The Badgers have one of the toughest schedules in the country next year.
The Wisconsin Badgers saw two players taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, as offensive tackle Jack Nelson went to the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 218 pick, while safety Hunter Wohler was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 232 pick in the seventh round.
Both players were multi-year starters for the Badgers. Nelson was a four-year starter at Wisconsin, spending three years at left tackle and one year at left guard, while Wohler was a team captain and defensive leader, being a tackling machine in each of the past two seasons.
Now, Wisconsin will have to replace both players, as it looks to rebuild and prepare for the 2025 season, which could be the toughest of head coach Luke Fickell’s tenure in Madison.
Looking at the team’s schedule in 2025, the Badgers will have to play Alabama, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, and Illinois.
Now, several of those teams will look much different in 2025. The Crimson Tide saw seven players taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, including quarterback Jalen Milroe. Michigan also saw seven players taken, with several members of their elite defense heading to the NFL.
Ohio State saw a league-leading 14 players taken, while Oregon had 10 players taken, which was the fourth-most among college football teams. Six of the seven teams mentioned above will also have new quarterbacks at the helm, so there could be some surprises on the way during a tough schedule.
In fact, in a recent Reacts poll brought to you by FanDuel, fans voted that Ohio State, Michigan, and Alabama would have a major challenge replacing their drafted players in 2025.
Still, FanDuel Sportsbook has four of those teams (Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama, and Michigan) inside their Top 11 odds to win next year’s National Championship.
So, regardless of the players being replaced, Wisconsin will have quite the challenge in front of them in 2025 with a daunting schedule.