Star cornerback for Wisconsin forgoes NFL to remain with the Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers got some much-needed good news today: Star cornerback Ricardo Hallman is returning for one more year to play for the Badgers. He is one of the best players at the defensive back position for Luke Fickell and a much-needed piece for next year's puzzle. If they are going to succeed on defense, Hallman will be an integral part of it.

Ricardo Hallman decides to return for his final season with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Hallman has one more year to play with a fifth season of eligibility left to him. He had the option to pursue an NFL career, but after a dip in production last season, it may have been more prudent for him to give college and, thus, the Wisconsin Badgers one more season of production.

In his third season for the Badgers (2023), Hallman had 34 tackles, five passes defensed, and seven interceptions. He even had a touchdown in that very productive season. However, in the 2024 season, his production dropped to only 16 tackles, no interceptions, and four passes defensed. He played in every game but had a far different season from his seven-interception seasons.

Hallman will give Wisconsin another run as he also works to chase his NFL dream. He has NFL talent but will need to have another big year to shoot up draft boards and find his name called on NFL draft day.

As for Wisconsin, this is big news as even in his down year, he was solid, and Badger fans knew that side of the field where he was playing defense was covered. He's a great example of how lockdown Hallman can be:

The ability to not only cover the wide receiver but also find the ball in the air and get his hand up at the top of the route is why NFL scouts are excited to see him eventually make the jump. The goal for both Wisconsin and Hallman will be to have a much better 2025 campaign.