The Wisconsin football program’s wide receiver room entered fall camp without many clearly defined roles.
Ari Confesor doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to change that.
Through the first portion of fall camp, several receivers have made legitimate cases for playing time. Eugene Hilton Jr. has emerged as one of Wisconsin’s most consistent playmakers, Chris Brooks Jr. has continued developing into a more complete receiver, and Shamar Rigby has returned to practice to give the Badgers another big-bodied target.
Meanwhile, Jaylon Domingeaux, Malachi Coleman and Tyrell Henry remain firmly in the mix, while true freshman Kash Brock has worked his way into second-team opportunities. For Confesor, the challenge is determining how many different weapons Wisconsin can trust when the season begins.
Here were the biggest takeaways from Confesor’s fall camp media availability.
Wisconsin still hasn’t settled on its deep threat
Jeff Grimes entered fall camp wanting someone to establish himself as a legitimate vertical threat.
Wisconsin might have several possibilities.
Rigby’s return has added another dimension to the competition. The 6-foot-4 receiver is coming off a season at Oklahoma State in which he appeared in all 12 games, catching 25 passes for 351 yards and a touchdown. Now back to full participation, Rigby has already flashed the size and ball skills that make him an intriguing option downfield.
“We’re all excited that he’s back here,” Confesor said. “He’s a guy that’s a true receiver in terms of being able to get in and out of routes, catch passes, and create problems for defense.”
Confesor believes Rigby’s combination of length and size can create matchup problems, but he isn’t the only receiver competing for that role.
Hilton has consistently demonstrated the ability to get behind defenders, while Domingeaux and Coleman have also received chances downfield. Confesor isn’t simply looking for someone capable of getting open, either. He wants receivers who can finish plays even when they aren’t.
“Those guys are all still fighting to see who’s going to win, who’s going to be the guy in that role,” Confesor said. “But I think all of them have shown up to this point their ability to go up and catch the football and, more importantly, make the contested catch. We could all catch it wide open, but who’s going to go up and get the football?”
Coleman has been particularly intriguing.
The Minnesota transfer arrived with obvious physical tools after appearing in eight games and catching five passes for 83 yards during his only season with the Gophers. But Confesor believes Coleman’s comfort within the offense has changed considerably since spring practice. The former blue-chip recruit has learned the system, become more vocal, and used his size and physicality to create problems on the perimeter.
“I think what’s most impressive is his hands are unbelievable,” Confesor said. “He doesn’t drop the football and he uses his size. So I think he’s heading in the right direction. He’s making unbelievable strides.”
Wisconsin doesn’t appear to have identified one definitive deep threat yet. But Confesor believes he has enough candidates to keep giving them opportunities until somebody separates.
Eugene Hilton Jr. and Chris Brooks Jr. are taking meaningful steps
Two of Wisconsin’s returning receivers have made some of the most encouraging progress.
Hilton’s physical ability was never really the question.
The sophomore showed flashes as a freshman, appearing in all 12 games and catching eight passes for 91 yards across 158 offensive snaps. He has continued demonstrating the route-running ability and ball skills necessary to become a larger part of Wisconsin’s offense. What has changed, according to Confesor, is the consistency of his approach.
“I think of his work ethic now,” Confesor explained. “He’s always had the skill to be able to get in and out of breaks and catch the football, but now you see his mental approach to the game is a little bit different.”
That maturation has extended into leadership.
Despite being only a true sophomore, Hilton is beginning to take more ownership of the room, helping younger receivers and understanding that Wisconsin now expects considerably more from him.
“He ain’t a young buck no more,” Confesor said. “Even though being a true sophomore, when you’re expected to take reigns, now a lot of responsibility comes with that. And I think he’s accepted it.”
Brooks has taken a different developmental path.
Confesor already knew he was getting toughness, leadership, and physicality when he inherited Brooks, who appeared in all 12 games and made 10 starts last season, finishing with career highs of 11 catches for 124 yards. What has impressed Confesor during their roughly seven months together is how much Brooks has developed as a route runner.
“His evolution as a route runner, as a receiver, is what’s taking the next steps,” Confesor said. “Now, all of a sudden, it’s not just being physical on the perimeter. It’s winning at the top of his routes with separation. Strong hands. That ball’s thrown, he’s catching the football.”
Confesor believes Brooks has also become capable of threatening defenses vertically and making contested catches.
His expectations aren’t subtle.
“I’m expecting him to have an unbelievable year,” Confesor said.
For a Wisconsin passing game searching for dependable options around Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph, having Hilton and Brooks develop into more complete receivers would give the Badgers two returning pieces they can build around rather than relying entirely on newcomers.
Wisconsin’s receiver rotation could run deep
The most interesting part of Wisconsin’s receiver room might ultimately be its numbers.
Confesor doesn’t sound interested in reducing the rotation to three players simply because those are the names listed atop a depth chart.
“If we were playing today, there’d be a lot of those guys getting out there,” Confesor said. “Now, depending on how they’re performing, it depends on how many reps each person gets. So that’s why when we’re out here, everybody knows the competition level is still up.”
Henry gives Wisconsin one of its most versatile options.
Confesor called Henry the “Swiss Army knife” of the room because of his ability to operate from the slot, move outside, and create with the football in his hands. He appeared in 10 games at wide receiver and punt returner last season, catching five passes for 29 yards and a touchdown.
“He gets moved around, he does a lot of different things,” Confesor said. “I think his versatility, being able to run routes in the slot, being able to get on the perimeter, and with the ball in his hands he’s dynamic.”
Domingeaux brings something Wisconsin’s room otherwise lacks in abundance: proven college production.
Although his experience came at a lower level, Confesor values the fact that Domingeaux has already played meaningful snaps and produced when games mattered. At Southeastern Louisiana, Domingeaux caught 52 passes for 857 yards and 11 touchdowns, giving Wisconsin another receiver with proven production in the room.
“You can’t put a value on experience,” Confesor said. “He’s been out there through the fire. He’s caught tons of passes.”
Then there’s Brock.
The true freshman has earned second-team opportunities during camp, and Confesor made clear those reps weren’t handed to him. Brock’s work away from practice has allowed his understanding of the offense to catch up with his physical ability.
“If he’s with the twos, he earned it,” Confesor said. “He earned it.”
Zion Kearney, an Oklahoma transfer, is another developmental option who has been working through some physical limitations, while Rigby’s return only adds another player to the equation.
That’s ultimately what Confesor likes about where the room stands.
Wisconsin still needs someone to emerge as its primary vertical threat. It needs Hilton’s increased consistency to carry into games and Brooks’ growth as a route runner to translate when the competition changes.
Several of the newcomers still have to prove that what they’re showing in practice will hold up when, as Confesor put it, “the bullets fly.”
But the Badgers aren’t searching for bodies. They have receivers with different skill sets, capable of moving around the formation and enough competition that snaps don’t have to be guaranteed to anyone.
Confesor wants five or six receivers capable of stressing defenses in different ways. I’m still skeptical Wisconsin has a receiver who will emerge and put up big numbers individually, but the hope is that the Badgers have enough options to generate production by committee. Through fall camp, that possibility is beginning to look more realistic.
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