# 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.
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. 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. He became the third Badger player to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark in a single season after Ron Dayne and Melvin Gordon. 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. Quarterback Alex Hornibrook led the team in passing with 1,532 yards and 13 touchdown passes.

## Offseason
### 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 | High school / college | 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star 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 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, 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.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 6, 2018. |||||||

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Lott Trophy | T. J. Edwards | LB | SR |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | T. J. Edwards | LB | SR |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | D'Cota Dixon | S | SR |
| Maxwell Award | Jonathan Taylor | RB | SO |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Alex Hornibrook | QB | JR |
| Doak Walker Award | Jonathan Taylor | RB | SO |
| John Mackey Award | Zander Neuville | TE | SR |
| John Mackey Award | Kyle Penniston | TE | JR |
| Butkus Award | Ryan Connelly | LB | SR |
| Butkus Award | T. J. Edwards | LB | JR |
| Butkus Award | Andrew Van Ginkel | LB | JR |
| Jim Thorpe Award | D'Cota Dixon | S | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | D'Cota Dixon | S | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | T. J. Edwards | LB | SR |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Olive Sagapolu | DT | SR |
| Outland Trophy | Beau Benzschawel | OL | SR |
| Outland Trophy | Tyler Biadasz | OL | SO |
| Outland Trophy | Michael Deiter | OL | SR |
| Outland Trophy | David Edwards | OL | JR |
| Outland Trophy | Olive Sagapolu | DT | SR |
| Lou Groza Award | Rafael Gaglianone | K | SR |
| Ray Guy Award | Anthony Lotti | P | JR |
| Wuerffel Trophy | D'Cota Dixon | S | SR |
| Walter Camp Award | T. J. Edwards | LB | SR |
| Walter Camp Award | Jonathan Taylor | RB | SO |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Alex Hornibrook | QB | JR |
| Manning Award | 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.
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 StadiumMadison, WI | ESPN | W 34–3 | 74,145 |
| September 8 | 11:00 a.m. | New Mexico* | No. 5 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | BTN | W 45–14 | 77,003 |
| September 15 | 2:30 p.m. | BYU* | No. 6 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ABC | L 21–24 | 80,720 |
| September 22 | 7:30 p.m. | at Iowa | No. 18 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA (Heartland Trophy) | FOX | W 28–17 | 69,250 |
| October 6 | 6:30 p.m. | Nebraska | No. 16 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Freedom Trophy) | BTN | W 41–24 | 80,051 |
| October 13 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 12 Michigan | No. 15 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (College GameDay) | ABC | L 13–38 | 111,360 |
| October 20 | 11:00 a.m. | Illinois | No. 23 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | FS1 | W 49–20 | 79,736 |
| October 27 | 11:00 a.m. | at Northwestern | No. 20 | Ryan FieldEvanston, IL | FOX | L 17–31 | 47,330 |
| November 3 | 11:00 a.m. | Rutgers | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | BTN | W 31–17 | 74,379 |
| November 10 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 21 Penn State | | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ABC | L 10–22 | 105,396 |
| November 17 | 2:30 p.m. | at Purdue | | Ross-Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | BTN | W 47–44 $^{3OT}$ | 46,114 |
| November 24 | 2:30 p.m. | Minnesota | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | ESPN2 | L 15–37 | 74,038 |
| December 27 | 4:15 p.m. | vs. Miami (FL)* | | Yankee StadiumBronx, NY (Pinstripe Bowl) | ESPN | W 35–3 | 37,821 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||
Schedule Source:

## Personnel
### 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 |

### New Mexico

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

### BYU

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

### At Iowa

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

### Nebraska

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

### At Michigan

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

### Illinois

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

### At Northwestern

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

### Rutgers

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

### At Penn State

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

### 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 |

### Minnesota

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

### vs Miami (FL)–Pinstripe Bowl

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

## Rankings

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

## Awards and honors

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

## Players drafted into the NFL

| 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
* T. J. Edwards, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
* Alec Ingold, FB, Oakland Raiders