Notre Dame football opened fall camp last Thursday, and the 2026 college football season is approaching fast. 

Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish are set to travel to Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to take on the Wisconsin Badgers on Sept. 6 in what shapes up as a compelling opening-game test. Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell enters what feels like a make-or-break year, and even a competitive showing against a Notre Dame team expected to be one of the nation’s best would signal progress for his program.

After talking to some folks and gathering as much information as I could over the last couple of weeks, I have some early intel and feedback on this Wisconsin team. Here are some things to know, players to watch, and the challenge the Badgers could pose.

Wisconsin’s offense starts with dual-threat QB Colton Joseph

The Badgers are led on offense by Old Dominion transfer quarterback Colton Joseph, who enters his redshirt junior season after emerging as one of the more intriguing dual-threat quarterbacks in college football last fall. 

According to a source, Joseph has done a good job acclimating to the higher level of competition and has routinely gotten better since arriving in Madison.

If you watched Joseph last season, you know that while his arm is solid enough to hurt you, he is much more of a running threat. That seems to be the narrative around him at Wisconsin. This team has traditionally been more of a drop-back passing group that wants to work off a heavy rushing attack, but I would expect a huge injection of quarterback run game this season. 

That should help Joseph acclimate to the Big Ten level while also optimizing an offensive line that does have some question marks heading into the fall.

The player people are most excited about up front is redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Kevin Heywood. He might sound familiar to Notre Dame fans, as he was recruited by the Irish back in the 2024 recruiting class. At a listed 6-9 and 320 pounds, Heywood is a bit of a bully for those who remember his high school film. 

While there have been some question marks about his overall flexibility and pass protection, he has routinely been very good since returning from injury. Wisconsin has a great tradition of developing offensive linemen, and it appears Heywood could be the next really good one to come from the Badgers.

If Wisconsin is going to hang in this game, it will come down to its ability to run the football. A talented and massive offensive lineman like Heywood with a mean streak would go a long way toward making that happen.

Abu Sama III brings explosiveness to the backfield

The running back room should be deeper than it has been the last couple of years, but the most fascinating player to watch is Abu Sama III. He had been a productive back in a committee approach for Iowa State over the last couple of seasons before falling out of favor while Chase Hansen held the hot hand. 

That gave Sama a great opportunity to test the waters when the Iowa State staff departed for Penn State, and now he has a chance to showcase the talent he possesses.

At 5-11 and 211 pounds, Sama has a solid, squatty build, but his explosiveness and ability to create chunk plays is a potential equalizer in the run game. He reportedly is as explosive and as fast as he has ever been, and now he gets to display that talent level on the biggest stage.

Wisconsin’s defense has some intriguing pieces

On the defensive side, there are some intriguing players to keep a close eye on. The Badgers’ best overall player heading into the season is sophomore linebacker Mason Posa, who is coming off a strong 2025 freshman campaign. He will be paired inside with Cooper Catalano, and that duo is expected to lead this team. 

Posa, at 6-3 and 235 pounds, is a productive inside linebacker with the ability to rush from multiple spots, play in coverage, and do a little bit of everything. If Wisconsin is going to make this game ugly, it will be because Posa and company create splash plays and generate negatives.

Keep an eye on senior outside linebacker Sebastian Cheeks, who originally played at North Carolina and was recruited by Notre Dame several years ago. Cheeks has started to settle in and take on the role of a true outside pass-rushing threat. 

While he is an undersized outside rusher in Wisconsin’s 3-4 alignment, he should have plenty of opportunities to test a pair of talented Notre Dame offensive tackles who lack experience.

Secondary features new faces and a potential breakout corner

The secondary experienced significant turnover this offseason, welcoming several transfer portal acquisitions. 

One of them is potential starting nickel Ohio State transfer Bryce West. After not playing a ton over the last two years, West is expected to have his breakout in 2026 for the Badgers. He is a quick and physical defensive back who should fit well inside and also has some inside-outside flexibility.

One of the breakout players during the spring was redshirt freshman boundary corner Jal’mier Scott. At 6-1 and 192 pounds, his combination of physicality and explosiveness has been on display this offseason. While some think he might end up as a backup to start the year, there is an opportunity for Scott to eventually become this team’s best corner. 

That room overall has a lot of length and some talent to work with, but we will have to see how everything shakes out and who ends up being the difference makers on the back end for the Wisconsin defense.