Stock up, stock down for Wisconsin football after Week 4 loss to Maryland
Wisconsin football stock report after the 27-10 home loss to Maryland. Who’s rising, who’s falling, and what it means heading into the bye week.
The University of Wisconsin football team (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) dropped a must-win game to Maryland in Week 4, suffering a humbling indictment of where the program stands in Year 3 of the Luke Fickell era.
The 27–10 defeat snapped Wisconsin’s perfect record against the Terrapins since they joined the Big Ten, and the boos that rained down at Camp Randall told the story of a fan base that’s seen this performance too many times before and is struggling to see a viable path forward.
It wasn’t one glaring issue. It was everything. The offense sputtered, finishing with just 296 total yards. The defense gave up several explosive plays at critical moments and couldn’t get off the field. By halftime, the frustration boiled over to chants of “Fire Fickell,” and that was less about the Terrapins and more about the Badgers’ ongoing inability to look like a well-coached, competitive football team at the Power 4 level.
There’s just something off about this Wisconsin Badgers team. Call it focus, call it discipline, call it whatever you want, but it’s missing. I don’t want to hear any more talk about culture until that changes. Because right now, the Badgers’ culture is what we’re watching on Saturdays: a team that looks lost, undisciplined, and nowhere close to turning the corner.
“I feel what their pain is,” Fickell said regarding the frustration from the fanbase. “There’s nothing we can do other than keep grinding, keep working. We have to play better. I don’t get upset. I don’t lose my mind because of the way they feel. They’re passionate about what they do and what they want to see. That’s what you love about this place. That’s what you know you signed up for when you came here. Knowing this place is passionate, they’ve got a history, and they expect more, just like I do.”
This was supposed to be the moment when Wisconsin steadied itself and took care of business against a beatable opponent heading into Big Ten play. Instead, it raised even more questions about whether progress of any kind is actually happening under Fickell. There’s no hiding from it: this was a damaging loss. But, even in embarrassing games like this, certain players find ways to stand out while others see their stock take a hit.
With that in mind, let’s sort through which stocks are rising and whose are falling for Wisconsin coming out of Week 4.
📈 Stock up: LB Mason Posa
The true freshman linebacker has wasted no time making his presence felt since arriving on campus this summer. Posa worked his way into the mix during fall camp, and against Maryland, he logged 12 defensive snaps: eight in coverage, three as a pass rusher, and one against the run.
Beyond the box score, Posa’s usage stood out. The staff trusted him in high-leverage third-down situations, where he alternated between dropping into zone coverage and looping as a simulated rusher. His ability to both disrupt passing lanes and generate pressure shows why he was such a prized recruit, and why his role is likely only going to expand.
He finished with a 67.2 defensive grade, picked up a pressure, and even broke up a pass. He’s still playing behind Christian Alliegro and Tackett Curtis on the inside, but the fact that the staff is carving out a role for a blue-chip recruit this early is very encouraging. For a program searching for glimmers of hope, Posa’s emergence is a clear stock up.
📈 Stock up: LB Aaron Witt
Already one of the easiest players to root for on this roster, Aaron Witt embodies perseverance. After years of battling injuries and setbacks on top of dealing with a handful of coaching changes, just carving out a role late in his Wisconsin career is an accomplishment in itself. But Witt isn’t just out there to fill some space; he’s producing when called upon.
Against Maryland, the 6-foot-6 linebacker played a season-high 17 snaps and made his presence felt. He recorded three solo tackles, notched a pressure, and graded out with a 66.3 overall defensive mark from PFF.
The Minnesota native stood out in coverage, where he earned a 72.3 grade, was targeted three times, and gave up only one reception for a single yard. His workload broke down to 10 snaps against the run, five in coverage, and two as a pass rusher, a balanced role that he handled well.
His opportunities have been limited, but they’re steadily increasing, and Witt has delivered each time he’s played. Whether or not his snap count continues to climb, his resilience and steady play deserve recognition.
📈 Stock up: QB Hunter Simmons
The Badgers’ offense had just 216 total yards with two minutes left in the game, and Danny O’Neil, after absorbing hit after hit, finally limped off. Enter Southern Illinois transfer Hunter Simmons, who quietly made the most of his chance. Simmons led an 80-yard scoring drive, capping it with a 13-yard touchdown strike to Lance Mason with 28 seconds remaining.
He completed 7-of-9 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, picking up four first downs on just 10 snaps, a notable contribution considering Wisconsin managed only 10 first downs all afternoon. Simmons also finished as the Badgers’ highest-graded offensive player according to Pro Football Focus with a 67.5 grade and a 67.1 mark as a passer.
