Pauling and Williams were part of a roster overhaul during the first offseason for coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo entering the 2023 season. The Badgers brought in four scholarship wide receivers through the transfer portal, which included Pauling, Williams, Bryson Green and Quincy Burroughs, in an attempt to supercharge the offense in an air raid system.
Pauling quickly emerged as the standout performer. He arrived at Wisconsin after spending two seasons at Cincinnati with Fickell and blossomed into the Badgers' top receiver. In 2023, Pauling led the team with 74 catches for 837 yards and six touchdowns. His 74 receptions ranked fifth for a single season in program history. Pauling battled injuries this season and missed three games but still finished second in catches (42), receiving yards (407) and touchdown receptions (three).
Williams initially was viewed as one of the more significant transfer portal additions because he was a four-star recruit who was rated in the 247Sports Composite as the No. 10 receiver in the 2022 class. He played a total of 58 offensive snaps at USC as a freshman in 2022 and caught four passes for 34 yards. Although Williams dazzled for stretches during spring practices in 2023, he wasn't able to consistently play at the level Wisconsin had hoped. In two seasons at Wisconsin, Williams caught 31 passes for 396 yards and two touchdowns. He finished fourth on the team this season in catches (16) and receiving yards (248).
Pauling declined an interview request Tuesday night. Williams was not immediately available for further comment.
Wisconsin's offense underwhelmed in both seasons with Longo in charge, and Fickell fired Longo last month with two regular-season games remaining. The Badgers finished 5-7, losing their final five games, and missed a bowl game for the first time in 23 years. Wisconsin ranks 100th nationally in passing offense (196.7 yards per game) and tied for 107th in scoring offense (22.6 points per game).
The wide receiver position will look different next season without Pauling, Williams and Green, who used up his eligibility. Fickell hired offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes from Kansas, and the expectation is that there will be a greater emphasis on the run and heavier personnel packages while retaining some of the core principles in the passing game.
Wisconsin does return leading wide receiver Vinny Anthony, as well as slot receiver Trech Kekahuna. Kekahuna briefly entered the portal this offseason because he wasn't happy with his limited opportunities but has since pulled his name from the portal and returned to Wisconsin. The Badgers signed just one scholarship wide receiver in their 2025 class with four-star prospect Eugene Hilton Jr. and have eight scholarship receivers remaining.
They have been active in their pursuit of a big-bodied outside wide receiver through the portal to potentially complement Anthony but have yet to land one. One player to watch is 6-foot-2 former Idaho receiver Mark Hamper, who caught 49 passes for 961 yards and six touchdowns this season and is slated to take an official visit to Madison.
The departures of Pauling and Williams mean Wisconsin is up to 19 scholarship players who have entered the portal this offseason. The Badgers have picked up nine portal additions, including three on offense: tight end Tanner Koziol (Ball State) and quarterbacks Billy Edwards Jr. (Maryland) and Danny O'Neil (San Diego State).