As Luke Fickell‘s second act in Madison draws closer, BadgerBlitz.com will break down Wisconsin’s roster position by position ahead of spring camp, which is slated to take place from March 22 to May 2.
BadgerBlitz.com is once again expected to watch any open practices available for reporters to attend. Thus, our position previews continue Sunday with the wide receivers, a group that needs to replace a significant amount of production.
PREVIEWS: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | TIGHT ENDS |
At the onset of the 2023 season, the Badgers’ receiver room appeared to be as stacked as it had ever been. That may still be true talent-wise, but Wisconsin’s wide receivers vastly underperformed along with the entire passing game last fall.
The brightest spot at the receiver position for the Badgers was Cincinnati transfer Will Pauling. He had a breakout season, reeling in 74 catches for 837 yards and six touchdowns. He was by far Wisconsin’s most-targeted pass-catcher â his 109 targets were 41 more than the next closest player.
Pauling, a slot receiver, won with his excellent hands, quick hips and shiftiness in the open field. He’s incredibly adept at getting open, and he understands how to manipulate a defensive back’s leverage to beat man coverage or find soft spots in zone. Phil Longo‘s offense loves slot receivers, and Pauling should be a heavy favorite to once again lead the Badgers in every receiving category. Despite his role as almost exclusively a slot threat, Pauling gives Wisconsin a legit top option at receiver.
The Badgers’ next-most productive receiver last season was also a transfer, Bryson Green. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy tallied 32 catches for 480 yards and two scores, and is set to run it back as a senior. Green is a strong, physical player but there’s no question he underperformed last season. With his physicality and stature, Green was supposed to be the Badgers’ jump-ball threat. But after reeling in just three contested catches in 15 tries, according to Pro Football Focus, Green has some work to do to return to the form that made him so attractive to Wisconsin in the portal.
The next two most productive players, Chimere Dike and Skyler Bell, hit the portal this offseason. That leaves plenty of snaps up for grabs, and there’s a litany of names who could potentially grab them.
The staff brought in Michigan State transfer Tyrell Henry via the portal this offseason. The receiver was third on the Spartans in catches with 24, and put up 195 yards and three touchdowns on the year. He lined up almost exclusively in the slot, and figures to compete with redshirt freshman Trech Kekahuna, who flashed some explosive potential in the ReliaQuest Bowl, for Bell’s slot snaps.
Vinny Anthony started to emerge late in the 2023 campaign, with nine catches for 84 yards over the final four games of the season. He’s got track-level speed and in his rather limited late-season reps he displayed good hands. His speed makes him the kind of player you draw up plays for, and it’ll be fascinating to see where he is in his development.
Where the Badgers need to find more production is on the perimeter. They appear loaded in the slot, with Pauling as a proven star, Henry as a transfer with experience and plenty of young talent with Kekahuna and true freshman Kyan Berry-Johnson. Wisconsin needs to find boundary receivers it can rely on.
Green will be given every shot to be that player. CJ Williams is uber talented, but hasn’t gotten much of a shot yet. That should change this fall. Quincy Burroughs, Tommy McIntosh and Chris Brooks Jr. all have good size to be perimeter threats as well. Outside receiver will be the position of emphasis in spring and fall camp.
Wisconsin’s Projected Wide Receivers on 2024 Spring Roster
*Indicates Walk-On
Departing Players at Position Group
It’s safe to assume Pauling is the starting slot receiver. It’s also safe to assume Green will open camp as a starting outside receiver. But who will take that third spot initially, and can they hold onto it?
The main candidates are Anthony and Williams. In fact, the third starting receiver spot will likely go to one of those two to open camp. With the way that Anthony began to heat up at the end of the season, and Williams’ production actually tapered off, Anthony would likely be the favorite in that department.
There’s some sleepers as well; not necessarily threats to immediately steal a starting spot on the outside, but players who could play their way into a starting role with a good camp, like Pauling did a season ago. Burroughs would likely headline that list. He’s got the size at 6-foot-3, and like Anthony, notched some catches late in the season.
Brooks (6-foot-2) and McIntosh (6-foot-5) are also candidates to challenge for playing time on the perimeter. Brooks in particular looked dynamic early last spring before sustaining a foot injury that cost him his entire season.
It’s likely now or never for Williams. When he transferred to Wisconsin, the ex-USC Trojan became the highest-rated wide receiver to ever sign with the Badgers. Thus, it’s fair to say that last season was a disappointment. His 15 catches for 148 yards were an afterthought in the Badgers’ receiver room.
