact effective dates unavailable.
2006–2012 · Bret Bielema
68–24 · 92 attributed games · 7 seasons · incomplete attribution
Hired 2006-01-02. Exact effective dates unavailable.
1990–2005 · Barry Alvarez
117–74–4 · 195 attributed games · 16 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1987–1989 · Don Morton
6–27 · 33 attributed games · 3 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1986–1986 · Jim Hilles
3–9 · 12 attributed games · 1 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1978–1985 · Dave McClain
46–42–3 · 91 attributed games · 8 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1970–1977 · John Jardine
37–47–3 · 87 attributed games · 8 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1967–1969 · John Coatta
3–26–1 · 30 attributed games · 3 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1956–1966 · Milt Bruhn
52–45–6 · 103 attributed games · 11 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1949–1955 · Ivy Williamson
41–19–4 · 64 attributed games · 7 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1936–1948 · Harry Stuhldreher
45–62–6 · 113 attributed games · 13 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1932–1935 · Clarence Spears
13–17–2 · 32 attributed games · 4 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1927–1931 · Glenn Thistlethwaite
26–16–3 · 45 attributed games · 5 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1925–1926 · George Little
11–3–2 · 16 attributed games · 2 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1923–1924 · Jack Ryan
5–6–4 · 15 attributed games · 2 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1919–1922 · J.R. Richards
20–6–2 · 28 attributed games · 4 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1918–1918 · Guy Lowman
3–3 · 6 attributed games · 1 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1917–1917 · J.R. Richards
4–2–1 · 7 attributed games · 1 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1916–1916 · Paul Withington
4–2–1 · 7 attributed games · 1 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1912–1915 · William Juneau
18–8–2 · 28 attributed games · 4 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1911–1911 · J.R. Richards
5–1–1 · 7 attributed games · 1 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1908–1910 · Tom Barry
9–4–3 · 16 attributed games · 3 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1906–1907 · Charles Hutchins
8–1–1 · 10 attributed games · 2 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1905–1905 · Phil King
8–2 · 10 attributed games · 1 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1903–1904 · Arthur Curtis
11–6–1 · 18 attributed games · 2 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1896–1902 · Phil King
57–9–1 · 67 attributed games · 7 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1894–1895 · H.O. Stickney
10–4–1 · 15 attributed games · 2 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1893–1893 · Parke Davis
4–2 · 6 attributed games · 1 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.
1892–1892 · Frank Crawford
4–3 · 7 attributed games · 1 seasons
Exact effective dates unavailable.

Season résumé · 2015–2026

Coach-attributed records appear beside team-season ratings, recruiting and poll context. Shared seasons appear once per coach; rows are not assigned to individual stints. Ratings describe team performance, not a causal coaching effect.

Season / coach	Record	Conference	Postseason	SP+	SRS	Recruiting rank	Final poll
2026 · Luke Fickell · incomplete attribution	0–0	—	—	8.3	11.1	78	—
2025 · Luke Fickell	4–8	2–7	0–0	-4.4	2.3	27	—
2024 · Luke Fickell	5–7	3–6	0–0	3	4	23	—
2023 · Luke Fickell	7–6	5–4	0–1	9.4	4	58	—
2022 · Paul Chryst · incomplete attribution	2–3	—	—	8.3	5.4	44	—
2022 · Luke Fickell · incomplete attribution	1–0	—	—	8.3	5.4	44	—
2022 · Jim Leonhard · incomplete attribution	4–3	—	—	8.3	5.4	44	—
2021 · Paul Chryst	9–4	6–3	1–0	20.1	14	15	—
2020 · Paul Chryst	4–3	3–3	1–0	26.5	9.5	25	—
2019 · Paul Chryst	10–4	7–3	0–1	20.3	19.9	29	11
2018 · Paul Chryst	8–5	5–4	1–0	15.5	8.8	45	—
2017 · Paul Chryst	13–1	9–1	1–0	26.8	24.7	39	7
2016 · Paul Chryst	11–3	7–3	1–0	16.1	17.9	35	9
2015 · Paul Chryst	10–3	6–2	1–0	15.1	10	41	21

Download coaching history JSON

Source: CFBD · captured 2026-10-26T02:02:59.394463+00:00 UTC. Season résumé covers 2015–2026; timeline spans all returned tenures. — means unavailable. Career summaries cover active coaches at capture. This snapshot is descriptive and is not a pregame cutoff.

