The Wisconsin Badgers have an open competition almost everywhere on the roster, but one of the thickest and deepest competitions is at wide receiver. The picture was starting to become clear in the last eight fall camp practices as Eugene Hilton Jr. seemed to emerge as the WR1, with Chris Brooks Jr. or Jaylon Domingeaux as the WR2 and Tyrell Henry working out of the slot. And then fall camp practice nine came around.
Practice nine was when Shamar Rigby was healthy enough to return to team drills after an injury in the spring. He immediately popped and showcased that he wants to be part of the discussion in this WR competition.
Rigby has big play potential, and it showed at camp, as he was turning on the jets, finding creases, and hauling in 50-50 balls. He was getting some of this work with Colton Joseph and the 1s and may truly find a way to force his name to be called as a starter. But who does he pass?
Junior wide receiver Shamar Rigby went through team drills for the first time in fall camp and made NOISE.
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) August 16, 2026
Oklahoma State transfer was a weapon down the field, winning a few 50-50 balls and back-shoulder fades. Had a drop deep down the field he'd love to have back, but… pic.twitter.com/yVBpTzy01k
Shamar Rigby now brings his big play potential to Wisconsin but adds a veteran presence
Related: Another true freshman has emerged at Wisconsin fall camp alongside Ryan Hopkins
Rigby is a junior transfer from Oklahoma State, where as a sophomore he caught 25 passes for 351 yards and a touchdown. Playing in all 12 games and started at wide receiver for nine of those games. While Oklahoma State's season was also in the toilet last year, Rigby found a way to make the most of it.
Before he was at Oklahoma State, he was at Purdue as a freshman and once again forced his way into the starting conversation, getting six starts and bringing in 11 receptions for 113 yards. So, he has a history of using his play-making ability and pushing a conversation. Now he's a veteran with years under his belt, and he knows how to make a splash.
In the spring, he was doing a lot of that too. Even though in the spring he was mostly working with the No. 2 or 3 offense, he had a similar chance with Colton Joseph and the No. 1s too. There's something to be said about his size (6'4) and speed. Rigby's big body allows him to make contested catches like a basketball big man in the post, going up over the defender and boxing out with his body.
This complicates things, in a good way, for the Badgers. We've already seen the emergence of Hilton Jr.; Brooks Jr. looks like a different player this season, one who knows it's his last opportunity and is ready to seize it. Malachi Coleman has had some splashes; Domingeaux is right in the mix and probably the one that Rigby has the most in common with in terms of skills.
Wisconsin offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, though, doesn't mind all this competition, especially with wide receivers. He loves a bit of a mix-and-match. Grimes likes to find, even based on the matchup, the right combo that allows success. He will even work in packages and play calls that work better with a specific set of receivers than others. So keep an eye on this group, especially with the return of Rigby. It's great for the Wisconsin offense.
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