Stock watch for Wisconsin football after Week 1 win over Miami (OH)
Wisconsin football stock report after 17-0 win over Miami (OH). Who’s rising, who’s falling, and what it means heading into Week 2.
Week 1 is in the books, and the University of Wisconsin football team walked away from its home opener at Camp Randall Stadium with a 17-0 win over Miami (OH) that was equal parts encouraging and concerning.
The Badgers extended their streak of season-opening non-conference victories to 28, outgaining the RedHawks 353 to 117 in total yardage while pitching a defensive shutout. Miami went 0-for-9 on third down, managed just 34 rushing yards, and averaged under three yards per play.
On the flip side, Wisconsin’s offense piled up 165 yards on the ground but lost starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. to a knee injury, which left some questions about how long the Badgers will be without their QB1.
So where does that leave us? Week 1 is never the finished product, but it does give us an early read on the "market" for each player and where things stand. Some individual stocks gained value, and others dipped.
With that in mind, let’s sort through whose stocks are rising and who is falling as Wisconsin football moves into Week 2.
📈 Stock up: TE Grant Stec
It wasn’t ideal that Grant Stec was thrust into action with Tucker Ashcraft sidelined, but the takeaways from his first meaningful snaps in a Wisconsin uniform are hard to ignore.
Across 29 offensive snaps, Stec was asked to do a little bit of everything — run block on 13 plays, pass protect on seven, and run routes on nine. He answered the call, catching both of his targets for 31 yards and earning a 94.8 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus, with an 81.4 run-blocking grade to boot.
That’s solid production for a redshirt freshman still settling into his role. Stec came to Madison as a former blue-chip recruit, and it’s no secret this staff is high on his long-term potential. If this debut was any indication, the arrow is pointing up on a player who could grow into a fixture for Wisconsin’s offense down the road, while contributing a little right now.
📈 Stock up: OLB Mason Reiger
After tearing up fall camp, Mason Reiger delivered exactly the kind of performance you’d hope for in the opener. He was a problem on the edge all night, finishing with four total pressures, 0.5 sacks, and three tackles.
In 30 defensive snaps, 18 of which were as a pass rusher, Reiger looked explosive and disruptive from the jump. Pro Football Focus graded him out with an 89.9 overall defensive mark and an 82.7 as a pass rusher, which are numbers that back up what the eye test already told you.
This staff needs players like Reiger to set the floor and raise the ceiling of the defense, and his debut against Miami (OH) checked both boxes. It was an encouraging outing for a guy who looked every bit as advertised.
📈 Stock up: S Preston Zachman
Preston Zachman’s stock wasn’t starting from a low point, far from it, but Week 1 reinforced just how reliable and impactful he can be for this defense.
The senior safety played 36 snaps, 24 of them in coverage, and finished with a 93.7 overall defensive grade and a 92.8 in coverage. He was targeted three times, had two picks, and didn’t allow a single completion.
What stood out even more was his versatility. Zachman lined up for 18 snaps at safety, 10 in the box, and 8 in the slot, showing he can be deployed anywhere Wisconsin needs on the back end. That kind of leadership, multiplicity, and playmaking is going to be invaluable for a Wisconsin defense that needs to generate more takeaways in 2025. If the opener was any indication, Zachman is poised to be a difference-maker.
📈 Stock up: OLB Sebastian Cheeks
A year ago, during fall camp, Sebastian Cheeks made the move from inside linebacker to the edge, and it’s clear he’s found a home.
Against Miami (OH), Cheeks logged 31 snaps off the edge and finished with a 74.5 defensive grade, four tackles, and three pressures. But truth be told, his impact went well beyond the stat sheet.
Cheeks was disruptive all night, flying around the field and making life uncomfortable for Dequan Finn. He looks like the type of edge presence who can rush the passer effectively with some juice while still holding up as a capable edge setter. That balance is exactly what this defense needs opposite of Reiger, and it feels like Cheeks is only scratching the surface. They will also mix in guys like Darryl Peterson and Corey Walker quite a bit, and Cheeks offers the kind of changeup they didn't have last season.
Stock up, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Cheeks' role continues to grow because he looked like a guy who has taken a big step forward.