CFBD season overview

2026 stored season snapshot, including postseason and garbage time. Raw CFBD PPA is not opponent-adjusted EPA or player WEPA. No week cutoff; these values do not enter our forecasts.

Captured 2026-10-26 04:10:14.047809 UTC · Source data

Stat rankings

CFBD FBS ranks · source updated 2026-10-25 23:16:18 UTC · calculated 2026-10-26 04:10:14 UTC · provider cache expiry 2026-10-26 04:20:14 UTC. Rank 1 is best; percentiles use CFBD’s 0–100 scale.

Statistic	Offense rank / population	Percentile	Defense rank / population	Percentile
PPA / play	78 / 138	43.8	6 / 138	96.4
Success rate	106 / 138	23.4	33 / 138	76.6
Explosiveness	20 / 138	86.1	1 / 138	100.0
Standard-down success	88 / 138	36.5	46 / 138	67.2
Passing-down success	110 / 138	20.4	11 / 138	92.7
Pass PPA	96 / 138	30.7	5 / 138	97.1
Rush PPA	40 / 138	71.5	50 / 138	64.2
Pass explosiveness	68 / 138	51.1	3 / 138	98.5
Rush explosiveness	7 / 138	95.6	13 / 138	91.2
Line yards	71 / 138	48.9	55 / 138	60.6
Second-level yards	123 / 138	10.9	2 / 138	99.3
Open-field yards	89 / 138	35.8	4 / 138	97.8
Stuff rate	33 / 138	76.6	126 / 138	8.8
Power success	T91 / 138	33.6	T52 / 138	62.0
Havoc	78 / 138	43.8	T42 / 138	69.7
Front-seven havoc	T56 / 138	59.1	T109 / 138	20.1
DB havoc	T101 / 138	26.6	T4 / 138	97.4
Points / opportunity	99 / 138	28.5	16 / 138	89.1
Average field position	T15 / 138	89.4	T7 / 138	95.3
Field-position expected points	20 / 138	86.1	5 / 138	97.1

Player PPA and usage

Ordered by overall usage. Open a player for pass, rush, down and situation splits. Usage is the provider’s share of team plays in each situation; PPA is the provider’s average or total for that player. Missing values stay blank (—); play counts are not supplied here. Standard downs are 1st down, 2nd-and-7 or shorter, and 3rd/4th-and-4 or shorter; other situations are passing downs.

Colton Joseph · QBUsage 60.6% · Avg PPA 0.201 · Total 50.705

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.201	50.705	60.6%
Pass	0.179	31.400	99.4%
Rush	0.360	26.984	32.5%
1st down	0.061	5.617	52.9%
2nd down	0.116	9.738	60.9%
3rd down	0.518	35.204	74.7%
Standard downs	0.156	23.811	56.3%
Passing downs	0.272	26.895	68.8%

Abu Sama III · RBUsage 18.7% · Avg PPA 0.188 · Total 10.148

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.188	10.148	18.7%
Pass	0.019	0.095	4.0%
Rush	0.205	10.054	30.8%
1st down	0.041	1.346	27.3%
2nd down	0.108	1.505	14.6%
3rd down	0.862	5.171	9.5%
Standard downs	0.126	4.913	20.9%
Passing downs	0.349	5.236	14.7%

Darrion Dupree · RBUsage 15.9% · Avg PPA -0.037 · Total -2.101

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	-0.037	-2.101	15.9%
Pass	0.201	1.806	5.6%
Rush	-0.081	-3.908	25.3%
1st down	-0.031	-0.862	18.5%
2nd down	0.030	0.602	16.9%
3rd down	0.279	2.231	10.1%
Standard downs	-0.171	-6.674	16.7%
Passing downs	0.254	4.573	14.4%

