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Wisconsin vs. Penn State injury report: Nittany Lions without star safety for Saturday’s game

All the latest updates and news on Penn State’s injury report ahead of the Badgers’ Week 9 game

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) and No. 3-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) are now just over one hour from the kickoff of their primetime Week 9 matchup.

The contest is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Penn State has released its final injury status report with those minutes continuing to count down before kickoff.

The Nittany Lions will be without star safety Kevin Winston Jr., among others. Starting kick returner Kaden Saunders and third-string RB Quinton Martin will also miss the primetime contest.

Penn State does not have any players listed as ‘questionable.’

The Badgers, meanwhile, will again be without depth S Kamo’i Latu and WR Tyrell Henry. Starting WR Bryson Green is listed as ‘questionable’ after being called a ‘game-time decision’ earlier in the week.

Here is the full injury report entering Saturday’s Week 9 game between Wisconsin and Penn State:

Penn State injury report

Questionable: None
Out: Kevin Winston Jr., Kaden Saunders, Quinton Martin Jr., Cam Wallace, Keon Wylie, Zuriah Fisher, Mekhi Flowers, Jake Spencer, Andrew Rappleyea

Wisconsin injury report

Questionable: WR Bryson Green, TE J.T. Seagraves
Out: Chez Mellusi, Tyler Van Dyke, Joseph Griffin, Kamo’i Latu, Tyrell Henry, Grady O’Neill, Tamer Dalloul, Evan Brown, Leyton Nelson, Rob Booker, James Thompson Jr.,

Penn State S Kevin Winston Jr. injury update

Winston Jr. will miss Saturday’s Week 9 contest against the Badgers. The star safety was injured during the first quarter of Penn State’s Week 2 win over Bowling Green. He was quicklly declared ‘out indefinitely’ and is yet to return to game action.

Penn State RB Quinton Martin Jr. injury update

The true freshman running back is listed as ‘out’ for Saturday’s game against the Badgers. True freshman Corey Smith is expected to step in as the Nittany Lions’ third-string running back.

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Wisconsin vs. Penn State matchup highlights recent recruiting rivalry

A look at Penn State’s recent recruiting success in the state of Wisconsin, and vise versa:

Saturday’s primetime matchup between the Wisconsin Badgers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) and No. 3-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) carries significant weight in the Big Ten race.

Penn State currently sits in first place with an unblemished record, tied with No. 1 Oregon (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) and No. 13 Indiana (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten). Wisconsin, meanwhile, is one signature win away from entering the conference race. A win over Penn State would push the Badgers to 4-1 in Big Ten play, likely just one game back of Oregon and Indiana, depending on Saturday’s results.

Saturday’s game also sees the on-field battle between two programs who have gone head-to-head on the recruiting trail over the last half-decade. Wisconsin has some big recruiting wins over Penn State, highlighted by 2021 five-star OT Nolan Rucci (who has since transferred to Penn State) and 2024 four-star OT Kevin Heywood.

Those are the two most significant recent examples of Wisconsin entering the state of Pennsylvania and earning a commitment from one of its top recruits.

Penn State, on the other hand, boasts similar recent success recruiting in the state of Wisconsin. It has recently earned commitments from four-star TE Jerry Cross (No. 4 recruit from Wisconsin in class of 2022), four-star OT Garrett Sexton (No. 2 in class of 2024), four-star RB Corey Smith (No. 3 in class of 2024) and four-star iOL Donnie Harbour (No. 4 in class of 2024).

Context surrounding each of those commitments is unique. This is listed not to point to a large trend or project into the future. Rather, it is done to outline significant context entering the game. Wisconsin has had recent success recruiting in the state of Pennsylvania, while Penn State has had the same in Wisconsin.

None of Rucci, Heywood, Cross, Smith, Sexton or Harbour figure to play big roles in the outcome of Saturday’s game. Rucci and Heywood are the closest to the field — each enters as their respective team’s top backup at offensive tackle. Still, they all represent an added layer of the matchup’s importance.

That added importance exists because on-field head-to-head win will inevitably contribute to the recruiting pitch for whichever program finds a victory. Given recent history, that recruiting pitch is likely to be made in the opposing state.

Wisconsin is trending positively on the recruiting trail under Luke Fickell, highlighted by a program-best 2024 class. Marquee home victories against top-ranked opponents are what Fickell needs to push that recruiting output to the next level.

Penn State, on the other hand, is already at that recruiting level with perennial top-15 classes and a No. 11 overall ranking in the 247Sports team talent composite for 2024.

