Wisconsin
Wisconsin All-American cornerback Ricardo Hallman on waiting for the NFL, shoulder surgery and tough schedule
Badgers safety Hunter Wohler on leadership, returning for another year
Wisconsin standout safety Hunter Wohler spoke on his decision to return to the Badgers, leadership and Year 2 expectations at UW media day.
MADISON − University of Wisconsin cornerback Ricardo Hallman often revisits his disheartening performance against Michigan State in October 2022.
Hallman, then a redshirt freshman, was benched as future Green Bay Packers receiver Jayden Reed lit him and the Badgers up for 117 yards and a touchdown on nine catches in a Spartans double-overtime victory.
The 2023 third-team All-American calls the experience “beneficial.”
“I was timid,” he said. “I was scared of the moment. I was in position to make plays several times, but I didn’t go for the ball. I was comfortable just trying to knock it out instead of trying to go get it.
“As you could see last year, I was a little more aggressive at the point of attack in trying to go get the ball.”
“A little more” aggression from Hallman resulted in seven interceptions, tied with Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts for the most in the country. He also finished second among the Badgers with five pass deflections, trailing Hunter Wohler’s six.
Shoulder injury may have kept Ricardo Hallman in Madison
More impressively, he did it all with a bum left shoulder.
“I remember hurting it initially sophomore year during spring,” he said. “That Indiana game, that was the worst pain I felt in it for a while.”
In Wisconsin’s Nov. 4 loss to Indiana, Hallman aggravated his nagging shoulder injury after making a tackle in the first quarter and colliding with teammate Jordan Turner before halftime.
The Florida native had surgery on his shoulder during the offseason. The injury was one of many reasons Hallman joined Wohler in returning to Madison instead of entering the NFL draft.
“Me and Hunter had a couple conversations about it,” Hallman said about turning pro. “He told me before I told him that he was coming back.
“Me and Hunter both haven’t been as successful as we wanted … I think my best season here was my freshman year. They were 9-4 and I didn’t play at all. So yeah, getting this team back on the right track and getting Wisconsin to the status it rightfully deserves is the most important goal. It’s one of the things I had in mind coming back.
“I wanted to give it one more shot. I knew we had the talent, we had the roster to do it.”
Ricardo Hallman knows what he need to improve to interest the NFL
Hallman also wanted the extra year to improve. Although he never declared for the draft, he received evaluations from NFL scouts.
As the Badgers head 70 miles southwest to Platteville this week for an intense, two-week training camp, Hallman can use that time to work on the holes in his game.
“A lot of (the evaluations) came back with being more aggressive in the run game and tackling,” he said. “I know that was something I struggled with last year and it’s no excuse for that. I know I should’ve been better. Especially as an undersized corner, knowing I have to be more aggressive and be better in tackling situations.”
Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel is confident his star corner will add more to his game. He wants the defense to look to its leaders − Hallman, Wohler and linebacker Jake Chaney − for inspiration.
“Ricardo is, without question, a phenomenal leader,” Tressel said. “He’s constantly working. Even when it’s times with no coaches around. You might, on a Saturday, one of your few weekends off, roll through and walk by the indoor and he’s out there doing drills by himself or running drills with the defensive backs.
“It’s big time when your best players are the leaders. We can show stats saying, ‘Hey, he led the NCAA in picks last year, and look what he’s doing. Maybe there’s a correlation.’ You have some testimony there for the other guys.”
Ricardo Hallman, Badgers will be challenged by difficult schedule
Wisconsin will have to adopt Hallman’s work ethic to find success against its stacked schedule. After a couple of tune-up games against Western Michigan and South Dakota, the new-look Alabama Crimson Tide, led by head coach Kalen DeBoer, rolls into Madison on Sept. 14.
The following week, the Badgers travel to Los Angeles to take on USC, one of the new West Coast additions to the Big Ten. They’ll also have to play Penn State and Oregon this season.