Bryan Jackson · RBUsage 12.9% · Avg PPA -0.011 · Total -0.345

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	-0.011	-0.345	12.9%
Pass	-1.028	-2.055	2.2%
Rush	0.059	1.710	20.1%
1st down	-0.020	-0.323	15.8%
2nd down	-0.036	-0.392	14.1%
3rd down	-0.550	-1.650	5.8%
Standard downs	0.035	0.907	16.1%
Passing downs	-0.250	-1.252	6.3%

Tyrell Henry · WRUsage 11.8% · Avg PPA 0.294 · Total 14.392

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.294	14.392	11.8%
Pass	0.361	16.265	25.6%
Rush	-0.468	-1.873	1.7%
1st down	0.321	5.463	9.8%
2nd down	0.408	5.309	9.4%
3rd down	0.693	11.786	18.7%
Standard downs	0.067	1.804	9.9%
Passing downs	0.572	12.589	15.3%

Eugene Hilton Jr. · WRUsage 6.3% · Avg PPA 0.313 · Total 8.148

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.313	8.148	6.3%
Pass	0.342	7.873	13.1%
Rush	0.092	0.275	1.3%
1st down	0.038	0.414	6.3%
2nd down	0.014	0.099	5.1%
3rd down	0.954	7.635	8.8%
Standard downs	0.064	1.096	6.3%
Passing downs	0.784	7.052	6.3%

Nate Palmer · RBUsage 6.2% · Avg PPA 0.061 · Total 0.491

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.061	0.491	6.2%
Pass	—	0.000	0.0%
Rush	0.061	0.491	14.0%
1st down	-0.585	-1.756	5.4%
2nd down	0.073	0.218	7.1%
3rd down	1.015	2.030	7.4%
Standard downs	-0.195	-1.172	6.7%
Passing downs	0.832	1.664	5.0%

Jacob Harris · TEUsage 5.8% · Avg PPA 0.619 · Total 14.856

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.619	14.856	5.8%
Pass	0.619	14.856	13.6%
Rush	—	0.000	0.0%
1st down	0.166	0.998	3.4%
2nd down	0.106	1.168	8.0%
3rd down	1.813	12.690	7.7%
Standard downs	0.447	4.473	3.7%
Passing downs	0.742	10.383	9.7%

Chris Brooks Jr. · WRUsage 5.0% · Avg PPA 0.770 · Total 16.165

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.770	16.165	5.0%
Pass	0.831	16.630	11.4%
Rush	-0.464	-0.464	0.4%
1st down	1.207	9.656	4.6%
2nd down	0.304	2.434	5.8%
3rd down	0.206	0.825	4.4%
Standard downs	1.167	15.173	4.8%
Passing downs	0.124	0.992	5.6%

Malachi Coleman · WRUsage 3.9% · Avg PPA 1.081 · Total 9.729

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	1.081	9.729	3.9%
Pass	1.081	9.729	10.0%
Rush	—	0.000	0.0%
1st down	1.193	5.967	5.3%
2nd down	0.692	1.383	2.6%
3rd down	1.189	2.379	3.8%
Standard downs	1.051	7.359	4.8%
Passing downs	1.185	2.370	2.4%

Grant Stec · TEUsage 3.8% · Avg PPA -0.117 · Total -0.817

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	-0.117	-0.817	3.8%
Pass	-0.117	-0.817	8.2%
Rush	—	0.000	0.0%
1st down	0.089	0.445	6.6%
2nd down	-0.887	-0.887	1.6%
3rd down	-0.376	-0.376	2.5%
Standard downs	-0.074	-0.441	5.2%
Passing downs	-0.376	-0.376	1.5%

Ryan Hopkins · QBUsage 3.3% · Avg PPA 0.231 · Total 0.923

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.231	0.923	3.3%
Pass	—	0.000	0.0%
Rush	0.231	0.923	5.5%
1st down	1.005	1.005	2.0%
2nd down	-0.694	-1.387	5.4%
3rd down	1.305	1.305	3.6%
Standard downs	0.404	1.211	4.1%
Passing downs	-0.288	-0.288	2.1%

