2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team

The 2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were led by fourth year head coach Paul Chryst and competed as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

2018 Wisconsin Badgers football
Pinstripe Bowl champion
Pinstripe Bowl, W 35–3 vs. Miami (FL)
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	West Division
Record	8–5 (5–4 Big Ten)
Head coach	Paul Chryst (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Joe Rudolph (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Jim Leonhard (2nd season)
Base defense	3–4
MVP	Jonathan Taylor
Captains	Ryan Connelly Michael Deiter D'Cota Dixon T. J. Edwards Alex Hornibrook Alec Ingold
Home stadium	Camp Randall Stadium
Uniform
Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

2018 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 3 Ohio State xy$		8	–	1					13	–	1
No. 14 Michigan x		8	–	1					10	–	3
No. 17 Penn State		6	–	3					9	–	4
Michigan State		5	–	4					7	–	6
Maryland		3	–	6					5	–	7
Indiana		2	–	7					5	–	7
Rutgers		0	–	9					1	–	11
West Division
No. 21 Northwestern xy		8	–	1					9	–	5
Wisconsin		5	–	4					8	–	5
No. 25 Iowa		5	–	4					9	–	4
Purdue		5	–	4					6	–	7
Minnesota		3	–	6					7	–	6
Nebraska		3	–	6					4	–	8
Illinois		2	–	7					4	–	8
Championship: Ohio State 45, Northwestern 24
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

Returning many key players from their Orange Bowl-winning 2017 team, the 2018 team was expected to compete for a Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. They were ranked fourth in the pre-season AP Poll, tied for the highest start in school history.^[1] In the third game of the year, the Badgers were upset by unranked BYU. Wisconsin ultimately lost four more games during the season, including a loss to rival Minnesota that snapped a Wisconsin 14-game winning streak in the series dating back to 2004. The Badgers were 5–4 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Pinstripe Bowl to play Miami (FL) in a rematch of the 2017 Orange Bowl, where they defeated the Hurricanes once again to finish the season at 8–5.

The Badgers were led offensively by sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor, who led FBS in both rushing yards (2,194) and rushing attempts (307), and was awarded the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back.^[2] He became the third Badger player to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark in a single season after Ron Dayne and Melvin Gordon.^[3] Taylor was named a consensus first-team All-American, as was offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel. Four members of the offensive line received first-team all-conference honors: Benzschawel, Tyler Biadasz, Michael Deiter, and David Edwards.^[4] Quarterback Alex Hornibrook led the team in passing with 1,532 yards and 13 touchdown passes.

Offseason

2018 NFL draft

See also: 2018 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Team	Player	Position
4	110	Oakland Raiders	Nick Nelson	CB
5	156	Denver Broncos	Troy Fumagalli	TE
5	164	New Orleans Saints	Natrell Jamerson	S
6	202	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jack Cichy	LB
7	230	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leon Jacobs	OLB

Recruiting

The Badgers signed a total of 20 recruits.

