With the Wisconsin Badgers and Minnesota Gophers facing off in Madison, things were special for seniors ahead of kickoff. That's because it's their last home game, with Senior Day being part of the pre-game festivities. For these players, it's tough knowing this is the last time they'll be playing at Camp Randall.
It looked like this was potentially going to be the case for standout cornerback Ricardo Hallman, who was on the list earlier in the week. However, in a bit of a surprise, Hallman's name was taken off the Senior Day list. With him mulling a decision between coming back to school or entering the NFL Draft, this sure feels like a hint that he's leaning towards one more year playing for Luke Fickell, right?
Ricardo Hallman won't participate in #Badgers senior day today. Had been on the list earlier this week.
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) November 29, 2024
He said this week he's still weighing his decision to return to Wisconsin next year or go to the NFL.
Will Wisconsin Badgers CB Ricardo Hallman return next season?
A 5-10, 185-pounder from Miami, Hallman is a redshirt junior for the program in 2024. However, he's got more eligibility left, which is why the door is wide open for him to suit up in 2025. Hallman has been eyeing potentially making the leap to the next level, but it feels like more time on campus could help out his development.
He's been a stud cornerback for the Badgers, displaying stingy defense throughout the season. Fickell and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel would surely love to see him return to help get the program back on track next fall. As of this writing, the Badgers are 5-6 on the year and on the verge of missing a bowl game for the first time in 22 years.
However, with a strong offseason and promising recruiting class, things could be on the up and up for Wisconsin. Losing players to the portal or NFL Draft is expected, but the hope is that Hallman will decide the best call for his future will be to stick around with Wisconsin for one more season. Soon enough we'll know if that's the case or not, but the pre-game development seems a bit telling.