It’s tough to overemphasize what a win could mean for the future of the Badgers program under Fickell, both on the field and on the recruiting trail.

Wisconsin and Penn State will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium. The game will be broadcast on NBC and available via stream on Peacock.

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Penn State RT shares what former Badgers tackle Nolan Rucci said about Camp Randall Stadium atmosphere

Nolan Rucci preparing the Penn State OL for their trip to Madison

Wisconsin’s prime-time showdown with No. 3 Penn State on Saturday will see former Badgers offensive tackle Nolan Rucci return to Madison, Wisconsin.

Rucci transferred to Penn State before the 2024 season after three years with the Badgers. He notably joined the program as a five-star recruit in the class of 2021. He was ranked as the second-highest-rated commit in Wisconsin program history.

The Pennsylvania native played sparingly during his three years with the Badgers. His top moment with the program was actually a touchdown reception — a game-winner in the final moments of the team’s win over Illinois in 2023.

Established starters Jack Nelson (left tackle) and Riley Mahlman (right tackle), both back in 2024, blocked any clear path to Rucci earning a starting job. He entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility and committed to Penn State.

Rucci enters Saturday’s big game at Camp Randall Stadium as Penn State’s primary backup right tackle. Redshirt freshman Anthony Donkoh (No. 68) won the job out of training camp and has held it throughout the season. The former Badger’s game action has been limited to jumbo formations, late-game scenarios and in relief of Donkoh, who has battled minor injuries throughout the year.

Aug. 31, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) celebrates with Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh (68) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Donkoh is healthy entering Saturday. So Rucci’s snaps are expected to be limited, barring injury. The former Badger has helped the starter prepare for what projects to be a raucous Camp Randall Stadium atmosphere. Donkoh described that exchange when meeting with the media earlier this week:

Anthony Donkoh said Nolan Rucci, who transferred from Wisconsin over the offseason, told him what to expect when Penn State travels to Camp Randall Stadium:

"He was telling me that the fans are crazy, it's a super cool place to play at."

— Joel Haas (@Joel_Haas1) October 23, 2024

“He was telling me that the fans are crazy, it’s a super cool place to play at,” Donkoh said.

Those fans are expected to be especially energized on Saturday night given the weight of the matchup between the Badgers and Nittany Lions. Wisconsin enters as the winner of three straight games and with significant momentum. Penn State, meanwhile, has a No. 3 next to its name on the scoreboard. Fans will enter the gates hoping that Luke Fickell’s team can pull a program-defining victory.

We will see how much playing time Rucci, who now wears No. 72, gets on Saturday. It is an interesting sub-plot in what projects to be a fantastic on-field matchup.

Wisconsin and Penn State will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night. The game will be on NBC and stream on Peacock.

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Wisconsin cornerback among PFF’s best true freshman of 2024 season

Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas continues to grade well in the eyes of ProFootballFocus.

The standout true freshman has an overall grade of 80.7 through seven weeks of action, good for sixth among all true freshmen in the Power Four.

Lucas has battled minor injuries throughout the season, though has been mostly available for Mike Tressel’s secondary. He has recorded nine total tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and two pass deflections in that time.

Raw statistics are often misleading when evaluating cornerbacks, however, as those who are thrown toward less are usually the ones who are best in coverage. For example, Wisconsin star CB Ricardo Hallman barely has any counting statistics this season (nine tackles, four pass deflections), but he’s playing like one of the best corners in the country.

Lucas is certainly playing up to that caliber.

He trails only Oklahoma‘s Eli Bowen (81.4), Louisville’s Isaac Brown (81.6), Ohio State‘s Jeremiah Smith (82.4), Texas‘ Colin Simmons (86.4) and Minnesota’s Koi Perich (91.1) on PFF’s latest list of the true freshmen in the sport:

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1849437436402683981

Lucas’ status for Wisconsin’s Saturday night showdown with No. 3 Penn State is somewhat up in the air. He left the Badgers’ win over Northwestern last weekend and did not return. There has since been no material update on his availability for Saturday.

His status will be worth monitoring as kickoff nears for a season-defining opportunity for Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers.

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Wisconsin facing former Badgers OL transfer, who is now on Penn State

The Wisconsin Badgers will play against former Wisconsin offensive lineman Nolan Rucci on Saturday when the team hosts the No. 3-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions.

Rucci played at Wisconsin from 2021-2023 before transferring to Penn State before the 2024 season.

