Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | CMP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | YPA | QBR | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 13-41@ Notre Dame | 19/30 | 217 | 1 | 1 | 7.2 | 81.8 | Season-high 217 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 36-9vs Western Illinois | 12/22 | 173 | 1 | 0 | 7.9 | 28.6 | |
| Total | 31/52 | 390 | 2 | 1 | 7.6 | 55.2 |
#1
Colton Joseph
Colton Joseph packed up and started over at Wisconsin, and the new tape already reads 2,619 pass YDS, 2,500-yd club.
6′2″ · 212 lb · Newport Beach, CA · Newport Harbor
CFB Index 81 · #9 of 146 QBsHigh confidenceTransferred Old Dominion → Wisconsin for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
390
passing yards · 2026
2 TD · 1 INT · 7.5 per attempt
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 20 car · 189 yds · 1 TD -- top 1% rushing yards game. -- Best game: 173 pass yds, 1 TD, 33 rush yds, vs Western Illinois
The play that turned itSwung Old Dominion from 17% to 50% to win.Marshall at Old Dominion · 42-35
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 quarterback for Wisconsin. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Old Dominion in 2023.
- Transferred from Old Dominion to Wisconsin in 2026.
- Named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year in 2025.
Aura™ · Him Watch
Underrated
-27aura tax
Fans rank this player in the 66th percentile of QBs; the tape says
93rd pctl our passing-value metric (wEPA) QBs · 160 qualified, n=96
— the tape outruns the hype.Aura — fan perception66th pctl
Production — on-field93rd pctl
n=96 mentions · cohort: QBs · 160 qualified · perception = conversation volume, production = our passing-value metric (wEPA)
Buzz vs Tape
Fans hotter than the country
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 24.7 points in belief.
24.7own fans
0national conversation
BREAKOUT: Wisconsin Badgers Will UNLEASH Jai’mier Scott, Nick Clayton & Kevin Heywood This Season! Wisconsin Badgers football prepares for a breakout campaign as emerging stars like Jai'mier Scott, Nicholas Clayton, and Jaylon Domingeaux…
Also worth knowing:
In Their Words
407 windows · 2026 fan posts
colton×980.9wisconsin×37.2dominion×37.5joseph×21.6secondary×19.1expect×24.4old×19.3dame×9.1
“Colton Joseph was under siege that game. They had no time. We can’t expect CJ to pass it around when we’re outmatched by their secondary and DLine! I’m more confident in this team now than before the game.”
youtube/Locked On Badgers · fan post, verbatim
Colton Joseph
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-15
Colton Joseph arrives at Wisconsin with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
390PASS YDS2PASS TD36RUSH YDS
PASS YDS · 2,500-YD CLUB
2,619
2619 passing yards — clears the 2,500-QB volume bar.
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
2023
- Signed with Old Dominion3-star out of Newport Harbor
202512 games
- All-Sun Beltsecond
- Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Yearwinner
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-SUN BELT · 2ND TEAM
All-Sun Belt 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Wisconsin
Played his entire career under Luke Fickell.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Wisconsin
2025Old Dominion
2026Wisconsin
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Old Dominion5-7HC: Ricky Rahne · Run-leaning
2025Old Dominion10-3HC: Ricky Rahne · Run-heavy
2026Wisconsin1-1HC: Luke Fickell · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the QB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidenceAscending
Concern: pass yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Passing profile
Pass Profile · True throw depth (charted plays)
Adjusted ANY/A, sack rate, and where the yards came from
52 of 52 attempts matched to play-by-play
51 of 52 attempts charted for true throw depth
Adjusted ANY/A
6.9146 of 75 QBsSack rate
3.7%31 of 75 QBsRarely sacked (31 of 75), but Adjusted ANY/A hasn't followed (46 of 75).
Adjusted ANY/A uses full-season box-score totals (attempts, yards, TDs, INTs); sack rate is play-by-play-derived.
