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The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft came and went without any Wisconsin Badgers selected, as expected.
It extended a Wisconsin draft drought that has now reached historic levels.
The last NFL Draft with Badgers taken in the first round was 2017, when the Pittsburgh Steelers took edge rusher T.J. Watt and the New Orleans Saints drafted offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk.
This year now marks seven straight drafts without a first-round pick from Wisconsin. That's the longest stretch without a first round pick since the NFL and AFL merged in 1970.
The second round of the NFL Draft starts tonight at 6 p.m. CT.
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) April 25, 2025
Last night, the #Badgers went without a first-round draft pick for the seventh straight draft. That's the longest in the modern NFL draft era, dating back to the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
This current stretch broke the previous record six-year drought between 1992 (Troy Vincent) and 1999 (Aaron Gibson).
The lack of first-round talent coincides with the program's limited success over that same span. 2017 was the last season the Badgers won more than 10 games.
In their defense, Wisconsin has seen five players drafted in the Top 100 over the last seven years, with Jonathan Taylor, Joe Tippmann and Keeanu Benton taken in the Top 50.
The current Badgers roster doesn't have an obvious candidate to break the first-round drought, but it's up to Luke Fickell to identify and develop the transcendent talent that translates to the next level.
More Wisconsin Badgers News:
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- Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
- Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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College Football Insider Predicts SEC Powerhouse Will Fire Head Coach and Lose Top Recruit to Rival
Wisconsin Badgers running back deemed breakout player for 2025 by ESPN
Dilin Jones only carried the ball 16 times in three games as a true freshman last year. That was enough for ESPN's Billy Tucker to see a rising star in the making. Jones was one 11 players to make Tucker's list of second-year players he's expecting to break out in 2025. Wisconsin didn't dip into the portal to help replace Tawee Walker and Chez Mellusi's production; it felt good about the underclassmen still in the running back room. So do we. Jones arrived in Madison with SEC offers and blue-chip skills. The No. 8 running back in the ESPN 300, Jones ran through his high school competition, and we project he's ready to do the same in the Big Ten. He's got an impressive size-to-speed ratio and good change-of-direction skills. Jones isn't just a classic bruising back that Badgers fans are accustomed to. He can also hit the home run and make tackles miss in the open field. It's a good RB unit and Jones won't have to carry the load, which should keep him fresh and healthy as the Badgers look to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season.Billy Tucker, ESPN Jones was a highly rated recruit last year, but he was burried on the depth chart behind Tawee Walker and Chez Mellusi. Both departed this offseason, but Jones still faces stiff competition from returning backs Cade Yacamelli and Darrion Dupree. New offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes has expressed a preference for a two-man running back rotation but will use three if they all perform well enough to justify a role. Jones might have started the offseason as the lowest on the totem pole, but he impressed throughout spring practices and now fall camp. How much of the runnning back split goes to him is still to-be-determined, but he's in a great position to emerge as a play-maker in the backfield who becomes a key part of Grimes' offense in 2025 and beyond. More Wisconsin Badgers News: Wisconsin Badgers freshmen CBs getting 'battle tested' in camp to prepare for regular season action Wisconsin Badgers' top opponents still figuring out quarterback battles at fall camp Big Ten Network host shares insights from watching Wisconsin Badgers fall camp practice Tuesday Undrafted Wisconsin Badgers guard was PFF's highest-graded offensive lineman in Week 1 of NFL preseason
Maria Guardiola’s Summer Bikini Photos Have Fans Losing Their Minds (And We Get It)