“I think it’s really cool,” Hallman said of the rough schedule. “That’s the type of competition you want, bringing guys in like Oregon and USC, the powerhouses that were in the Pac-12. And then just the schedule that we’re playing in general, adding guys like ‘Bama and Penn State, all those teams.
“It’s going to challenge us to up the level at which we play at. It’s going to be a really good opportunity for us to get better and judge ourselves against the people that are highly respected in college football.”
With some added familiarity under Luke Fickell’s second year, Hallman and the Badgers are better prepared for the trials ahead.
“The first year with a new coaching staff is hard to get everybody acclimated,” he said. “You’ve got some guys who aren’t all the way in, all the way invested. But I think now with the team we all have the same goal … We’re just more focused as a team this year.
“I think we’re going to shock a lot of people.”
The search for a pet kangaroo that escaped from its home outside of Necedah has captured media attention across the country.
Chesney is a 16-month-old kangaroo owned by Debbie Marlund, who operates Sunshine Farm Petting Zoo. He and his brother Kenny live in Marlund’s home, along with her five labradors, and often visit the residents of nursing homes and senior centers in the region.
“Chesney actually sleeps in bed with me every night,” Marlund said. “They’re both home bodies. They do get plenty of outside time when it’s nice. They don’t particularly care for cold weather.”
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The kangaroo was in his outdoor enclosure Wednesday morning when he was spooked by an unfamiliar dog and escaped. He’s been spotted multiple times in the area around his home but has so far evaded several attempts to catch him.
News of the search has been picked up by several TV news stations, including as far away as Seattle, and even made a British-based publication.
Marlund said she has not stopped searching for Chesney since Wednesday morning.
“I have been asking neighbors to let me go on their property and walk trails, walk paths, and get close to the vicinity,” said Marlund, adding that friends have been driving local roads to make sure he isn’t spotted leaving the area.
Colton Johnson of Midwest Aerial Drone Services has also aided in the search using a drone and thermal camera.
He often uses the equipment to search for lost pets but said tracking a kangaroo is more difficult because of its speed.
“It’s hard to keep up with him,” Johnson said. “He slipped us last night, but we’re going to head back out there tonight and see if we can get eyes on him.”
Johnson said there have been plenty of people in the area showing up to try to get a look at Chesney. But he urged residents to avoid going after the kangaroo because it could drive the scared animal further into the wooded area.
Marlund asked locals to keep an eye out for Chesney and report any sightings.
“He’s not going to come to a stranger, he’s too spooked,” she said. “But I think it is beneficial for people who are staying in the area or driving by to keep their eye out.”
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
If you’re looking to make reservations for an Easter meal, check out these Wisconsin Rapids-area restaurants.
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Calendars are quickly filling up with Easter services, egg hunts, photos with bunnies and brunch plans.
If cooking isn’t your thing, or you’ve been too busy to plan and cook this year, you have options in the Wisconsin Rapids area. Several local restaurants and businesses have you covered with all of your favorite Easter treats.
The following Wisconsin Rapids-area restaurants and businesses will be offering Easter breakfast, brunch or dinner.
- Branding Iron Supper Club will offer an Easter Dinner from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 5 at 9721 State 13 S. in Saratoga. The Easter menu includes a ham dinner, a prime rib dinner, Branding Iron’s full menu, salad bar and a fresh fruit mimosa bar. The Easter Bunny will also visit from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations are available at 715-325-8102.
- Lake Arrowhead Association will host an Easter Brunch Buffet from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 5 at Lake Arrowhead, 1195 Apache Lane in Rome. The menu will include a variety of options including a carving station for prime rib and smoked ham, mahi mahi with a Korean glaze, sliced pork loin, chicken Alfredo, chicken tenders, mac & cheese, french fries, baby red potatoes, carrots, a build-your-own omelet station, biscuits and gravy, french toast sticks, pancakes, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, fruit, vegetables and more. Reservations are required, including a $25 non-refundable deposit to reserve a spot and can be made at 715-325-2915 or banquets@lakearrowheadgolf.com or events@lakearrowheadgolf.com.
