The Wisconsin Badgers held their first day of fall camp yesterday and it was a lot like most kick offs to fall camp, full of highs and lows. The Badgers new QB1 was one of those, he made a few mistakes but also looked like a polished signal caller that's learning his new team and his new receivers. He wasn't flawless by any means but he had more good moments than bad moments and Luke Fickell was impressed.
According to On3.com's Evan Flood, Jaimier Scott was able to take advantage of one of those mistakes. Flood wrote, "Scott made an interception in team drills. Picked off Joseph, who was throwing across his body to the sidelines. Scott undercut the ball and got a foot down before he hit the boundary."
Joseph was never rattled even from that interception when Scott jumped the route; the QB1 instead flipped on a different gear and went out there and found Chris Brooks Jr. for a touchdown a few plays later. Fickell loved what he saw from Joseph: "What I was most impressed with him today was taking what was there and being really disciplined in some of the things he was doing."
Day 1 of #Badgers training camp in the books. You can see the increase in team speed Fickell sought, especially on defense. Colton Joseph had good and bad points but recovered nicely from mistakes.
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) August 6, 2026
More to come on @BadgerExtra
Luke Fickell isn't worried about some of the early mistakes by Colton Joseph
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Fickell wasn't worried about some of those early mistakes, he actually downplayed it as day one of camp. "I know early in practice, I think we started off with maybe some jitters...Everybody wants to make plays. Everybody wants to throw the ball down the field,.. We all want to impress on day one, right?"
For Fickell and even the media members in attendance, it was the recovery that impressed. Joseph didn't miss a beat, found a way to rebound, and get things going for the offense. His ability to use his legs (though not much of that yet) will be key. Yet, he has a live arm and an ability to really create with the deep ball. However, Fickell loved that he was checking down as Joseph settled into his rhythm throughout practice.
Joseph has a bit of a gunslinger way about him. His big play potential is through the roof, and he isn't scared to take risks. As he adjusts to Big Ten play, similar to how Russell Wilson had to adjust, the sky is the limit. And if he can get on the same page as many of the new receivers, tight ends, and running backs, the offense will really hum.
For Fickell, what he wants to see from all of his players on day one is not the big plays but instead taking care of fundamentals. Adding the building blocks to their routine, setting themselves up for future success. As Joseph rebounded, he really began to be exceptional, and media members began to be optimistic and excited again. Mark Stewart of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called it a "good day of work" for Joseph and is eager to see what Day 2, 3, and beyond look like.
At the end of the day, the ups and downs for Joseph were part of day one, and yet it's clear the entire quarterback position is vastly better than in 2025; that was evident right away. Joseph is the one leading the pack.
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