The offensive lineman originally joined the Badgers program as a five-star recruit in the class of 2021 — ranked as the No. 16 overall player in the class and No. 5 offensive tackle. His 0.9918 247Sports rating was good enough to rank No. 2 among the all-time highest-rated recruits in Wisconsin program history.

Nolan Rucci, the younger brother of former Badgers tight end Hayden Rucci (2019-2023), went on to redshirt during the 2021 season before playing sparingly in 2022. His role remained limited in 2023, with Jack Nelson and Riley Mahlman back as the team’s starting left and right tackles, respectively. He was a part of a defining moment of that season, however, as he caught a game-winning touchdown pass from QB Braedyn Locke in the Badgers’ narrow win over Illinois.

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1715866823537623510

Nelson and Mahlman both returned in 2024 to lead a Wisconsin offensive line that is among the best in the conference. Rucci opted to enter the transfer portal, and went on to commit to Penn State.

The former top recruit currently plays a reserve role for the 2024 Nittany Lions. He primarily sees the field in jumbo packages and other heavy-personnel formations. Otherwise, he is the team’s primary backup right tackle — and has seen some game action at the position in relief of starter Anthony Donkoh.

Donkoh should be healthy exiting the Nittany Lions’ Week 8 bye, which means Rucci is likely to see the field only in specialty situations on Saturday.

Former Wisconsin linebacker Jordan Mayer (2023) also transferred to Penn State before the 2024 season. He has yet to see the field with the Nittany Lions.

Wisconsin and Penn State will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on NBC and streaming on Peacock. Rucci, who now wears No. 72, should see at least some game action against his former team.

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Broncos release depth chart for Week 8 vs. Panthers

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ depth chart for Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

After making a few changes to the 53-man roster last week, the Denver Broncos have released their updated depth chart ahead of a Week 8 showdown with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Last week, the Broncos activated outside linebacker Baron Browning (foot), right tackle Mike McGlinchey (MCL) and cornerback Damarri Mathis (ankle) from injured reserve to the active roster.

Denver also cut running back Blake Watson from the active roster and later re-signed him to the practice squad. Following those moves, here’s a look at the team’s updated depth chart going into the Panthers game.

Broncos offensive depth chart

WR	Marvin Mims	Troy Franklin
LT	Garett Bolles	Matt Peart
LG	Ben Powers	Alex Palczewski
C	Alex Forsyth
RG	Quinn Meinerz	Alex Palczewski
RT	Mike McGlinchey	Frank Crum
TE	Adam Trautman	Greg Dulcich	Lucas Krull
WR	Courtland Sutton	Lil’Jordan Humphrey	Devaughn Vele
RB	Javonte Williams	Jaleel McLaughlin	Audric Estime
FB	Michael Burton	Nate Adkins
QB	Bo Nix	Jarrett Stidham	Zach Wilson

Broncos defensive depth chart

DE	Zach Allen	Jordan Jackson
NT	D.J. Jones	Malcolm Roach
DE	John Franklin-Myers	Eyioma Uwazurike
SLB	Jonathon Cooper	Jonah Elliss
WLB	Nik Bonitto / Baron Browning		Dondrea Tillman
ILB	Justin Strnad	Levelle Bailey
ILB	Cody Barton	Levelle Bailey
LCB	Pat Surtain	Levi Wallace	Tremon Smith
RCB	Riley Moss	Damarri Mathis	Kris Abrams-Draine
NCB	Ja’Quan McMillian
S	P.J. Locke	JL Skinner
S	Brandon Jones	Devon Key	Keidron Smith

Broncos special teams depth chart

PK	Wil Lutz
KO	Wil Lutz
P	Riley Dixon
H	Riley Dixon
LS	Mitchell Fraboni
KR	Marvin Mims	Tremon Smith	Jaleel McLaughlin
PR	Marvin Mims	Tremon Smith

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV broadcast map). Playing at home, the Broncos are considered favorites in Week 8.

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Projecting Chiefs’ WR depth chart after DeAndre Hopkins deal

See how the #Chiefs’ depth chart might be affected by Kansas City’s trade with the Tennessee Titans for DeAndre Hopkins.

Following the loss of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in Week 7 due to an ongoing hamstring problem, the Kansas City Chiefs needed to add another pass-catcher.

On Wednesday, reports surfaced that the Chiefs had traded with the Tennessee Titans for three-time All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins in a move that could significantly help the defending Super Bowl champions in their effort to achieve a three-peat.

It is expected that Hopkins will occupy one of the top slots on Kansas City’s depth chart, and while he may not see immediate action with the Chiefs in Week 8, the veteran pass-catcher is almost certain to be one of Patrick Mahomes’ favorite targets upon his return to action.

