Wisconsin football star CB confirms return for the 2025 season
Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman has announced that he’ll return to the football program for the 2025 season.
The University of Wisconsin football program is retaining one of its most important defensive pieces for the 2025 season.
On Wednesday, the Badgers' defense received significant news as Jesse Temple of The Athletic reported that star cornerback Ricardo Hallman has decided to return for a fifth and final season in Madison.
Hallman, a 5-foot-10 defensive back, has been a cornerstone piece of Wisconsin’s defense for the past two seasons. The Florida native has appeared in 37 games during his career and started every contest over the last two seasons since Luke Fickell became head coach.
A former three-star recruit in the class of 2021, Hallman's breakout 2023 campaign as a redshirt sophomore saw him lead the nation with seven interceptions, record 34 tackles, 12 pass deflections, seven stops, and three tackles for loss—earning him third-team AP All-America honors.
With a Pro Football Focus defensive grade of 83.5, Hallman ranked fourth among Big Ten cornerbacks who played at least half of their team’s snaps in 2023. On top of that, Hallman allowed just a 50.8% completion rate on 63 total targets, the seventh-lowest mark in the conference.
"Ricardo is without question a phenomenal leader," defensive coordinator Mike Tressel told reporters. "One of the things he does is he's constantly working, and even when it's times that there's no coaches around."
Though Hallman didn’t record an interception in 2024, his impact as a field corner was undeniable. Per PFF, opposing quarterbacks largely avoided his side of the field, targeting him only 35 times across 319 coverage snaps, allowing 21 catches for 279 yards. Hallman gave up a reception once every 8.7 snaps on average, the ninth-best in the Power 5.
Hallman finished the season with 16 tackles and four pass breakups, showing he could still affect games even with fewer opportunities to make plays on the ball. Looking closer at his stable metrics, Hallman ranked in the 77th percentile nationally for coverage grade in single coverage and the 63rd percentile among outside cornerbacks.
Position coach Paul Haynes has seen his room undergo significant roster turnover this offseason, so the Hallman's decision to come back couldn't have come at a better time. The Badgers have lost six scholarship corners this offseason, including Nyzier Fourqurean to graduation and several others—including Amare Snowden and Jonas Duclona—to the portal.
The Badgers are also dealing with a high-profile transfer dispute involving Xavier Lucas, who announced his intent to enter the portal but has yet to be released by the program and has since retained legal representation.
Hallman will now anchor a group that includes transfers Geimere Latimer (South Carolina State) and D’Yoni Hill (Miami), along with promising younger players like redshirt freshmen Omillio Agard, and Jay Harper, as well as an incoming recruiting class featuring Jaimier Scott, Cairo Skanes, and Jahmare Washington to round out the team's depth.
For Hallman, returning to the program provides an opportunity to further cement his legacy at Wisconsin while boosting his NFL Draft stock. For the Badgers, his decision delivers a vital stabilizing force and veteran leadership for a defense that will lean on his experience in the secondary.
With Hallman back in the fold, Wisconsin has a cornerstone piece to help navigate a critical third season under coach Fickell.
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This adds a spark to a cold winter day - very good news!