Notre Dame football opens the 2026 season against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field in the Shamrock Series, and head coach Marcus Freeman’s Fighting Irish enter as massive favorites with national title expectations.

Wisconsin, while not a great football team right now, presents some specific challenges that Notre Dame needs to account for to set the tone for a huge 2026 campaign. Here are the Wisconsin players the Irish need to keep their eyes on and stifle to come away with an emphatic opening victory.

Transfer QB Colton Joseph and the run game

It starts with Wisconsin’s transfer quarterback Colton Joseph, who arrived from Old Dominion this offseason. Joseph is a dynamic dual-threat player, and while there are questions about his overall passing upside, the Wisconsin offense should function differently than it has in recent years because of his legs.

Expect a heavy dose of quarterback run game from the Badgers. Zone read, power read, designed runs for Joseph. His athleticism is what Wisconsin believes levels the playing field against a more talented Notre Dame roster.

If Joseph can convert a couple of back-breaking first downs or scramble out of a third-and-9 to keep a drive alive, that changes the complexion of the game. Wisconsin’s recipe for success is keeping its offense on the field as long as possible, working the clock, and shortening the football game.

Joseph holds a huge key in that regard. Notre Dame’s defensive line and second level need to account for his running ability on every snap.

RB Abu Sama III can create explosives

The ideal world for Wisconsin pairs Joseph’s run game with Iowa State transfer running back Abu Sama III creating explosive plays. The Badgers have a deep running back room with some familiar names for Notre Dame fans who follow recruiting.

TCU transfer Nate Palmer held a Notre Dame offer in the 2024 recruiting class. Bryan Jackson II transferred over from USC this offseason. Darrion Dupree was a Chicago kid out of Mount Carmel in the 2024 class who also had Notre Dame interest. All of those backs add depth, but they remain unproven at this level.

Sama is the proven commodity. Over the last 3 years at Iowa State, splitting carries with Chase Hansen, Sama averaged over 5 yards per carry last season and over 7 as a freshman in 2023. He has nice short-area explosiveness and the long speed to break off big runs.

The danger is Wisconsin lulling the defense to sleep with Joseph’s legs early, getting linebackers and safeties to overplay the quarterback, and then Sama ripping off a long run. If Sama gets going, that is when Palmer, Jackson, and Dupree become tougher to handle. Notre Dame has to stop him early.

WR Eugene Hilton is the one to watch in the passing game

While Joseph’s passing ability raises questions, Wisconsin does have one wide receiver worth close attention in Eugene Hilton, the son of former Indianapolis Colts great T.Y. Hilton. He is not quite the speedster his dad was, but Hilton has the ability to create explosives downfield.

Notre Dame’s secondary and pass defense should be elite in 2026. All-American Leonard Moore, Brauntae Johnson, Adon Shuler, Luke Talich, Christian Gray, DJ McKinney, Jayden Sanders, Joey O’Brien, and Khary Adams make up an embarrassment of riches on the back end.

Hilton is not so proven that Moore needs to shadow him across the field the way he did with USC’s Makai Lemon last year. But Gray, McKinney, Sanders, and Moore all need to be aware of where Hilton is at all times. He should line up in a couple of different spots for Wisconsin’s passing game, and if the Badgers are going to create chunk plays through the air, they are probably going Hilton’s way.

OT Kevin Heywood wants to set the tone up front

Offensive linemen rarely make preview lists, but Wisconsin right tackle Kevin Heywood deserves the attention. Listed at 6-9, 320 pounds, Heywood held a Notre Dame offer in the 2024 class and has a nasty temperament. He wants to put defenders in the dirt. He is coming back from an injury, but his profile coming out of high school screamed tone-setter.

Notre Dame’s defensive line on paper is better than Wisconsin’s offensive line. But if Wisconsin gets movement up front, that is how the Badgers shorten the football game and keep the chains moving. The ability for Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young, Keon Keeley, and Rodney Dunham to make plays against Heywood and get him off balance will be a huge key for Notre Dame’s defense.

LBs Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano anchor the second level

On the defensive side, Wisconsin’s second level is where Notre Dame’s eyes should turn. Sophomore linebacker Mason Posa is a talented athlete at 6-3, 230-plus pounds who can blitz off the edge, rush from the interior, and play either linebacker spot. He is not quite as dynamic as Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa but brings a similar versatility.

Cooper Catalano is a good linebacker himself who would command more attention if not for Posa’s presence.

Notre Dame needs to confuse these linebackers with eye candy, get them flowing in different directions, and keep them guessing. That is the key for the Irish running game and short-area passing game to get going early.

Sophomore edge rusher Nicolas Clayton, who did not play much last year as a freshman, is another name to watch opposite Sebastian Cheeks. He was a talented recruit a couple of years ago who could bring some juice off the edge.

Those are the Badgers to watch when Notre Dame and Wisconsin kick off the 2026 season at Lambeau Field. The Fighting Irish have the talent advantage across the board, but containing Joseph’s legs, limiting Sama’s explosiveness, and controlling the line of scrimmage will determine how quickly Freeman’s squad sets the tone for its national title push.