Three Badgers Who Should be Getting More Attention This Offseason
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Which Badgers should be a bigger part of the offseason discourse as we inch towards the 2026 season?
We can learn a lot about a college football team in the offseason, particularly as spring and fall camp unfold. Oftentimes, that's when we learn about youngsters or unheralded players climbing up the depth chart and putting the team on notice.
Last season, for instance, myself and plenty of other reporters were taken by true freshman Cooper Catalano's uncanny knack for finding the football and snuffing out ball-carriers in spring practice.
This spring, of course, the main storyline was the emergence of true freshman quarterback Ryan Hopkins from Mater Dei, who worked his way up the depth chart to the point where he was splitting reps with the twos by the end of camp. Jai'mier Scott, a redshirt freshman cornerback, also garnered plenty of praise on the defensive side of the ball.
But past the exciting blue-chip recruits and camp darlings, which Badgers haven't been big topics of conversation who deserve more attention? Badgers On SI takes a look at three:
1. DL Charles "Perc 30" Perkins
Perkins got limited run last season, playing fewer than 100 snaps as he fell behind Wisconsin's top four defensive linemen in the pecking order. Still, I was infatuated with his skillset as a massive interior defensive lineman who moves far lighter on his feet than appears physically possible.
The Badgers are likely going to rely on another four-man rotation at defensive line, one Perkins should be firmly entrenched in this fall along with Dillan Johnson and incoming transfers Hammond Russell IV and Junior Poyser. I'd expect Perkins to be the No. 2 defensive lineman in terms of snaps at this juncture.
Perkins told reporters he's been more of a vocal leader this year, and defensive line coach EJ Whitlow added that "His effort to the football, his strain level has increased. He's done a phenomenal job of using the techniques and playing with the techniques that we're coaching here. I'm expecting some good things out of him."
2. WR Tyrell Henry
Tyrell Henry was quiet in the Badgers' putrid passing game last fall, but the projected starting slot receiver has some legit hands; he's just never gotten a chance to consistently show what he can do in his career.
Last season, Henry reeled in an extremely modest five catches for 29 yards and a touchdown. But he's expected to handle a much bigger workload following the departure of Trech Kekahuna, and the veteran who's already spent four years in the Big Ten should be more than up to the task
Much of the discourse this offseason has centered on Wisconsin's underwhelming group of pass-catchers, and which transfer wideouts could potentially break through in Madison. But don't forget the program stalwarts like Henry, who looks to have the stars aligned for his best season yet. This spring, offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes described him as a "More consistent route runner, understanding how to get himself open in the right spots, whether it's zone or man."
3. K Gavin Lahm
How convinced are we that Lahm is the answer at kicker? The fifth-year senior was Wisconsin's kickoff specialist from 2022-2024, but didn't see game action last season as he lost both the place-kicker and kickoff specialist battles to Nathanial Vakos.
It's been a year, of course, but Vakos proceeded to knock through just 63 percent of his kicks (7-of-11), also missing his only attempts from 50-plus. He was an average kicker at best; if Lahm couldn't win the job last fall, where does the coaching staff's confidence come from?
Lahm has yet to attempt a field goal or an extra point in college. If Wisconsin plays some tight games this fall, how much trust will it have in its place-kicker? That remains to be seen.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as Three Badgers Who Should be Getting More Attention This Offseason.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos