Vinny Anthony II is a wide receiver and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his entire collegiate career with the Wisconsin Badgers. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Anthony attended Louisville Male High School and committed to Wisconsin as a three-star recruit in the 2022 class, arriving in Madison as a developmental prospect with raw speed and athleticism. He played in limited action as a freshman in 2022 before seeing his role grow each subsequent season, catching 10 passes for 99 yards in 2023. He broke out during the 2024 season as one of the most electric playmakers in the Big Ten, recording 39 receptions for 672 yards and four touchdowns including a 63-yard touchdown reception and a 74-yard kickoff return against USC that signaled his explosive potential. He returned for his senior season in 2025 and caught 31 passes for 391 yards and a touchdown while also adding 27 rushing yards and two scores, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors as a special teams returner and registering a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Alabama that made him one of college football's most dynamic playmakers in the open field. He was invited to both the 2026 Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.
Standing approximately 6-foot and 195 pounds, Anthony is known for elite straight-line speed and burst off the line of scrimmage that creates separation against press coverage, natural playmaking instincts after the catch that allow him to generate significant yards against missed tacklers in space, and versatility that enables him to contribute as a wide receiver, jet sweep runner, and explosive return threat in the kicking game. His route tree and technical refinement as a route runner are areas that will require further development at the professional level after playing in a Wisconsin offense that did not regularly feature him in a high-volume pass-catching role. NFL evaluators project him as a Day 3 speed receiver and core special teamer whose elite athleticism and big-play capability give him the ceiling to carve out a roster role in an offense willing to scheme him touches in space and utilize his return game upside immediately.