Well, well, well. It seems like being Pep Guardiola’s daughter comes with its own set of perks – including the ability to break the internet with a simple Instagram post. Maria Guardiola, the 24-year-old content creator and daughter of Manchester City’s tactical mastermind, recently blessed her 907,000 followers with a summer recap that had fans practically worshipping at their phone screens. Guardiola’s Daughter Serves Summer Looks That Put Influencers to Shame Let’s be honest here – while Pep Guardiola is busy orchestrating beautiful football on the pitch, his daughter Maria is orchestrating something entirely different on social media. Her recent Instagram post, captioned with the surprisingly modest “Summer wrapping up,” was anything but modest in terms of impact. The photo dump (because that’s what we’re calling these strategic social media moves now) featured Maria living her best life in ways that would make any 24-year-old jealous. Bikini shots by the pool? Check. Dreamy restaurant visits that probably cost more than most people’s monthly salary? Double check. The kind of effortless glamour that makes you question your own life choices? Triple check. What’s particularly amusing is how Maria has managed to carve out her own empire while her father is out there making grown men cry over football tactics. She’s not just riding on daddy’s coattails – she’s built a legitimate following that hangs onto her every post like it’s the latest transfer news from the Etihad. The Internet Goes Full Meltdown Mode Over Bikini Shots The comment section on Maria’s post read like a love letter convention gone wild. Fans were throwing around words like “angel,” “gorgeous,” and “stunning” with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for last-minute Champions League goals. One particularly creative fan simply commented “Angel,” which, let’s face it, probably took them a solid five minutes to come up with. But here’s what’s genuinely fascinating – Maria has somehow managed to accumulate nearly a million followers without relying on the typical influencer playbook of manufactured drama and controversial takes. Instead, she’s built her brand on lifestyle content, fashion moments, and the occasional glimpse into the Guardiola family dynamics that most football fans would kill to witness. Guardiola’s Family Life Gets the Social Media Treatment What makes Maria’s content particularly interesting is how she occasionally offers glimpses into life with one of football’s most intense managers. Earlier this summer, she and Pep were caught on camera absolutely belting out Oasis classics at a concert in Manchester’s Heaton Park. Watching Guardiola, the man who probably analyzes his breakfast cereal arrangement, letting loose to “Wonderwall” was the kind of humanizing moment that reminds us these football icons are actual people. The fact that Maria conveniently left out any reference to the Oasis concert in her summer recap is almost too perfect. Because nothing says “curated content” like strategically omitting the moment your tactical genius father transforms into a middle-aged man singing along to Britpop anthems. The Content Creator Empire Built on Authentic Glamour Born on December 28, 2000, in Spain, Maria now calls London home – which explains the effortlessly chic European aesthetic that permeates her content. She’s the eldest of Guardiola’s three children with businesswoman Cristina Serra, and watching her navigate the intersection of football royalty and social media stardom has been genuinely entertaining. Unlike many celebrity offspring who seem to stumble through their public personas, Maria appears to have found her groove in the content creation world. Her posts strike that perfect balance between aspirational lifestyle content and relatable moments that keep her audience engaged without feeling completely disconnected from reality. Why Maria’s Success Makes Perfect Sense Here’s the thing about Maria Guardiola’s social media success – it’s not accidental. While her father revolutionized football tactics, she’s quietly revolutionizing how celebrity children can build their own brands without constantly referencing their famous parents. Sure, being Pep’s daughter opened doors, but keeping 907,000 people interested enough to call you an “angel” over bikini photos requires its own set of skills. The irony isn’t lost on anyone that while Pep Guardiola spends his days obsessing over every tactical detail, his daughter has mastered the art of making everything look effortlessly perfect. Those summer photos didn’t just happen – they were curated with the same attention to detail that Guardiola brings to his team formations. In a world where social media success often feels manufactured and desperate, Maria’s approach feels refreshingly authentic. She’s not trying to be controversial or edgy; she’s simply sharing moments from a life that happens to be significantly more glamorous than most people’s reality. So while football fans continue to debate Guardiola’s latest tactical innovations, his daughter continues building her own empire, one perfectly curated Instagram post at a time. And honestly? Good for her.