College recruiting information (2018)
Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
Reggie Pearson Jr. S	River Rouge, Michigan	River Rouge High School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Aug 27, 2016
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Boyd Dietzen DE	Kimberly, Wisconsin	Kimberly High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Feb 20, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
CJ Goetz LB	Waukesha, Wisconsin	Catholic Memorial High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	234 lb (106 kg)	Feb 20, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Mason Platter LB	Menomonie, Wisconsin	Menomonie High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Feb 20, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Michael Furtney OT	Milan, Michigan	Milan High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Mar 14, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Jack Sanborn LB	Lake Zurich, Illinois	Lake Zurich High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Mar 22, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Chase Wolf QB	Cincinnati, Ohio	St. Xavier High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	May 5, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Cormac Sampson DE	Eau Claire, Wisconsin	Memorial High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	May 13, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Isaiah Mullens DE	Canal Winchester, Ohio	Harvest Preparatory School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	May 16, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Nakia Watson RB	Austin, Texas	Westlake High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	212 lb (96 kg)	Jun 10, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Jaylan Franklin TE	Gibraltar, Michigan	Carlson High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	Jun 12, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Alexander Smith CB	Culver City, California	Culver City High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Jun 13, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Taj Mustapha WR	West Bloomfield, Michigan	West Bloomfield High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Jun 22, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
AJ Abbott WR	West Bloomfield, Michigan	West Bloomfield High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jun 23, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Aron Cruickshank WR	Brooklyn, New York	Erasmus Hall High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	155 lb (70 kg)	Jun 27, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Bryson Williams DT	Lincoln, Nebraska	Lincoln Southeast High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Jul 5, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Travian Blaylock CB	Humble, Texas	Atascocita High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	176 lb (80 kg)	Jul 6, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Isaac Guerendo WR	Avon, Indiana	Avon High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jul 6, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Donte Burton CB	Loganville, Georgia	Loganville High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	174 lb (79 kg)	Oct 1, 2017
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Rachad Wildgoose DB	Miami, Florida	Northwestern High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Feb 7, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruit ranking:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Wisconsin Football Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved March 6, 2018. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved March 6, 2018.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Award	Player	Position	Year
Lott Trophy[5]	T. J. Edwards	LB	SR
Chuck Bednarik Award[6]	T. J. Edwards	LB	SR
	D'Cota Dixon	S	SR
Maxwell Award[7]	Jonathan Taylor	RB	SO
Davey O'Brien Award[8]	Alex Hornibrook	QB	JR
Doak Walker Award[9]	Jonathan Taylor	RB	SO
John Mackey Award[10]	Zander Neuville	TE	SR
	Kyle Penniston	TE	JR
Butkus Award[11]	Ryan Connelly	LB	SR
	T. J. Edwards	LB	JR
	Andrew Van Ginkel	LB	JR
Jim Thorpe Award[12]	D'Cota Dixon	S	SR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy[13]	D'Cota Dixon	S	SR
	T. J. Edwards	LB	SR
	Olive Sagapolu	DT	SR
Outland Trophy[14]	Beau Benzschawel	OL	SR
	Tyler Biadasz	OL	SO
	Michael Deiter	OL	SR
	David Edwards	OL	JR
	Olive Sagapolu	DT	SR
Lou Groza Award[15]	Rafael Gaglianone	K	SR
Ray Guy Award[16]	Anthony Lotti	P	JR
Wuerffel Trophy[17]	D'Cota Dixon	S	SR
Walter Camp Award[18]	T. J. Edwards	LB	SR
	Jonathan Taylor	RB	SO
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[19]	Alex Hornibrook	QB	JR
Manning Award[20]	Alex Hornibrook	QB	JR

Schedule

Wisconsin's 2018 schedule consisted of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season. The Badgers hosted Big Ten opponents Nebraska, Illinois, Rutgers, and Minnesota and traveled to Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, and Penn State, and Purdue.^[21]

The team's three non–conference games were against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers from Conference USA (C-USA), New Mexico Lobos from the Mountain West Conference (MWC), and the BYU Cougars, who compete independently in football.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	8:00 p.m.	Western Kentucky*	No. 4	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ESPN	W 34–3	74,145
September 8	11:00 a.m.	New Mexico*	No. 5	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	BTN	W 45–14	77,003
September 15	2:30 p.m.	BYU*	No. 6	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ABC	L 21–24	80,720
September 22	7:30 p.m.	at Iowa	No. 18	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (Heartland Trophy)	FOX	W 28–17	69,250
October 6	6:30 p.m.	Nebraska	No. 16	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (Freedom Trophy)	BTN	W 41–24	80,051
October 13	6:30 p.m.	at No. 12 Michigan	No. 15	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (College GameDay)	ABC	L 13–38	111,360
October 20	11:00 a.m.	Illinois	No. 23	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	FS1	W 49–20	79,736
October 27	11:00 a.m.	at Northwestern	No. 20	Ryan Field Evanston, IL	FOX	L 17–31	47,330
November 3	11:00 a.m.	Rutgers		Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	BTN	W 31–17	74,379
November 10	11:00 a.m.	at No. 21 Penn State		Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC	L 10–22	105,396
November 17	2:30 p.m.	at Purdue		Ross-Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	BTN	W 47–44 3OT	46,114
November 24	2:30 p.m.	Minnesota		Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (Paul Bunyan's Axe)	ESPN2	L 15–37	74,038
December 27	4:15 p.m.	vs. Miami (FL)*		Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY (Pinstripe Bowl)	ESPN	W 35–3	37,821
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Schedule Source:^[22]

