Sophomore Badgers’ WR Trech Kekahuna makes controversial turnaround to play during 34-0 loss

Kekahuna notably suffered a concussion against the Iowa Hawkeyes and the injury was a nasty one to watch. The receiver was knocked unconscious on the field and his limbs tensed up after a shoulder landed directly on his chin. Kekahuna did not return to play and subsequently was diagnosed with a concussion that left the athlete with plenty to consider.

After conversations with his family and the staff, Kekahuna decided to return to play the next week against top-ranked Ohio State. The receiver stated he had “emotional” conversations with his family and that attempting to contribute would be the best thing he could do.

However, given the result of the game and the understood gap between the two teams heading into the contest, the decision to allow Kekahuna to play has come into question. Coach Luke Fickell has a history of allowing players to play through injuries, which is both a gritty decision and also one that could do more harm than good.

Wisconsin Badgers’ Staff Developing Unfortunate Reputation Surrounding Injuries

The Kekahuna situation is interesting and unfortunately just part of a long list of other similar situations that have occurred this season. Starting center Jake Renfro returned to play against Alabama after suffering an injury despite the team being blown out by the Crimson Tide. Linebacker Christian Alliegro notably played through a broken arm against Ohio State in a game where Wisconsin was dominated from start to finish.

There is no doubt that the Badgers have personnel issues and need starters on the field to have a fighting chance in some games. However, playing an injured player in most cases will not result in a better output on the field.

At the end of the season, regardless of who the coach is, Wisconsin will need to conduct both a serious and calculated overhaul of the roster. The Badgers are still not in a position to win even at full strength. The back-up and reserve talent is abundant but the discrepancies in skill between the backups and starters are drastic. The Badgers will have to be honest with themselves and add talent to the roster across the board.