Wisconsin got in the win column for the first time in 2026, downing FCS Western Illinois 36-9 on Saturday. There were both bright spots and areas for improvement in the home opener at Camp Randall Stadium. With that, here are three Badgers whose stock is rising and three whose stock is falling after Week 2.

Stock Up

Gavin Lahm

We’ll kick things off at kicker, as Lahm put on a strong performance Saturday. The Kaukauna native drilled a trio of field goals, showing off his range from 30, 49 and 51 yards. He did miss an extra point in the fourth quarter, but the overall operation on that attempt may have been off, and that miscue shouldn’t overshadow Lahm’s other successes.

A fifth-year senior, Lahm has been with Wisconsin for the entirety of his collegiate career but hadn’t attempted a field goal or extra point until last week against Notre Dame. That lack of experience, paired with reports of inconsistency during fall camp, resulted in justifiable discourse over whether kicking would be an issue for the Badgers. The early verdict is no, as Lahm is now 5-for-5 on field-goal attempts and has performed more like an asset than a liability.

Tyrell Henry

In Week 1, Malachi Coleman was the pass catcher who stood out for the Badgers. That honor shifted to Henry in Week 2, as he led all players with four receptions for 91 yards on nine targets. While the fifth-year senior didn’t find paydirt, he moved the chains with three first downs and forced three missed tackles as part of a 40-yard YAC effort. Henry’s 81.0 PFF grade ranked first not only among Wisconsin’s wide receivers, but across the entire offense.

After spending his first two seasons at Michigan State, Henry saw a fair amount of action over the past two seasons in Madison but delivered little production, totaling six receptions for 41 yards across 14 games entering 2026. Through two games this year, he’s already eclipsed those marks with eight receptions for 133 yards. I’m far from sold on Saturday’s performance meaning Henry is Wisconsin’s bona fide top receiving option, but it was a quality showing nonetheless, and quarterback Colton Joseph could use as many viable targets as possible.

Dillan Johnson

After making virtually no impact against Notre Dame, Johnson looked much better against Western Illinois. With a bump in snaps from 11 to 14, the defensive tackle racked up four tackles (one solo) and was credited with a quarterback hit against the Leathernecks. The small sample size is worth noting, but Johnson’s 87.8 PFF grade was the highest among Badgers in Week 2.

The junior appeared in 21 games over the previous two seasons, but he amassed just nine tackles (three solo) across 210 snaps. The rotation on the interior is lengthy, with Hammond Russell IV (23), Junior Poyser (21), DeNigel Cooper (21), Charles Perkins (17) and Nolan Vils (15) all seeing more reps than Johnson against Western Illinois. While an ascension to the top of the depth chart and a spike in playing time likely aren’t in the cards, Johnson continuing to be a positive presence would be a welcome development up front.

Stock Down

Colton Joseph

Expectations were tempered for Joseph’s debut against a vaunted Notre Dame defense, but the Week 2 matchup against Western Illinois was supposed to be an opportunity for the quarterback to stand out. Simply put, that didn’t happen, as the Old Dominion transfer went 12-for-22 with 173 yards and a touchdown through the air while taking four carries for 33 yards on the ground. He kept the ball out of harm’s way with no turnovers, but the lack of explosive plays and poor accuracy were disappointing.

Head coach Luke Fickell suggested Joseph wasn’t fully healthy coming out of the loss to the Fighting Irish and thus downfield shots weren’t much of a part of the game plan against the Leathernecks. Be that as it may, it was an overall pedestrian performance against a significantly inferior opponent, and the Badgers didn’t bring in the fourth-year signal-caller for performances like that against teams like Western Illinois. It’d be premature to write Joseph off now, but it’s fair to say his stock is down and improvement is needed with Big Ten play coming soon.

Jacob Harris

With Lance Mason exhausting his eligibility after last season, Wisconsin had to reshape its tight-end room during the offseason, with Harris joining the team by way of Bowling Green. Thought of as a potential red-zone threat and big-bodied safety valve, he’s been quiet through two games, logging one reception for three yards against Notre Dame and two receptions for six yards against Western Illinois.

Some of the blame for Harris’ lack of impact can be shouldered by Colton Joseph, who, as previously mentioned, has been off target with some throws. The fact of the matter, however, is that Harris and the tight ends have done virtually nothing as pass catchers. Maybe that changes and Nate Letton’s guys get more involved as the season rolls on, but with such minimal involvement through two games, it’s hard to consider Harris anything but trending downward.

Matt Jung

By simple stats, Jung was active and helpful with seven tackles (three solo) in Saturday’s win. Looking deeper and evaluating the film, however, there are reasons for concern with the fifth-year safety. He missed a tackle against Western Illinois, his second of the season after whiffing once against Notre Dame, and there’s been a lack of fluidity and consistency in coverage from the Neenah native. These issues might not have factored much into the result against a lowly FCS opponent, but Wisconsin will need to be sharper in all facets come conference play.

Along with Cooper Catalano, Jung led all Badgers defenders with 57 snaps. He’s a well-respected veteran who worked his way up from D-III Bethel University, so I can understand why the coaching staff is fond of Jung. With that being said, I’m concerned about how he’ll hold up as a full-time starter in the Big Ten throughout 2026 and would love to see Cairo Skanes and/or Carson Van Dinter get some extended run against Eastern Michigan to gauge their viability.