This crucial move by the Chiefs’ front office will ensure that Mahomes doesn’t need to rely as much on the contributions of Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, or Skyy Moore.

The only case in which Hopkins may be challenged for a top spot on Kansas City’s depth chart would be if Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown returns from the Chiefs’ injured reserve list, but there hasn’t been any indication that the team will make such a move any time soon.

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell gives injury update on WR Bryson Green entering Penn State week

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell gives injury update on WR Bryson Green for Penn State game

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell gave an update on the status of wide receiver Bryson Green during his media availability on Monday.

He described the veteran wide receiver as ‘more of a game-time decision’ entering Saturday’s game against Penn State, that after Green missed the Badgers’ last two games with a lower-body injury.

Fickell clarified that the original plan was for Green to return this week against the Nittany Lions. His status for the game, however, appears dependent on this week of practice.

Green had 12 catches for 154 yards through the Badgers’ first four games of the season. His best outing was in the team’s loss at USC — four catches for 65 receiving yards. He left Wisconsin’s win over Purdue early with a lower-body injury and has yet to return to the field.

Luke Fickell says Bryson Green will probably be more of a game-time decision. Unsure how much he'll be able to do in the week.

Says the hope was that Green would be able to come back this week initially.#Badgers

— Bucky’s 5th Quarter (@B5Q) October 21, 2024

Wisconsin would likely again turn to C.J. Williams and Vinny Anthony to play increased roles if Green is to miss a third consecutive contest.

The Badgers and Nittany Lions are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.

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Notre Dame release its depth chart for Navy, without a player that should play

The Irish should see a starter back that wasn’t listed this week

Notre Dame head coach [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] met with the media on Monday afternoon to discuss the win over Georgia Tech and preview this weekend’s contest against Navy.

Although the Irish released their depth chart ahead of Freeman speaking, he revealed offensive lineman [autotag]Billy Schrauth[/autotag] would play in some capacity against the Midshipmen. Wide receiver [autotag]Jordan Faison[/autotag] is listed as a starter, but he didn’t record a catch against the Yellow Jackets. He is working his way back to full strength following an injury suffered earlier in the year.

Kicker [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] is still listed as the No. 1 place kicker and kickoff specialist, but at the moment he is questionable. Don’t be surprised to see Zac Yoakam out there if the starter can’t go, just like this past weekend.

Defensively, there weren’t any changes, as the Irish finally avoided having a week where they lost a significant contributor on that side of the ball.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish place kicker Zac Yoakam (92) kicks an extra point against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 19, 2024. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It seems Notre Dame is trending to be as healthy as it can be against Navy this weekend, which clearly is a good development.

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Wisconsin’s defense is in the midst of a historic run

Stats that show Wisconsin’s current dominance

Wisconsin’s defense has been a driving force behind the team’s three-game win streak and significant improvement.

Every number and figure should back up that fact. The Badgers have allowed just one touchdown and 16 total points over the last three weeks — six to Purdue, seven to Rutgers and now three to Northwestern.

To put that run into context: Wisconsin’s 16 points allowed over the last three weeks is its fewest allowed over a three-game stretch in Big Ten play since 1998 — that stat via WOZN’s Zach Heilprin.

That 1998 team finished 11-1 and won the Rose Bowl. It had a mid-season run of allowing three points to Illinois, zero to Iowa and seven to Minnesota — 10 total points in the three weeks.

The 16 combined points the #Badgers gave up to Purdue/Rutgers/NW is their fewest over a three game stretch in Big Ten play since 1998.

— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) October 20, 2024

That is terrific company for a 2024 Wisconsin defense that started the season somewhat slow, with pedestrian outings against Western Michigan, South Dakota, Alabama and USC. The group is now up to the No. 11-ranked defense in ESPN SP+, No. 14 total defense (295.7 yards per game), No. 7 pass defense (155.9 yards per game) and No. 18 scoring defense (17.57 points allowed per game). It has become statistically one of the best units in the country.

Part of those improved totals is obviously due to playing the struggling offenses of Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern. But a big part is also clear improvement from the unit as it continues year two under Luke Fickell and Mike Tressel — especially from the front seven and pass-rush.

While Wisconsin’s air raid offense will capture most of the national headlines moving into the team’s closing stretch, the defense has been the primary force behind the team’s resurgence.

The Badgers are back on the field on Saturday night against No. 3 Penn State. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock.

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