Column: 5 returning players who must step up for Wisconsin football in 2026
The Wisconsin Badgers overhauled their roster with 34 incoming transfers, but in-house improvement from several key players is also paramount.
It was no secret that Wisconsin football was going to be extremely active in the transfer portal this winter.
Coming off their worst season in decades and sporting a roster that clearly wasn’t ready to compete at or even near the top of the conference, the Badgers signed 33 transfers in the biggest offseason overhaul yet under head coach Luke Fickell.
While plenty of these incoming signees will certainly play big roles in the fall, Wisconsin won’t field an entirely new team. There’s an abundance of returning players who will be asked to contribute significantly, many of whom will man crucial roles.
In 2026, player acquisition — largely through the transfer portal — is the name of the game. But player retention and the subsequent development of those players are the other side of the same coin, and successful programs must excel at both in this day and age.
With that being said, here are five players who I believe must take a significant step forward in 2026:
OLB Sebastian Cheeks
Cheeks is a player I’ll be tracking all offseason. He took a big step forward last fall, notching 24 total tackles, three sacks, and 24 pressures, all of which were career highs. His pressure rate of 13% was the second-highest among Wisconsin edge rushers, trailing only Mason Reiger.
Still, Reiger was the alpha off the edge for the Badgers, tallying 45 pressures. Darryl Peterson led the team in sacks with 6.5, but when Wisconsin needed some heat on a passing down, Reiger was the man. He had the best get-off, and as his pressure numbers indicate, Reiger was the best at wreaking havoc in the backfield.
The Badgers now must replace both players, meaning there are a lot of snaps up for grabs. And while they added a handful of intriguing portal prospects, including Liam Danitz (Hope College) and Justus Boone (Arkansas), both have major questions about how they can contribute as pass-rushers.
The bottom line? Someone is going to have to step up in this outside linebacker room. Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel isn’t exactly a wizard at scheming up pressure. While rising sophomore inside backers Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano both showed the ability to rush the passer at times last season, Wisconsin needs someone who can line up and win one-on-one matchups on the edge.
Right now, Cheeks is the best pure pass rusher in this room. He must continue to improve, however, as the 6-foot-3, 241-pound linebacker appears to be the Badgers’ best shot at having another alpha pass-rusher in the fall.
“For 2026, I’m definitely looking to complete the top end of my rush, making sure that I’m still staying strong in my run game fundamentals and being a leader on the defense,” Cheeks said.
OL Emerson Mandell
There are only two spots on the offensive line that are more or less set in stone ahead of spring camp: center (Austin Kawecki) and left tackle (Kevin Heywood).
Still, it would be a big surprise if Mandell, who played the most snaps out of any Badgers’ offensive lineman last fall (704), didn’t earn a starting role once again. The Minnesota native spent the majority of his redshirt freshman season at right tackle, but started the season at right guard.
“Personally, I’m just looking forward to growing in all aspects of the game, specifically pass pro,” Mandell said.
That checks out, given that he allowed 20 pressures and five sacks in 2025, both tops on the team. He began to improve in pass protection towards the latter half of the season, and if he does switch back to guard in 2026, his pass protection will be inherently less scrutinized, given the nature of the position.
Still, this is a make-or-break year for Mandell. He has a tremendous amount of potential with his size and frame (listed at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds), and largely held his own, even though he didn’t exactly play at a high level, in his first season as a full-time starter. With his experience and positional flexibility, it seems like a foregone conclusion that he’ll man a starting spot in the offensive trenches for the Badgers. And if Mandell’s game takes strides, it significantly spikes the potential of this offense.
