Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Germie Bernard (5) avoids a tackle by Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) during the second quarter at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images David Leong-Imagn Images

Badgers' loss to Alabama highlights concerning trend in Wisconsin secondary

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Cam Wilhorn | Last updated Sep 15, 2025 6:44 AM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers offered minimal resistance for Ty Simpson and Alabama's array of talented pass catchers in Week 3, as the Crimson Tide passed for 382 yards and four touchdowns with merely five incompletions.

Encouragingly, Wisconsin's defensive front held up well against the run, but their success in the trenches couldn't make up for the deficiencies behind them.

Pro Football Focus' player grades reflected the aforementioned strengths and weaknesses, and these were PFF's best and worst graded individual performances from Badgers players in the loss (minimum 10 snaps).

For reference, 60 is an average score and the full grading scale is 0-100.

Top 5 Graded Players

1. EDGE Darryl Peterson: 74.5
2. SS Austin Brown: 73.1
3. DT Parker Petersen: 69.2
4. DT Brandon Lane: 67.8
5. CB D'Yoni Hill: 64.9

Peterson was one of the few Badgers able to get after the quarterback Saturday, generating three pressures, which trailed only Mason Reiger, who had five.

Defensive lineman Petersen and Lane were at the forefront of Wisconsin's run-stopping efforts. Earning 71.7 and 73.4 grades as run defenders, respectively.

Brown flew around the field en route to a team-high seven tackles. The senior safety was a jack-of-all trades, registering a quarterback pressure and landing the second-best coverage grade. Hill's appearance is a bit of a surprise, but according to PFF, he wasn't even targeted during his 27 snaps.

Bottom 5 Graded Players

1. LB Tackett Curtis: 37.1
2. SS Matthew Jung: 45.0
3. DT Jay'Viar Suggs: 51.6
4. CB Omillio Agard: 52.2
5. CB Ricardo Hallman: 53.5

Hallman's appearance on this list is rather concerning, not because he struggled Saturday specifically, but because it's another indication he's not been playing to his usual standard. He was targeted six times against Alabama, yielding five receptions for 65 yards.

The 2023 All-American cornerback has a PFF grade of 58.0 this season, and he's allowed as many touchdowns (2) as he has pass breakups.

Last season, he had a 66.3 grade, breaking up two passes in 12 games and going without an interception. Teams were afraid to challenge Hallman in 2024, which contributed to his low cumulative statistics, but his performance was a far cry from 2023.

Hallman intercepted seven passes during 2023 and allowed 32 catches on 63 targets. He boasted an 83.5 defensive grade on the season.

He hasn't lived up to the expectation of being a lockdown cornerback through three weeks. Considering the lack of experience behind Hallman in the cornerback room, the Badgers don't have a lot of other options, assuming Nyzier Fourqurean isn't playing.