The 2026 NFL Combine is taking place this week, with drills concluding on Sunday, as the Wisconsin Badgers saw two players receive an invite this year: wide receiver Vinny Anthony and defensive end Mason Reiger.
Both players have been able to showcase their talents a couple of times this offseason, earning invites to the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl, respectively, before attending the combine. And both have seen their stock grow after those performances.
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But it was actually a different former Badger who was discussed as one of the event’s biggest risers: wide receiver Skyler Bell. Bell played at Wisconsin from 2021-23, redshirting his freshman season before seeing a bigger role as a redshirt freshman in 2022, catching 30 passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns. However, when Luke Fickell arrived at Wisconsin, he brought in transfer wideout Will Pauling, who took over the starting slot role, leaving Bell with more of a secondary role.
Bell still had 38 catches for 296 yards and a touchdown, but elected to transfer after the 2023 season to UConn. There, he exploded onto the scene, catching 50 passes for 860 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 17.2 yards per catch despite playing with multiple quarterbacks that season.
Then, in 2025, he eclipsed that mark with an even better season, catching 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns, with the receptions mark being the fourth-best in college football.
That put him well on NFL radars, and now Bell is making the most of his opportunity at the Combine. ESPN’s Jordan Reid named Bell as one of his biggest risers from Day 3, where the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers tested and performed.
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“After Bell participated in only one practice at the Shrine Bowl, many were anticipating Bell’s test numbers,” Reid wrote. “At 6-foot, 192 pounds, he caught my eye throughout his workout. In running a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and leaping 41 inches in the vertical, Bell showed that he belongs in the Day 2 picture. He followed with an impressive showing during on-field drills. His routes were crisp, and he constantly showed how strong his hands were. The most impressive part of Bell’s workout came during the gauntlet, as he ran through it with speed and caught the ball cleanly.”
Quite a good day for the former Wisconsin and UConn wide receiver.
