Wisconsin football will have a steep hill to climb in 2025 to avoid their fourth straight season of six or more losses. Last season, despite the addition of a highly sought-after quarterback in the transfer portal and head coach Luke Fickell entering his second season, the Wisconsin Badgers stumbled to a 5-7 record, their worst since 2001.
Wisconsin will replenish its roster with the 26th recruiting class and 18 incoming transfers this upcoming season, per 247Sports. However, recruiting within the portal and the high school ranks got harder for the Big Ten school with the loss of a pivotal program member. On Tuesday, the USC Trojans struck a deal with Wisconsin football general manager Max Stienecker with the likely intent to fill a front office role. Wisconsin fans felt the loss of Stienecker immediately, with the director of player personnel playing a significant part in recruiting, scouting, and the construction of the team’s last two rosters.
Wisconsin Football Fans At Loss Of Words Following Loss Of GM
According to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports:
Wisconsin general manager Max Stienecker has accepted a position at USC, sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports.
One of the top rising stars in the college front office world headed to work with new USC GM Chad Bowden at USC.
Max Stienecker, the Wisconsin football general manager and director of player personnel for the past two seasons, will leave the program to join the USC Trojans. Stienecker joined Wisconsin in 2023 as part of the staff brought in from the Cincinnati Bearcats and head coaching hire Luke Fickell. Stienecker started his work in recruiting and roster construction in 2021 while with Cincinnati. The Bearcats went 13-1 in his first year, with their lone loss against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Cotton Bowl. Cincinnati went 9-3 in 2022 before Fickell and Stienecker left for Wisconsin football.
With Stienecker headed to a fellow Big Ten team in the USC Trojans, Wisconsin football fans flooded Twitter disappointedly. Stienecker leaves Wisconsin after the team collected a top 30 recruiting class:
He took a lower level job there. Can UW please start allocating the same amount of funds as the teams we compete with???
— Barry Badrinath (@ThaRealDirtMan) February 4, 2025
That is a bigger loss to the program than any of the players who have left.
— Johnabeck69 (@johnabeck69) February 4, 2025
Damn. We’re getting poached on every level
— Doc (@Doc_Brewer18) February 4, 2025
Just par for the course with this program
— SB4 (@BadgerBayer4) February 4, 2025
Happy for Max, who is clearly earning quite a stellar reputation.
At the same time, I’d really love to see Fickell’s signings be “turn your head” types like Max was. That’s mostly hasn’t happened.
— Chris Davis (@cdavis20000) February 4, 2025
Max Stienecker couldn’t handle the cold.
See you in 2026 at The Camp#Soft #NoGrit pic.twitter.com/9UFZa4ed7C— Bo Flyin (@BoFlyin) February 4, 2025
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more season
Just one more…. pic.twitter.com/Awu33LZxzX— Chris(not)Chelios (@ChrisNotChelios) February 4, 2025
I’m done with college sports
— Mike Reed (@MikeRee61455234) February 4, 2025
Fickell going from being seen as a top 10 coach to Hot Seat in the B1G is crazy! Think he could turn it around this year, will be interesting to see what happens next in Madison.
— CFB Commentator (@CFB_Commentator) February 4, 2025
Brutal loss for Fickell and the Badgers.
— Chris Davis (@cdavis20000) February 4, 2025
Wisconsin Badgers Enter Pivotal Third Year Under HC Luke Fickell
Wisconsin football will enter the 2025 season fresh off their first losing campaign since 2001. Last season, Wisconsin averaged just 22.6 points per game, the 109th-best mark in the FBS. The Badgers finished 12th or worst in the conference last season regarding passing completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. Transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke struggled with health, throwing just one touchdown in three appearances.
Billy Edwards Jr. is the front-runner for the starting quarterback spot in 2025, throwing 19 touchdowns against ten picks in his past three seasons with the Maryland Terrapins. Transfer wide receivers Mark Hamper and Jayden Ballard could also significantly elevate a poor Wisconsin passing game. Hamper had a near 1,000-yard receiving season with the Idaho Vandals last year, while Ballard is a former mega-prospect who signed with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2021.
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