Win or lose, it is in everyone's best interest to play hard and coach hard in the game of football. This is not just about keeping one's job, but potentially setting oneself up for the next one down the line. For many players who come to Madison to play football for Luke Fickell, the dream is to one day play in the NFL. Wisconsin had up until recently been able to get a slew of his best players drafted annually.
Dating back to 2020, Wisconsin had been able to get at least three of its players drafted annually. It is not much, but it is something. However, the last two drafts that Fickell has been a part of the prorgram, Wisconsin has only seen two players get drafted each spring. Braelon Allen and Tanor Bortolini were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Jack Nelson and Hunter Wohler were picked in 2025.
According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Wisconsin has listed 10 draft-eligible prospects listed. While that is great and all, only wide receiver Vinny Anthony II and offensive tackle Riley Mahlman are expected to hear their names called. Anthony is projected to be a fifth-round pick as the No. 171 overall prospect, while Mahlman carries a sixth-round projection as the No. 186 overall player in 2026.
A lot can change between now and the 2026 NFL Draft, but this is all trending in the wrong direction.
Not recruiting well or ever developing is a bad sign for Wisconsin football
There are a lot of contributing factors to what has damaged Wisconsin's once-fruitful pipeline to the NFL. Yes, rampant losing will do a number on any program of note. That being said, it is not like the players do not have any pride and want to mail it in every week. What seems to be an issue is Fickell's recruiting philosophies from Cincinnati do not translate to Wisconsin, as illustrated by the offense...
When Fickell was at Cincinnati, he could recruit two-and-three-stars to UC and have them ready to play in the NFL. This is because the Bearcats had a resource advantage over most teams in The American. When it comes to Wisconsin, you better have so many three-and-four-stars from all over the Midwest coming in to keep pace with the Big Ten rival teams you play against every single season.
So not having a huge emphasis on recruting has been bad. Going with an Air Raid offense to start was even worse. It ripped away the very foundation of what made Wisconsin football so special. Great running backs carrying the rock behind well-fed homegrown boys to victory. Playing great team defense also helps. In the end, Wisconsin got away from its bread and butter and paid dearly for it.
In time, Wisconsin will get back to what made it special under previous coaches, but not under Fickell.