Wisconsin Badgers’ wideout Malachi Coleman ran a dig route, caught a pass over the middle and zipped through the middle of the defense, turning on the afterburners for an enormous gain during day four of fall camp.
It was the receiver’s best play in a practice littered with highlights, one that could go a long way towards changing the makeup of this wide receiver room.
Wisconsin’s lack of proven options at receiver has been well-documented. It’s been one of the biggest areas of concern this offseason, right up there with which outside linebackers will step up and provide a pass rush. But within a Badgers’ offense that looks upgraded in all areas, pass-catcher remains a concern.
Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes addressed — and acknowledged — Wisconsin’s perceived bare cupboard at wideout at local media day.
“Somebody needs to emerge as that deep threat for us. There’s two or three guys that might do that, but we’ve gotta see throughout the course of fall camp who really proves to be that primary vertical threat,” he told reporters.
At 6-foot-5 and with some serious wheels, Coleman fits that job description quite well. His speed threatens defenses vertically, and his size allows him to climb the proverbial latter to make tough contested catches downfield.
That’s exactly what he did Sunday morning on the Kellner Family Athletic Center turf. The receiver made multiple combat catches over shorter, hapless defensive backs. He reeled in passes over the middle and on the sideline, and more times than not he was draped in coverage. It didn’t matter; Coleman’s sheer lankiness and athleticism won out. He caught everything thrown his way Sunday.
Coleman’s path to starting in 2026
Coleman had been running with the twos, but he was firmly a part of the Badgers’ starting group Sunday morning. If he can continue this momentum, it’s feasible to see him as a Week 1 starter alongside Tyrell Henry and some combination of Chris Brooks Jr and Eugene Hilton Jr.
This is a deep wideout room in the sense that there’s plenty of potential contributors. But in terms of proven production, especially at the Big Ten level, it gets dicey. Coleman has just 13 catches for 222 yards in his career that’s also taken him to Lincoln, Nebraska and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
However, don’t let his lack of production at two other Big Ten programs fool you; he was a consensus top-65 prospect in his high school class and the No. 10 or No. 11 receiver in the nation depending on which recruiting service you ask. The talent and potential is there.
If Coleman can finally come into his own in 2026, it would solve a lot of problems for this Badgers’ offense. Namely, the lack of a deep threat and/or contested catch guru. But if the receiver continues to ascend throughout fall camp and become a go-to receiver for Colton Joseph? He has a shot to be the top wideout on this team.
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