The Wisconsin Badgers are now investing more money into the football program, and Luke Fickell seems to have brought in a vastly better 2026 roster than 2025. However, there were some big decisions made for last season's roster that still haunt the Badgers, and until winning covers the wrongs, they still taste so bitter in the mouth.
Let's breakdown the three worst NIL decisions from last year and why each cost the Badgers.
1. Billy Edwards Jr.
It starts and essentially ends with Billy Edwards Jr. What a waste of NIL money that was flushed down the toilet. Edwards was injured right off the bat, and if that was the end of the story, it's a frustrating loss, but it goes into the category of "it is what it is." However, he tried to come back for the Maryland game, then reinjured himself to make matters worse. And then, according to many reports, he sat himself out the rest of the season.
That money to Edwards never paid off in any way, and not having a starting quarterback cost the Badgers another season. His refusal to play towards the end may have been the difference between a four-win team and a six-win team. Good riddance.
2. Tyreese Fearbry
A high-profile transfer from Kentucky was going to help with our linebacking core. However, he was passed by freshmen and ended up with the most bone-headed penalty for the Badgers all season. Fearbry just didn't work out at all last season, and yet many expected him to be a big part of the defense.
Fearbry, though, decided to stick around and change his image and be a part of the 2026 season. The early reports from spring have been really positive about Fearbry. Good for Fearbry, let's hope for a big bounce-back season.
3. Tackett Curtis
Similar story to Fearbry. Curtis came from USC and truly was considered to be one of the best transfers coming in. He was a top recruit coming out of high school, he was relatively successful at USC, and then he was a bust at Wisconsin. Curtis was most likely given a decent NIL package, and yet it was relatively wasted. He was also passed up by freshmen, and now Curtis has gone into the transfer portal and is off to UCF.
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