No one is calling for him to leapfrog into reps ahead of Billy Edwards Jr. or O’Neil, but the reality is that with Edwards’ health in question and O’Neil taking far too many hits behind a struggling offensive line, Simmons is clearly the next man up. And in a game where very few players capitalized on their opportunities, the Southern Illinois transfer did exactly that.
📉 Stock down: OL Riley Mahlman
To be fair, Riley Mahlman was put in a tough spot this season. After years of starting for the Badgers at right tackle, he was forced to flip over to the left side out of necessity, a transition that’s easier said than done.
But the Maryland game was a rough look for the redshirt senior out of Lakeville, Minnesota. Mahlman played 79 offensive snaps and was largely overmatched by true freshman defensive end Sidney Stewart.
He finished with a 48.0 offensive grade, including a 50.1 in pass blocking and a 45.9 in run blocking, while being credited with allowing four pressures and a sack, according to Pro Football Focus. One of those plays came in the fourth quarter when he was beaten clean, and quarterback Danny O’Neil absorbed the hit that knocked him out of the game.
This isn’t to pin all of Wisconsin’s offensive line struggles on Mahlman, because that would be ridiculous. Still, with a backup quarterback under center and a young, growing unit around him, the Badgers needed their veteran left tackle to be a stabilizing presence. Instead, his struggles only magnified the problems up front. Quite simply, I expected more.
📉 Stock down: OL Ryan Cory
Ryan Cory showed some promising flashes against Alabama, which earned him another chance to start with Jake Renfro sidelined. But to say his outing against Maryland went poorly would be an understatement.
The redshirt freshman was charged with five pressures, a sack, and a penalty, while his snapping issues disrupted the offense’s rhythm from the jump. Cory finished with the lowest offensive grade on the team, a 36.0 overall, including a 37.8 as a run blocker and a 54.5 in pass protection.
To be fair, the context matters. Wisconsin once again rolled out a patchwork offensive line featuring three redshirt freshmen, tasked with protecting a backup quarterback. Struggles were probably inevitable. Still, there just weren’t many positives to take away from Cory’s performance. You simply can’t get that level of play from your center and expect to win football games. AJ Blazek has his work cut out for him, from fixing the snapping issues to finding ways for this unit to have success.
The hope is that this turns into a learning moment, the kind of trial by fire that a young lineman can bounce back from down the road. But for now, it was a tough day at the office. Cory still has plenty of long-term upside.
📉 Stock down: CB Ricardo Hallman
I’m not trying to harp on Ricardo Hallman here. He’s been a terrific representative of the Wisconsin football program, stuck it out through the coaching changes, and put together an All-American type season in 2023. None of that should be taken away from him. But there’s no denying that Hallman is in the middle of a really rough stretch right now.
Against Maryland, the Florida native was targeted nine times and gave up seven catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. Hallman walked away with a 46.9 defensive grade, a 46.5 in coverage, and an NFL passer rating of 147.8 when thrown at.
And this isn’t just about one off-day. Through four games, Hallman has allowed 17 receptions on 23 targets (73.9%), giving up 223 yards, three scores, and 13.4 yards per catch. Simply put, Hallman hasn’t been nearly as reliable in his role as he was last season.
Maybe part of that is the absence of Nyzier Fourqurean drawing more attention Hallman’s way, but whatever the reason, Wisconsin needs more from its top cornerback. If the Badgers are going to hold things together through this brutal schedule coming out of the bye, Hallman’s playmaking and leadership have to show up. He’s someone I’ll continue rooting for to turn it around, because the program desperately needs him to.
💲Penny stock to watch: LB Tyreese Fearbry
I’m not sure it’s totally fair to call someone a “penny stock” when the staff has been so intentional about getting him on the field every week, but Tyreese Fearbry deserves some recognition here.
The Kentucky transfer has logged 45 snaps through four games, averaging 11.25 per contest, with his most coming against Maryland (13).
Against the Terrapins, Fearbry recorded three tackles (two solo), a pressure, and three stops. Of his 13 snaps, eight came as a pass rusher and five against the run. He finished with a 70.0 defensive grade, a 68.6 against the run, and a strong 76.6 tackling grade.
On the season, Fearbry’s been used as a pass rusher on 25 of his 45 defensive snaps, showing some bend and athletic tools that stand out when he’s on the field. He’s posted eight tackles (five solo), one sack, and three pressures so far as a reserve.
The staff clearly wants Fearbry in the rotation with Mason Reiger, Sebastian Cheeks, and Darryl Peterson. If Wisconsin can continue to perform well on early downs, his role as a situational pass rusher should continue to grow. Fearbry looks like a nice developmental piece with some upside, and one whose stock could rise as the season goes on.
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