Former NASCAR official sheds light on investigation, decisions during infamous 2013 'Spingate' scandal
In September 2013, one of the biggest scandals in NASCAR history took place at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The 2013 Federated Auto Parts 400 was the final race in the 2013 Cup Series regular season. At the time, only 12 drivers made the Chase for the Sprint Cup. After a chaotic evening that saw Carl Edwards snag the win, Michael Waltrip Racing was embroiled in a massive race manipulation scandal that played a huge role in the team's eventual downfall. Clint Bowyer intentionally spun in the closing laps in an effort to help teammate Martin Truex Jr. make the chase, while Brian Vickers was told to come down pit road for the same reason. When it was all said and done, Truex Jr. was booted from the Chase and ended up leaving the team at season's end, along with longtime sponsor Napa Auto Parts. Bowyer was docked 50 points and saw his title hopes evaporate before the postseason even began and general manager Ty Norris was indefinitely suspended. Former crew chief and NASCAR Vice President of Competition, Robin Pemberton, joined the "Dale Jr. Download" on Wednesday and explained NASCAR's side of the story from that infamous evening nearly 12 years ago. "About 10 o'clock in the morning (the day after the race) the phone rings," Pemberton said. "It's (former NASCAR president) Mike Helton. He goes, 'We got frickin' trouble. We got to do an investigation.'" At the time, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, hosted the first race of NASCAR's postseason as well as media week for the Chase. The spotlight was going to be firmly on the race weekend regardless of extenuating circumstances, but what followed was one of the most bizarre set of occurrences in NASCAR history. "Monday at nine or 10 o'clock, I'm on a (expletive) airplane going to Chicago," Pemberton said. "They (NASCAR) put me in a room. The TV people came in, and they replayed stuff and replayed stuff. I was in that room for eight or 10 hours the first day and probably 16 the second day." After combing through footage and radio transmissions, Pemberton came to a conclusion. "Now, you're fixing a race," Pemberton said. But the MWR scandal was not the only domino to fall in regard to the 2013 Chase. Team Penske and Front Row Motorsports — a pair of Ford teams — were also found to have participated in race manipulation, with David Gilliland intentionally slowing on a restart in order to help Joey Logano secure his spot in the postseason. While Logano remained in the playoff field, NASCAR made an unprecedented decision by adding four-time champion Jeff Gordon as a 13th driver, claiming that Gordon and the No. 24 team had been placed at a disadvantage at Richmond due to race manipulation. "It was kind of no harm, no foul," Pemberton said of the move to add Gordon to the Chase field. "He wasn't having one of his best years. But that was a decision by a few people. "What a frickin' week that was." The NASCAR Cup Series field will return to Richmond on Saturday for the penultimate race of the 2025 regular season — an event that will hopefully be devoid of race manipulation and controversy.
Chicago Cubs’ Craig Counsell responds to Brewers’ surge
The Chicago Cubs‘ lead in the NL Central evaporated quickly after the All-Star break, and the team is drowning in the Milwaukee Brewers’ surge. The Brewers entered Wednesday’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 7.5-game lead on the Cubs on the back of an 11-game winning streak. On Tuesday night, Chicago’s offense sputtered, scoring one run on four hits in a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Chicago Cubs believe their best days are ahead On Wednesday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell didn’t seem worried about his former team’s hot streak during an appearance on 670 The Score’s “Spiegel Holmes.” Counsell believes the best part of the season is yet to come for the Cubs. “Telling people how to feel is not a good idea,” Counsell said. “I think you should feel how you want to feel. Nothing bad has happened. We’ve put ourselves in a good position, and the best part is yet to come. That’s how you have to treat every day.” Counsell tried to stay positive on Tuesday night after the loss. He believes the offense will get going again, as they were one of the best units in baseball early in the season. But how the Cubs started the season doesn’t matter. Playoff sports and World Series trophies aren’t handed out in July. Losing out to the Brewers in the NL Central would be a disappointment for the team. And a slide out of the wild card race would be unforgivable.
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