One of the starlet transfers of this offseason for the Wisconsin Badgers was the acquisition of running back Abu Sama III. Sama, a four-star transfer, hailed from Iowa State and joined the Badgers with 1,933 yards on the ground and 13 touchdowns, notching an elite 5.6 yards per carry. Sama experienced a strong start to his 2026 campaign with the Badgers, totaling 190 yards across 28 attempts, compiling 6.8 yards per carry and 1 touchdown, but his season was put on hold thanks to an injury in Wisconsin’s massive 24-20 win over Penn State, and he hasn’t seen the field since. With a game upcoming against the No. 12 UCLA Bruins, On3's Evan Flood reports that Sama should "be good"; or at least that's what Luke Fickell is saying leading up to the primetime
showdown.
Luke Fickell expects Abu Sama to "be good" for UCLA.
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) October 12, 2026
No update on Austin Kawecki. He'll be wearing a club on his hand.#Badgers
If Sama is fully healthy and ready to go against the Bruins, that releases a ton of pressure on the arm of Colton Joseph, who has had to walk a tightrope over the past few games.
While the expectation for the offense will be on Joseph, having a player like Sama to churn out yards would be a boon.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Will Wisconsin Badgers running back Abu Sama play in Week 7 vs. UCLA?