Emmett Bork · TEUsage 3.0% · Avg PPA -0.206 · Total -1.850

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	-0.206	-1.850	3.0%
Pass	-0.206	-1.850	6.5%
Rush	—	0.000	0.0%
1st down	-0.860	-1.721	1.6%
2nd down	0.221	1.103	4.9%
3rd down	-0.617	-1.233	3.0%
Standard downs	-0.054	-0.324	3.1%
Passing downs	-0.509	-1.527	2.8%

Jaylon Domingeaux · WRUsage 2.8% · Avg PPA 0.431 · Total 1.294

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.431	1.294	2.8%
Pass	0.431	1.294	9.1%
Rush	—	0.000	0.0%
1st down	-0.296	-0.296	2.3%
2nd down	0.246	0.246	2.7%
3rd down	1.344	1.344	4.3%
Standard downs	-0.025	-0.050	2.8%
Passing downs	1.344	1.344	2.9%

Shamar Rigby · WRUsage 2.7% · Avg PPA -0.705 · Total -3.524

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	-0.705	-3.524	2.7%
Pass	-0.705	-3.524	5.5%
Rush	—	0.000	0.0%
1st down	-0.579	-1.736	3.8%
2nd down	—	0.000	0.0%
3rd down	-0.894	-1.788	5.0%
Standard downs	-0.579	-1.736	2.6%
Passing downs	-0.894	-1.788	3.0%

Ryan Schwendeman · TEUsage 1.6% · Avg PPA 0.163 · Total 0.489

Split	Average PPA	Total PPA	Usage
Overall	0.163	0.489	1.6%
Pass	-0.926	-0.926	1.4%
Rush	0.708	1.415	1.8%
1st down	-0.926	-0.926	1.3%
2nd down	—	0.000	0.0%
3rd down	0.708	1.415	4.7%
Standard downs	0.163	0.489	2.7%
Passing downs	—	0.000	0.0%

Where Wisconsin sits · 2026 FBS distributions138 teams · raw PPA

2026 · Through provider Week 8. Each metric uses only published FBS teams with a numeric value. Higher percentile is better; tied values receive the midpoint of their positions, rounded to a whole percentile. Missing values are unranked.

Values and percentiles

Wisconsin metric values with FBS percentiles, 2026
Metric	Value	Percentile	Better
Offense PPA/play	0.124	44th138 teams	higher
Offense success rate	0.401	23rd138 teams	higher
Offense explosiveness	1.330	86th138 teams	higher
Offense pass PPA/play	0.130	31st138 teams	higher
Offense rush PPA/play	0.159	72nd138 teams	higher
Defense PPA/play	-0.089	96th138 teams	lower
Defense success rate	0.374	77th138 teams	lower
Defense explosiveness	0.978	100th138 teams	lower
Defense havoc created	0.172	70th138 teams	higher

Passing profile

2026 · CFBD passing family · raw PPA

Captured 2026-10-30. Offense: 99% of 173 attempts charted. Average depth of target 6.9 yards (7th percentile of FBS). Yards after catch 7.4 per completion. Completion 57.2%, 7.3 yards per attempt, pass PPA 0.15.

Completion percentage over expected (CPOE)
Side	Actual	Expected	CPOE (pp)	Qualifying / all attempts
Offense	57.7%	63.4%	-5.7	149 / 173
Defense allowed	57.5%	62.6%	-5.1	207 / 231

Actual and expected use the same qualifying attempts, which can be fewer than all passes. CPOE is their difference in percentage points (pp); higher is better on offense, lower allowed is better on defense. CFBD models FBS-vs-FBS passes, excluding spikes, throwaways, intentional grounding and attempts without air yards. — means unavailable; small samples have fewer than 40 qualifying attempts.

Depth of target vs yards after catch, FBS offenses

138 teams with at least 40 charted attempts. The highlighted point is Wisconsin.

Target mix by zone, Wisconsin offense

Highlighted bars are deep zones. Shares are of located attempts only.

