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Wisconsin Football under head coach Luke Fickell stands on a growing pile of assignments with less than three months until the 2025 season. After a disappointing first two seasons for the Badgers under Fickell, year three will test whether the Badgers’ name can reemerge at the national level.
Fickell has appeared willing to change philosophies going into year three, but Badger football will face one of the toughest schedules in the nation. In order to return to Big Ten success in year three, the Badgers must stabilize quarterbacks, bring the offensive line’s dominance back to the top and maintain defensive IQ and toughness, all while managing an unforgiving schedule.
Fickell’s replacement of former head coach Paul Chryst in 2022 brought optimism about a new era for Wisconsin football, but so far, the results on the field have yet to bring that optimism to life. Wisconsin is just 13-13 at home, with a losing Big Ten record.
Under Fickell, the Badgers have lost their 23-year bowl streak — the longest in the nation — and Fickell enters 2025 ranked 11th among Big Ten coaches by USA TODAY. Las Vegas oddsmakers set Wisconsin’s 2025 win total at just 5.5, which seems justifiable considering the Badgers’ struggles under Fickell.
The Badgers’ grueling schedule isn’t doing them any favors either. It includes road games at Alabama, Michigan, Oregon, Indiana and Minnesota, plus a home slate featuring Maryland, Iowa, Ohio State, Washington and Illinois. The Badgers face one of the nation’s toughest schedules with five opponents having been ranked the NCAA’s top 25 last season.
Coaching Changes
After last season’s failure, however, Fickell has shown a willingness to change philosophies. This is most evident in his decision to replace offensive coordinator Phil Longo, whose offense consistently floundered over the last two years, with Kansas offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes.
“I really do feel like we’ve got the identity that fits us. It’s not completely all the way old-school, but I think the idea of being more multiple and truly understanding what physicality-first looks like,” Fickell said about Wisconsin’s offseason decisions.
So, what can we expect from Grimes in the upcoming season?
Grimes’ offense is tailored to make heavy use of physicality and versatility. Extensive use of tight ends, outside zone runs, pre-snap motion and passes from the shotgun are part of the “tough, nasty and disciplined” football that gave Wisconsin its best years in the past.
“This isn’t for everybody, right? This is a grown-ass man’s league, and this is a grown man’s game. If guys don’t understand that, and this isn’t the right thing for them, it is what it is,” Fickell said, elaborating on why this change in play style is crucial to the team’s development.
Roster updates
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The new-look 2025 roster is the result of tons of movement around the transfer portal from the previous season, especially in the Badgers’ quarterback room. Although he spent most of the season injured, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was replaced by Braedyn Locke early into the 2024 season. Now, both have said their goodbyes to Badger football, and Fickell hopes new faces, like transfer quarterbacks Billy Edwards Jr. from Maryland and Danny O’Neil from San Diego State, and gel with the rest of the team.
Last year, Fickell said he preferred quarterback competition instead of explicitly naming a starter.
“The best thing for us is to have a legitimate competitive battle. Some would say it’s better if you can name a starter at whatever position, particularly the quarterback. But, I think it’s much better if you can continue to have a competitive battle because you’re going to find out what you got. Because, probably like last year, you’re going to need them both,” Fickell said.
Those are not the only changes made to the offense. The addition of tight end Lance Mason from Missouri State and wide receiver Jayden Ballard from defending champions Ohio State are significant to Fickell and Grimes’ vision.
The defense, on the other hand, remains under defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. While still the backbone of the team, the defense will see promotions from within as Tressel is tasked with replacing key contributors, like defensive lineman Curt Neal, safety Braedyn Moore and veteran cornerback Max Lofy, who either graduated or were lost to the portal.
Fickell’s third year digs deep into Wisconsin’s standards. It is now more than just making a bowl game, it’s about proving Wisconsin still belongs in the Big Ten’s upper tier and perhaps even atop the rest. As Fickell put it, “We’re going to continue to push and develop the guys within and the guys that understand what it takes to climb this mountain and play in this league.”
Fickell’s Badgers being able to outperform the 5.5 projected wins hanging over their heads, immensely improving their offensive play under Grimes and competing with — and beating — the Big Ten’s powerhouses is what success looks like for the 2025 season.
This 2025 campaign is on the horizon and will ultimately shape what Fickell’s time in Madison has meant to Wisconsin football. There’s no space for excuses, and the roster, as well as the system, belongs to Fickell.
As the Wisconsin Badgers and their fans prepare for another season of jumping around at Camp Randall, all eyes are on the program’s future: whether Fickell’s third year is the return of Wisconsin football of old or another chapter in a series of misused potential and possibilities.
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