Will Pauling and Luke Fickell were quite the connected tandem. Fickell recruited Pauling to Cincinnati, and when Fickell ended up going to Wisconsin, Pauling followed via the transfer portal. That first season that Pauling had as a Badger was explosive. He led the Badgers in receptions, 74, and yards, 837. He was electric and looked to be set to have a huge junior season.
However, the offense for Wisconsin last season was a dud. Whether it was due to the offensive coordination and playbook of Phil Longo or having Braedyn Locke as the starting quarterback, or most likely a combo of both. It just didn't work, and Pauling decided to move on for his senior season. Depart from Fickell and chase a ring and another career year.
Pauling jumped in the portal at the end of the season and eventually landed at Notre Dame with Marcus Freeman. Let's just say that Freeman is ecstatic about having Pauling, and it's a reminder for Wisconsin fans about what could have been with the star receiver.
On3 insider says that Marcus Freeman considers Will Pauling a "culture-changing" type player
On3.com Insider Tyler Horka wrote an article about Will Pauling's fit with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The majority of the article is behind a paywall, and as a matter of integrity, I'll leave it there for you to read or subscribe. However, he did publicize one of the main quotes from Freeman, and that quote is revealing enough for our purposes.
""He practices at a different pace and a different effort level than what I’d seen in the past..And he's a playmaker.""Marcus Freeman
The transfer of Will Pauling stings a little bit more because it reminds us of what could have been had 2024 not happened. Pauling was set to be a star wide receiver, breaking Wisconsin receiving records, but instead, the ineptitude of the offense sent him packing. While we wish him the best and hopefully have the right stars to replace him, it's still a bummer to be reminded of what could have been with Will Pauling, Luke Fickell, and the Wisconsin Badgers.