Defense and rushing detail

Wisconsin passing defense and rushing profile, 2026
Side	Attempts	Charted	ADOT	YAC	Comp %	PPA	CPOE	CPOE att
Passing offense	173	99%	6.9	7.4	57.2%	0.15	-5.7 pp	149
Passing defense	231	100%	7.5	5.1	58.0%	-0.05	-5.1 pp	207

Rushing production

Side	Attempts	Yards / carry	Success	PPA	Line yards / rush	Second-level yards / rush	Open-field yards / rush	Stuff rate	Power success
Offense	238	4.3	39.9%	0.17	3.00	0.90	0.90	14.0%	70.0%
Defense allowed	244	2.8	35.9%	-0.02	2.70	0.60	0.30	14.3%	68.6%

Second-level yards are gained 5–10 yards past the line; open-field yards are beyond 10. These are provider per-rush averages, not totals. Power success measures success with two or fewer yards needed. Exact line-metric and power-success denominators are not supplied in this feed.

Rushing sample and attribution

Side	Yards recorded	Individual	Unattributed	Sacks	Kneels	Team rushes	Multiple carriers	Direction located / eligible
Offense	230 / 238	228	10	8	0	2	0	228 / 228 · 100.0%
Defense allowed	241 / 244	241	3	13	0	0	0	230 / 231 · 99.6%

Counts are attempts. Team totals include sacks, kneels, team-only rushes and unresolved attribution; these categories can overlap and must not be summed. Direction coverage uses ordinary direction-eligible rushes, not all attempts. Missing fields in older captures remain unavailable.

Raw provider values, no opponent adjustment; not model inputs. CFBD metric definitions.

Game-by-game passing and rushing

MetricSide

2026 · Passing CPOE · percentage points. Dashed line: season -5.7 pp. 6 of 7 captured games have this metric. Missing observations break the line.

CPOE is completion percentage over expected on qualifying FBS-vs-FBS attempts; positive means more completions than expected. PPA is raw provider PPA. These are game observations, not opponent-adjusted forecasts. P labels postseason weeks.

Game log and attempt coverage

Week	Opponent	Pass att	CPOE att	Comp %*	Expected %*	CPOE	ADOT	Pass PPA	Rush att	Rush yds/carry	Rush PPA
W1	Notre Dame	30	28	64.3%	62.3%	+2.0 pp	5.3	0.23	31	2.1	-0.16
W2	Western Illinois	22	0	—	—	—	7.0	0.15	31	7.7	0.35
W3	Eastern Michigan	33	33	69.7%	60.6%	+9.1 pp	9.7	0.63	30	3.9	0.17
W4	Penn State	38	38	47.4%	64.1%	-16.8 pp	6.6	-0.27	28	4.3	0.37
W5	Michigan State	20	20	45.0%	63.5%	-18.5 pp	7.5	0.43	42	5.4	0.25
W7	UCLA	16	16	37.5%	61.1%	-23.6 pp	9.4	-0.23	33	3.8	0.13
W8	USC	14	14	85.7%	73.0%	+12.7 pp	1.4	0.06	43	3.2	0.08

*Completion and expected rates use the same CPOE-eligible attempts. ADOT uses available air-yard attempts; a game needs at least one. No missing family is filled with the other family’s data.

Punting and returns

2026 season to date · CFBD · captured 2026-10-30T11:16:37.416814+00:00. Descriptive totals, including postseason when present.

Our punts

25 punts · 43.1 gross yards/punt · 39.5 net yards/punt

9 inside the 20 · 2 touchbacks · 0 blocked

Known gross yards: 25/25 punts. Known net yards: 17/25 punts.

Our punt returns

4 returns · 11.0 yards/return · 1 touchdowns

0 muffs · 2 opponent punts blocked

Known return yards: 4/4 returns. Return totals include team-only and unattributed plays.

Recent games

Game	Punts	Gross yd/punt	Net yd/punt	Known net yards
Week 8 · USC	2	42.5	37.5	2/2
Week 7 · UCLA	5	39.6	39.3	4/5
Week 5 · Michigan State	5	38.2	36.8	4/5
Week 4 · Penn State	6	47.5	45.0	3/6
Week 3 · Eastern Michigan	0	—	—	0/0

Team style

Rating history