Wisconsin Football Stock Up, Stock Down: Receiver Room

Going into the 2023 season, there wasn’t a position group that had as much hype as the Wisconsin football program’s wide receiver room. The Badgers loaded up on pass-catchers through the transfer portal, making the room one of the deepest UW has ever had in terms of talent.

Phil Longo‘s offense hasn’t put all the pieces together just yet, but the Badgers picked up some momentum as they went into the bye week. While the receivers haven’t been the team’s highlight, some receivers have stood out above the rest. 

Let’s take a look at Wisconsin’s receiver room through four games. 

Wisconsin Football Receiver Room Stock Up/Stock Down

Wisconsin wide receiver Keontez Lewis, left, celebrates a touchdown with teammates Chimere Dike, center, and Skyler Bell during a NCAA Big Ten Conference football game against Iowa, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
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Stock Up: Chimere Dike

Before the season, I thought that Chimere Dike might take a slight step back with the influx of talent at the receiver position. Boy, was I wrong. 

Through the first stretch, the senior receiver has solidified his spot as the WR1. Dike has hauled in 11 catches for 228 yards and a touchdown. He’s notched over 50 receiving yards in three out of the four games thus far and is currently averaging 20.7 yards per reception. Needless to say, the Waukesha native has been on fire to start the season.

He’s also made a significant impact as a returner on special teams. Currently, Dike is second in the Big Ten in average punt return yards with 9.7 per attempt and fourth in the conference in yards per kickoff return with an average of 32 yards. 

Dike has been and will continue to be imperative to Wisconsin’s passing attack. If he can build off of his early performances after the bye week, look out for No. 13.

Stock Up: Will Pauling

Will Pauling came into the fold and looked to be the best fit in the slot for Wisconsin football. He climbed his way to the top of the depth chart during spring and fall camp and has not looked back since.

Pauling is currently tied with Skyler Bell for the most receptions by a Badgers receiver, with 14. On top of that, the former Cincinnati transfer is second on the team in receiving yards with 175. The speedy slot receiver has clearly built a good connection with Tanner Mordecai, and he’s been one of the most impressive pass-catchers thus far. 

I would say that Pauling has a real shot at being the team leader in receptions when it’s all said and done. He just finds a way to create separation and has made himself a reliable target in this offense. Be on the lookout for Pauling as Wisconsin progresses through the remainder of the season.

Stock Up: Skyler Bell

If it wasn’t for the boatload of receiver talent that landed in Madison, I believe Bell would be having a bigger breakout year. That’s not to say that the redshirt sophomore hasn’t stood out because he certainly has through four games.

As mentioned, Bell is tied with Pauling in wide receiver receptions while tacking on 113 yards and a touchdown. He hasn’t been the biggest standout, but the New York native has quietly put together a solid 2023 campaign thus far. 

With the departure of Keontez Lewis earlier this season, Bell will have a much bigger role than he had. I expect him to be a serious contributor for the Wisconsin football program going forward.

Wisconsin has the week off, but they’ll face Rutgers on October 7th as both teams look to improve to 4-1.

Stock Down: Wisconsin Football WR Bryson Green 

After Bryson Green came on board through the transfer portal, I immediately thought he could be the WR1. With his two seasons of play at Oklahoma State, I pictured him as one of the room’s premier players. Through four games, that just hasn’t happened. 

This isn’t to say that Green won’t turn it around — I absolutely believe he will — but his role hasn’t been as prominent as imagined. Thus far, the junior receiver has logged eight catches for 83 yards. Those marks make him the fourth on the team in yards and fifth in receptions among wide receivers. He has put out some good reps, but his production hasn’t yet met the preseason expectations. 

Again, I do believe Green will turn this thing around. His talent and skillset should allow him to be a significant contributor for the rest of the year. Hopefully, a week off will do him some good. 

Stock… Middle?: Badgers WR CJ Williams

CJ Williams was the player I was most excited for after the wave of transfers. It’s not every day Wisconsin football picks up a former top-100 national player and a top-10 wide receiver. Going into the year, I knew that he wouldn’t have a huge role, but he has put out some good tape so far. 

The former USC transfer has logged nine receptions for 81 yards on the year thus far. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, Williams has come into his own as of late. The matchup against Purdue was a coming-out party for the sophomore, as he notched five receptions for 56 yards, good for an average of 11.2 yards per catch. 

Williams has performed just about how I expected to start the year, so it’s hard to say his stock has gone up or down at this point. That said, I am excited to see how the California native fares for the remainder of the season. He looks like an excellent option for the Badgers future, and it will be exciting to see how he progresses. 

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