Personnel

Roster

2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 1 Aron Cruickshank Fr QB 2 Chase Wolf Fr WR 3 Kendric Pryor  So WR 4 A.J. Taylor Jr RB 5 Chris James  Sr WR 6 Danny Davis III So RB 7 Bradrick Shaw  Jr RB 10 Isaac Guerendo Fr QB 12 Alex Hornibrook (C)  Jr WR 13 Mike Gregoire Fr QB 15 Danny Vanden Boom  Fr WR 16 Jack Dunn  So QB 17 Jack Coan So QB 19 Nate Carter Fr RB 21 Mark Saari  Sr WR 22 Cade Green  Fr RB 23 Jonathan Taylor So WR 24 Adam Krumholz  So RB 25 Nakia Watson Fr RB 28 Taiwan Deal  Sr WR 28 Brady Schipper Fr FB 30 Coy Wanner  Fr FB 32 Jake Collinsworth  Fr RB 36 Hunter Johnson  Fr RB 37 Garrett Groshek  So TE 41 Jack Eschenbach Fr FB 44 John Chenal Fr FB 45 Alec Ingold (C) Jr TE 46 Gabe Lloyd  So TE 49 Kyle Penniston  Jr OL 59 Andrew Lyons Fr OL 60 Logan Bruss  Fr OL 61 Tyler Biadasz  So OL 62 Patrick Kasl  So OL 63 Michael Deiter (C)  Sr OL 65 Tyler Beach  Fr OL 66 Beau Benzschawel  Sr OL 67 Jon Dietzen  Jr OL 68 David Moorman  Jr OL 70 Josh Seltzner  Fr OL 71 Cole Van Lanen  So OL 73 Alex Fenton  Fr OL 74 Michael Furtney Fr OL 75 Micah Kapoi  Sr OL 77 Blake Smithback   Fr OL 78 Jason Erdmann  Jr OL 79 David Edwards (C)  Jr WR 81 Taj Mustapha Fr WR 82 Emmet Perry  Fr TE 84 Jake Ferguson  Fr TE 85 Zander Neuville  Sr TE 86 Luke Benzschawel  So WR 87 Quintez Cephus Jr WR 89 A.J. Abbott Fr TE 96 Cormac Sampson Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 4 Donte Burton Fr CB 5 Rachad Wildgoose Fr S 7 Reggie Pearson Fr CB 8 Deron Harrell  Fr S 9 Scott Nelson  Fr S 10 Seth Currens  So CB 11 Alexander Smith Fr S 13 Evan Bondoc  Sr S 14 D'Cota Dixon (C)  Sr OLB 17 Andrew Van Ginkel  Sr S 18 Collin Wilder Jr S 19 John Torchio Fr CB 20 Faion Hicks  Fr CB 21 Caesar Williams  So ILB 22 Jacob Heyroth Fr ILB 23 Mason Stokke  So S 25 Eric Burrell  So CB 26 Travian Blaylock Fr CB 27 Cristian Volpentesta  So S 30 Tyler Mais  Fr CB 31 Madison Cone So OLB 32 Marty Strey Fr ILB 34 C.J. Goetz Fr CB 36 Kobe Knaak So ILB 37 Ethan Cesarz  Fr OLB 38 Paul Jackson  Jr OLB 41 Noah Burks  So OLB 42 Jaylan Franklin Fr ILB 43 Ryan Connelly (C)  Sr OLB 46 Hegeman Tiedt  So ILB 47 Griffin Grady  So OLB 48 Mason Platter  Fr OLB 50 Izayah Green-May  Fr DE 52 David Pfaff  Jr ILB 53 T. J. Edwards  Sr ILB 54 Chris Orr  Jr OLB 55 Christian Bell  So OLB 56 Zack Baun  Jr DE 57 Michael Balistreri  Fr ILB 57 Jack Sanborn Fr ILB 58 Mike Maskalunas  So OLB 59 Tyler Johnson  Jr DE 69 Aaron Vopal  Fr NT 74 Gunnar Roberge  Jr NT 76 Kayden Lyles  Fr DE 90 Isaiah Mullens Fr NT 91 Bryson Williams Fr DE 92 Matt Henningsen  Fr DE 93 Garrett Rand  Jr DE 94 Boyd Dietzen Fr DE 95 Keldric Preston  So DE 97 Isaiahh Loudermilk  So DE 98 Kraig Howe  Jr NT 99 Olive Sagapolu Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 15 Anthony Lotti Jr K 27 Rafael Gaglianone  Sr P 38 P.J. Rosowski  Sr K 39 Zach Hintze  Jr LS 51 Adam Bay So LS 52 Josh Bernhagen So P 90 Connor Allen  Jr P 96 Conor Schlichting Fr K 98 Collin Larsh  Fr	Head coach Paul Chryst (Wisconsin) Coordinators/assistant coaches Joe Rudolph (Wisconsin) Associate head coach, offensive coordinator, offensive line Jim Leonhard (Wisconsin) Defensive coordinator, defensive backs Bobby April (Louisiana-Lafayette) Outside linebackers Bob Bostad (Wisconsin–Stevens Point) Inside linebackers Inoke Breckterfield (Oregon State) Defensive line Jon Budmayr (Wisconsin) Quarterbacks Ted Gilmore (Wyoming) Offensive pass game coordinator, wide receivers Chris Haering (West Virginia) Special teams John Settle (Appalachian State) Running backs Mickey Turner (Wisconsin) Tight ends Ross Kolodziej (Wisconsin) Head strength and conditioning coach Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: September 6, 2018

