Eugene Hilton Jr. spoke with the media yesterday and was very candid about his expectations for the Wisconsin Badgers this season. He was even more honest about how the team "wasn't good enough last year." His decision to leave the transfer portal and remain in Madison came down to the fact that he had to believe that the team would be better this season. "I wasn't going to waste another year."
Those are strong words, but they are words that every Badger fan feels immensely. He wasn't mincing words as if the Badgers somehow were doing well last season. They clearly were bad, and Hilton Jr.'s return to Wisconsin should actually have fans fired up. For he believes the team is different now.
"I wanted to make sure we were gonna do things right... this is the place I wanted to be."
— Riley Jauch (@rileyjauch) April 27, 2026
Eugene Hilton Jr. on why he entered the portal, and why he came back to Wisconsin
IMO, I don't think he would have come back unless he thought the Badgers were ready to win & win NOW pic.twitter.com/ByUTwvPP22
Eugene Hilton Jr. is ready to win now, this season, and he believes the Badgers can
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In the above quote, Hilton Jr. not only was clear about how last season went he has a high expecation for this season. That the Badgers will take a big stride forward and that they finally have the right guys to make big plays and put wins on the schedule.
Hilton Jr. was only a true freshman last season, but found his way into the game and even found limited success with a rotating group of quarterbacks. He finished the season with eight receptions for 91 yards. He's now headed into his sophomore year and is going to be a featured weapon for new quarterback Colton Joseph.
"Making sure last year doesn't happen again. Making sure I wasn't going to waste another year. I wanted to make sure we were going to do things right here. We are going to make big plays, have the right guys. Not saying we didn't last year, but we need to make bigger strides because obviously we weren't good enough last year."Eugene Hilton Jr.
This is the kind of energy the Badgers need and the leaders the team needs in the locker room. No one should be pleased with the last couple of seasons, especially not last year. There should be accountability to do better for the team, the coach, and the money that flows into the program. Hilton is saying what needs to be said, but, more importantly, he believes things are going to be different now. Starting this season but on into the future.
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