In spring and fall camp last season, Williams displayed the talent that had him rated as highly as he was. He has great hands, contested-catch ability and an innate feel for the game. That didn’t translate to much success during the season, however. If Williams once again struggles to get consistent playing time in 2024, there’s little reason to think he would stick around and hope that the third time is the charm in Madison.
Potential Depth Chart at Wide Receiver
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Manuel Franco claims his $768 million Powerball jackpot
Manuel Franco, 24, of West Allis was revealed Tuesday as the winner of the $768.4 million Powerball jackpot.
Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Feb. 27, 2026, results for each game:
11-18-39-43-67, Mega Ball: 23
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 6-6-3
Evening: 9-7-8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 6-4-5-0
Evening: 1-9-8-8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Midday: 01-02-03-09-11-12-13-15-16-17-19
Evening: 03-05-06-07-08-12-14-15-16-17-22
Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.
08-10-11-21-25
Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
06-21-22-26-27-30, Doubler: N
Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.
That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **
WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.
(WLUK) — Applications for Wisconsin’s 2026 elk season open next week.
The DNR says the application period begins Sunday, Mar 1 and will close on Sunday, May 31.
Selected applicants will be notified in early June.
For the third year in a row, there will be increased opportunity to pursue elk within the Central Elk Management Zone (formerly Black River Elk Range), as additional bull elk and antlerless harvest authorizations will be available through the state licensing system. The 2026 elk quota for the Central Elk Management Zone is six bull elk and six antlerless elk, up from a quota of four bull and five antlerless in 2025.
The Northern Elk Management Zone (formerly Clam Lake Elk Range) quota will be eight bull elk, subject to a 50% declaration by Ojibwe tribes.
During the open application period, applicants will have the choice to submit one bull elk license application and/or one antlerless elk license application, separately. Applicants can apply to any unit grouping with an associated quota for that authorization type (bull or antlerless). The order of drawing will be bull licenses first, followed by antlerless licenses. As a reminder, only one resident elk hunting license can be issued or transferred to a person in their lifetime, regardless of authorization type.
In 2026, there will be one continuous hunting season, opening Saturday, Oct. 17, and continuing through Sunday, Dec. 13, eliminating the split-season structure that was in effect from 2018-2025. This offers elk hunters more opportunities and flexibility to pursue elk in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin residents can submit elk license applications online through the Go Wild license portal or in person at a license sales agent. The application fee is $10 for each of the bull elk and antlerless elk drawings and is limited to one application per person, per authorization type. The DNR recommends that all applicants check and update their contact information to ensure contact with successful applicants.
For each application fee, $7 goes directly to elk management, monitoring and research. These funds also enhance elk habitat, which benefits elk and many other wildlife. If selected in the drawing, an elk hunting license costs $49.
Before obtaining an elk hunting license, all selected hunters must participate in a Wisconsin elk hunter education course. The class covers Wisconsin elk history, hunting regulations, biology, behavior and scouting/hunting techniques.
(WLUK) — Snow remains deep across parts of the Northwoods and the Upper Peninsula, even though much of Northeast Wisconsin has seen notable snow-melting heading toward spring.
It’s connected to a shift in Pacific climate patterns.
As of Thursday, 75.1% of the Northern Great Lakes area was covered by snow. Snow depth across the Northwoods and the U.P. ranges from 20 to 30 inches, with areas along and north of Highway 8 in Wisconsin at about 20 inches.
But farther south, significant snowmelt has occurred over the last few weeks across Northeast Wisconsin and the southern half of the state.
Looking ahead, an ENSO-neutral spring is looking likely, meaning Pacific Ocean temperatures are not notably above or below average. Conditions tend to be more normal and seasonal, though that does not guarantee typical weather.
La Niña occurs when the Pacific Ocean has below-average temperatures across the central and east-central portions of the equatorial region. El Niño is the opposite, with warmer ocean temperatures in those regions. Those shifts influence weather across the United States and globally.
In Wisconsin, a La Niña spring is usually colder and wetter, while an El Niño spring brings warmer and drier conditions. During a neutral period, neither El Niño nor La Niña is in control and weather can swing either direction.
Despite the snowpack up north, the 2026 spring outlook from Green Bay’s National Weather Service leans toward a low flood risk, because ongoing drought in parts of the state is helping to absorb snowmelt.
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Dry conditions are also raising fire concerns in several parts of the country. Low snowfall in states out west is increasing wildfire concerns, and those areas are already experiencing drought. Wildfire activity can increase quickly if above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation continue into spring. About half of the lower 48 states are in drought this week — an increase of 16% since January.
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