Big Ten Media Days: Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Take the Stage on Day Two
Wisconsin, led by head coach Luke Fickell and accompanied by senior cornerback Ricardo Hallman, senior quarterback Billy Edwards, and senior center Jake Renfro will take the stage in Las Vegas to discuss the upcoming 2025 college football season.
Fickell will take the podium at 2 p.m. CST. He’ll also meet with local reporters prior to his press conference. The players will appear live on Big Ten Network at 5 p.m. Fickell is slated to make another appearance on BTN at 4:45.
Stay locked in on Badger Blitz with updates from throughout the day…
Wisconsin Being Smart With Trech Kekahuna
07/23/2025 03:30:46 PMSophomore wide receiver Trech Kekahuna (leg) missed all but one practice during spring ball. The speedster out of Hawaii may not be full go when fall camp opens up later this month.
“He is still a little bit hampered,” Fickell explained. “We have probably not turned him completely loose through the summer in some of our OTA stuff. Have held him back just to make sure — Trech is a guy you have to save from Trech. I’d rather have those guys than the guys we have to try and prop along. When you give Trech an inch, he’s going to go a mile. As soon as you give him the chance to go full go, he don’t stop. That’s how he probably hurt himself.
“It hurts a little bit. It’s a twinge here and there. That just means he’s going to go harder. Think he’s another one of those guys, as we get into fall camp, we’ve got to be smart with figuring out how much he can handle as we move forward. But, a guy in particular, in this offense, that could have some high impact in many different ways.”
Is Tackett Curtis Wisconsin’s Most Improved Player?
07/23/2025 03:17:29 PMTackett Curtis played in all 12 games for the Badgers last season as a reserve. However, he did so while not being 100 percent. Battling a hernia and a hamstring injury, Curtis still contributed 27.0 tackles and two pass breakups. A former four-star prospect and USC transfer, Curtis may be in position to play the best ball of his career.
“We never knew he was hurt for the first eight months he was here,” said Fickell. “And he still could perform in ways and run in ways, but you didn’t recognize he wasn’t healthy until all of a sudden, you got in the last two months and you got some testing — ‘Oh my God.’ He went from a guy who could run okay to, ‘Oh wow. He can really run.’
“And I can tell you right now, if there’s anybody that I’ve seen the greatest growth — you usually don’t see that in the older guys. Right now, I am as excited and high on Tackett Curtis. He’s in a much different spot than he’s ever been since we had him. He’s in a really good place. He has a much better grasp on things and you see a confidence level that I have not seen in Tackett in a year and a half.”
Davis Heinzen to Start Fall Camp at Left Tackle
07/23/2025 02:48:02 PMWith Kevin Heywood out for the season due to an ACL injury, Wisconsin signed Central Michigan transfer Davis Heinzen in the spring. Heinzen will begin fall camp at left tackle, but the Badgers have other options.
“There will be competition,” said Fickell. “There’s still ability to move some guys around if we needed to. We talked to Emerson Mandell, a guy who can play that spot. Joe Brunner is a guy who could easily move out there. He’s done a great job. That mix will be interesting to figure out.”
Darrion Dupree, Mason Reiger Good to Go for Fall Camp
07/23/2025 02:41:14 PMSophomore tailback Darrion Dupree missed the back end of spring practice, but is 100 percent going into fall camp. Louisville transfer edge rusher, Mason Reiger, who missed the entire 2024 season and all of spring ball, is also expected to be full-go.
“He’s good and ready to roll,” Fickell said of Dupree.
“He’s been completely cleared,” Fickell added of Reiger. “He’s done everything all summer. He’s been fully in the mix. Treat him a lot like Aaron Witt in some ways. There’s a guy (whose) body has gone through a lot of stuff. Going into fall camp, we’ve gotta be smart. I don’t want to treat some of these guys like 10-year NFL vets, but we’ve gotta be smart with some of these guys that have played some football.”
Fickell Not Shying Away From 2025 Schedule
07/23/2025 02:16:25 PMWisconsin has what is widely considered the nation’s toughest schedule in 2025. Fickell is not ready to use that as an excuse.
“Guess what you signed up for,” Fickell said in his press conference. “I’ve said to our guys in the past, this isn’t the Big Ten West anymore. I can honestly say with that schedule that’s brought upon, probably, a lot of the changes in which we’ve had — guys who are no longer with us or guys who are with us today. The great thing about that schedule, it’s pretty easy to lay it down right in front right in front of everybody….Everybody knows what they signed up and everybody knows what they stuck around for. And the beautiful thing about that, we’ve been able to embrace that. We understand what being a part of the Big 10, what being a part of this conference — to be the best, you’ve gotta compete and you’ve gotta beat the best.”
Drayden Pavey Not With the Team
07/23/2025 01:48:56 PMFormer three-star defensive lineman and incoming true freshman defensive lineman Drayden Pavey is not with the team. Pavey is back home in Cincinnati, dealing with a personal matter, according to a Wisconsin official.
“He’s not with us,” Fickell told reporters. “I have no idea.”
Thomas Heiberger to Continue to Miss Time
07/23/2025 01:26:11 PMOne of Wisconsin’s most promising additions from the class of 2024, Thomas Heiberger, will miss the start of fall camp, per Fickell. Heiberger (leg) missed most of the 2024 season and all of spring ball. Heiberger was seen in a walking boot and using a scooter, but was expected to be able to remove both in late April. Once healthy, Heiberger is expected to back up senior Aaron Witt at UW’s “star” position.
Fickell Files Appeal With NCAA for Nyzier Fourqurean
07/23/2025 01:20:17 PMWisconsin isn’t throwing in the towel or accepting the court’s decision to rule senior cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean ineligible for the 2025 season. Fourqurean was originally granted a preliminary injunction in February and went through spring practice, but that ruling was shot down earlier this month.