Behind LOS · Negative air yds
18% of attempts (9)
67%comp
Air -9.4 · YAC 18.5 avg
Short · 0–9 air yds
51% of attempts (26)
69%comp
Air 5.0 · YAC 5.7 avg
Middle · 10–19 air yds
25% of attempts (13)
38%comp
Air 13.8 · YAC 3.4 avg
Deep · 20+ air yds
6% of attempts (3)
67%comp
Air 27.3 · YAC 11.5 avg
Overall 59.6% completion on 52 attempts · 51% of attempts thrown 0–9 air yds.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 195 YDS/g, 1.0 TD/g, 7.6 YPA, 0.5 INT/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Luke Fickell
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
All-Conference
Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.
our read the All-Conference honor is earned — and the box score backs it up emphatically: #9 of 146 FBS quarterbacks by CFB Index Score.2025 profile
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
81 · #9 of 146 QBs
Three-star recruit. Now #9 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wisconsin | 31 | 52 | 59.6% | 390 | 7.5 | 2 | 1 | 131.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Old Dominion | 173 | 288 | 60.1% | 2,619 | 9.1 | 21 | 10 | 153.6 | 75 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Old Dominion | 133 | 222 | 59.9% | 1,623 | 7.3 | 11 | 5 | 133.2 | 50 | -- | -- |
| Career | 337 | 562 | 60.0% | 4,632 | 8.2 | 34 | 16 | 143.5 | 63 | -- | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wisconsin | 16 | 36 | 2.2 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Old Dominion | 157 | 1,011 | 6.4 | 13 | -- |
| 2024 | Old Dominion | 114 | 647 | 5.7 | 11 | -- |
| Career | 287 | 1,694 | 5.9 | 24 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 36–9
173 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 28.6 · 33 rush yds (4 car)
Dominant 27-point win at home against Western Illinois.
With T. Henry — 2 rush yds (1 car) · A. Sama III — 107 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Notre Dame · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA -8.56DJ McKinney 55 Yd Interception Return (Spencer Porath Kick)
- Week 2 · Western Illinois · 3&13 · Q2 · EPA +3.77(14:11) Shotgun #1 C.Joseph pass complete short right to #0 T.Henry caught at WIL39, for 25 yards to the WIL30 (#7 J.Romulus), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Western Illinois · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +3.68(06:12) Shotgun #1 C.Joseph pass complete deep left to #0 T.Henry caught at WIS44, for 51 yards to the WIL33 (#4 A.Dobbins), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Western Illinois · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +2.90(05:21) Shotgun #1 C.Joseph pass complete short right to #2 C.Brooks Jr. caught at WIL33, for 33 yards to the WIL00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 05:14, 1ST DOWN #97 G.Lahm kick attempt failed (H: #91 S.West, LS: #56 J.Roe)
- Week 1 · Notre Dame · 3&5 · Q2 · EPA +2.89(06:51) Shotgun #1 C.Joseph pass complete short right to #13 E.Hilton Jr. caught at Wis48, for 20 yards to the UND36 (#8 A.Shuler), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Notre Dame · 3&7 · Q3 · EPA +2.79(04:50) Shotgun #1 C.Joseph pass complete short left to #4 M.Coleman caught at UND35, for 17 yards to the UND34 (#28 L.Talich), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Notre Dame · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +2.76(12:41) Shotgun #1 C.Joseph pass complete deep right to #4 M.Coleman caught at UND00, for 28 yards to the UND00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 12:36, 1ST DOWN #97 G.Lahm kick attempt good (H: #91 S.West, LS: #56 J.Roe)
- Week 1 · Notre Dame · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA -2.63(00:25) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Joseph sacked for loss of 9 yards to the UND46 (#5 B.Traore)
- Week 1 · Notre Dame · 2&19 · Q4 · EPA +2.47(00:00) No Huddle-Shotgun #1 C.Joseph pass complete short left to #0 T.Henry caught at UND29, for 17 yards to the UND29, out of bounds at UND29
- Week 2 · Western Illinois · 3&8 · Q4 · EPA +2.30(10:32) #1 C.Joseph rush middle for 10 yards gain to the WIS42, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Beats you with his legs when the pocket breaks down.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Dual Threat
Dangerous with both arm and legs — defenses can't just pin the ears back.
QB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Dequan Finn’s 2023 season.
66%match
All-MAC
Matches Dequan on
Yards / attempt
INT rate
Differs from Dequan on
Class year (lower)
Completion % (lower)
Rush yards / carry (higher)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Brock Domann’s path through Louisville.
90%match
Matches Brock on
Height
Yards per attempt
Completion %
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Jake Retzlaff's sophomore season at BYU (2024).
61%match
Matches Jake on
Height
Differs from Jake on
Rush usage (higher)
TD rate (higher)
Rush yards / carry (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Colton Joseph
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #221
Peaked at #221 this season.
Background
Allow us to officially introduce QB1.@_ColtonJoseph1 x #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/669Zcnw3YE — Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) January 5, 2026 Honors and Awards 2025: Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, All-Sun Belt Second Team, Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 15), Davey O’...
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology