Ep. 104: Wisconsin Spends $30M on Football… So What Are the Expectations? + Collin Wilder Joins!

Wisconsin football is reportedly spending around $27–31 million on its roster. So what should Badgers fans expect in return? On this episode of The Jump Around, Jim Rutledge and Riley Jauch break down Wisconsin's place among the Power 4 in roster spending and ask what that investment should mean for the Badgers' 2026 season. We also welcome former Wisconsin safety Collin Wilder back to the show to discuss the Badgers' start to the season, what gives him hope that this team can be better than outside expectations suggest, and what he's looking for from Wisconsin ahead of the Eastern Michigan game. On this episode: 🏈 Collin Wilder Returns His thoughts on Wisconsin's start to the 2026 season Why he believes the Badgers could be better than many expect What gives him hope about this Wisconsin team What he wants to see from Wisconsin against Eastern Michigan 💰 Wisconsin's $30M Roster The Athletic's college football roster-spending data Wisconsin's estimated $27–31 million roster Which Big Ten teams spend the same or less than Wisconsin UCLA, Maryland, Michigan State, Rutgers, Minnesota, Iowa and Purdue Are these games Wisconsin NEEDS to win? What would the results in those games tell us about the Badgers? 🔥 Week 3 Superlatives Which Wisconsin player will make a SportsCenter Top 10 play? Which defensive player will have a "3-sack Jack" moment? Which receiver will post a "Randy Moss" stat line? Subscribe to The Jump Around for Wisconsin Badgers football, Wisconsin basketball, recruiting, Big Ten coverage, college football analysis, interviews and more from ESPN Madison and ESPN Milwaukee.