- Nekoosa Court will host an Easter Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. April 4 at Nekoosa Court, 145 N. Cedar St. in Nekoosa. Breakfast will include all-you-can-eat eggs, sausage, pancakes and beverages with an Easter Egg Hunt to follow.
- Olympic II will host Easter Weekend Specials from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 4 and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 5 at 2520 Eighth St. S. in Wisconsin Rapids. The Easter specials include a breakfast special of an 8-ounce New York strip steak and eggs, hashbrowns and toast, as well as a tenderloin and jumbo shrimp dish, a roast turkey and ham combo, chicken breast and four shrimp, ham steak, roast chicken and roast turkey. Reservations and orders for takeout can be placed at 715-424-4744.
- Quality Foods is offering a complete Heat & Serve Easter Dinner, including a ham dinner for eight people with off-the-bone ham, mashed potatoes and beef gravy or eight three-cheese twice-baked potatoes, homemade stuffing, Hawaiian rolls, green bean casserole and eight slices of cheesecake. The store also will offer an Easter prime rib dinner for four, including prime rib, four three-cheese twice-baked potatoes, Hawaiian rolls, green bean casserole and cheesecake while supplies last at 1021 W. Grand Ave. and 1811 Baker Drive in Wisconsin Rapids. Orders must be placed by April 1 at 715-423-8350 for Baker Drive and at 715-423-9750 for West Grand Avenue. Orders must be picked up by noon April 5.
- Slice of Heaven Bakery will host a free Easter dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 5 at 1158 Snow Pass in Rome. Guests can eat at the event or order for takeout. Reservations are not needed, but those who need a delivery should contact rebeccalacount@gmail.com or call 608-449-0702.
- The Whitney will offer an Easter Breakfast Buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 5 at Hotel Mead Resorts & Convention Centers, 451 E. Grand Ave. in Wisconsin Rapids. Hot dishes include pancakes, pumpkin spice pancakes, french toast casserole, cheesy hashbrown casserole, quiche, frittatas, breakfast burritos, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, breakfast sandwiches, eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy and chicken and wild rice soup. Cold dishes include a yogurt bar, fruit skewers, deviled eggs, muffins, cranberry bread, croissants, biscuits and an English muffin. Desserts include fruit pie, carrot cake, peach cobbler and coffee cake. The buffet is available by reservation only at 715-423-1500.
Want to add your business to the list? Please email cshuda@usatodayco.com with the name of your restaurant, your Easter hours, what your Easter menu will include, and whether reservations are required.
March continues on the ice as Dartmouth Big Green takes on Wisconsin Badgers in a regional semifinal matchup in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament.
MORE: How to live stream NCAA men’s hockey tournament 2026: TV channel, schedule
How to Watch Wisconsin vs Dartmouth
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Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
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Wisconsin enters the tournament as one of the more complete teams in the field, combining strong defensive structure with high-end offensive talent. The Badgers have leaned on forward Cruz Lucius, a dynamic scorer capable of creating chances in transition, along with Kirsten Simms, who has been a consistent offensive presence throughout the season. On the blue line, Wisconsin’s physicality and ability to limit quality scoring chances have made it a difficult matchup.
Dartmouth arrives as a disciplined and well-coached group that thrives on structure and goaltending. The Big Green will look to slow the game down and rely on key contributors like John Fusco and Cade Webber to control play in their own zone while generating offense through efficient puck movement.
This matchup will likely come down to pace and execution. Wisconsin prefers to push tempo and create scoring opportunities off the rush, while Dartmouth will aim to keep things tight, limit mistakes, and capitalize on special teams opportunities.
Fans can watch the NCAA hockey tournament across the ESPN family of networks, with games airing on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU, while select matchups stream exclusively on ESPN+.
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