Position key

Back	B		Center	C		Cornerback	CB		Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE		Defensive lineman	DL		Defensive tackle	DT		End	E
Fullback	FB		Guard	G		Halfback	HB		Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR		Offensive tackle	OT		Offensive lineman	OL		Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS		Punter	P		Punt returner	PR		Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB		Safety	S		Tight end	TE		Wide receiver	WR

Game summaries

Western Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hilltoppers	0	0	3	0	3
No. 4 Badgers	7	17	3	7	34

See also: 2018 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team

New Mexico

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lobos	7	0	0	7	14
No. 5 Badgers	3	7	14	21	45

See also: 2018 New Mexico Lobos football team

BYU

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cougars	7	7	7	3	24
No. 6 Badgers	7	7	0	7	21

See also: 2018 BYU Cougars football team

At Iowa

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 18 Badgers	0	7	7	14	28
Hawkeyes	0	7	10	0	17

See also: 2018 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

Nebraska

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cornhuskers	0	3	14	7	24
No. 16 Badgers	3	17	14	7	41

See also: 2018 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

At Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 15 Badgers	0	7	0	6	13
No. 12 Wolverines	0	13	8	17	38

See also: 2018 Michigan Wolverines football team

Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Illini	0	10	7	3	20
No. 23 Badgers	14	14	14	7	49

See also: 2018 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

At Northwestern

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 Badgers	7	3	0	7	17
Wildcats	7	7	10	7	31

See also: 2018 Northwestern Wildcats football team

Rutgers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Scarlet Knights	0	0	3	14	17
Badgers	7	3	14	7	31

See also: 2018 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

At Penn State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Badgers	7	0	3	0	10
Nittany Lions	10	6	3	3	22

See also: 2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

At Purdue

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	3OT	Total
Badgers	0	3	10	14	7	7	6	47
Boilermakers	0	10	14	3	7	7	3	44

See also: 2018 Purdue Boilermakers football team

Minnesota

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Gophers	3	14	6	14	37
Badgers	0	7	0	8	15

See also: 2018 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

vs Miami (FL)–Pinstripe Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hurricanes	3	0	0	0	3
Badgers	14	0	7	14	35

See also: 2018 Miami Hurricanes football team and 2018 Pinstripe Bowl

Rankings

Further information: 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes ( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	4 (1)	5 (1)	6 (1)	18	15	16	15	23	20	RV	RV	—	RV	—	—	RV
Coaches	7	6	6	16	13	12	10	19	19	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	—	RV
CFP	Not released									—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Awards and honors

Individual Awards

Player	Award	Ref.
Jake Wood	Dungy–Thompson Humanitarian Award	[4]
Jonathan Taylor	Doak Walker Award Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year	[23] [4]
Michael Deiter	Rimington–Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year	[4]

All-Big Ten

Player	Position	Coaches	Media
Jonathan Taylor	RB	1	1
Tyler Biadasz	C	1	1
Michael Deiter	OG	1	1
Beau Benzschawel	OG	1	1
David Edwards	OT	2	1
T. J. Edwards	LB	2	1
D'Cota Dixon	DB	3	3
Ryan Connelly	LB	3	Hon.
Jake Ferguson	TE	Hon.	Hon.
Rafael Gaglianone	K	Hon.	–
Andrew Van Ginkel	LB	–	Hon.
Hon. = Honorable mention. Reference:[4]

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2019 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
3	78	Michael Deiter	G	Miami Dolphins
5	143	Ryan Connelly	LB	New York Giants
5	151	Andrew Van Ginkel	LB	Miami Dolphins
5	169	David Edwards	OL	Los Angeles Rams

Signed undrafted free agents

• Beau Benzschawel, OL, Detroit Lions^[24]
• T. J. Edwards, LB, Philadelphia Eagles^[24]
• Alec Ingold, FB, Oakland Raiders^[24]