Many applauded Luke Fickell for his work in the class of 2023 recruiting cycle after arriving on campus in early December.
The class was mostly in shambles after Paul Chryst was fired a few months earlier. Fickell hit the ground running, pushing the class to 15 commitments and a respectable ranking of No. 58 in the nation.
Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal tracker
Now exactly two years later, most of that class is no longer with the program. With offensive lineman James Durand entering the transfer portal on Friday, 11 of that 15-player class has now departed. Two did so after the 2023 season — edge rusher Jordan Mayer and cornerback A.J. Tisdell. A whopping nine players have joined that list just in the last week.
Here is an extended look at the entire class ordered by 247Sports ranking:
- S Braedyn Moore — transfer portal (Dec. 3, 2024)
- WR Trech Kekahuna — transfer portal (Dec. 4, 2024)
- iOL James Durand — transfer portal (Dec. 6, 2024)
- CB Amare Snowden — transfer portal (Dec. 1, 2024)
- CB Jonas Duclona — transfer portal (Dec. 2, 2024)
- DL Jamel Howard — Wisconsin backup defensive lineman
- CB A.J. Tisdell — transferred to Incarnate Word (April 26, 2024)
- CB Jace Arnold — transfer portal (Dec. 3, 2024)
- RB Nate White — transfer portal (Dec. 4, 2024)
- Edge Jordan Mayer — transferred to Penn State (Dec. 7, 2023)
- TE Tucker Ashcraft — Wisconsin starting tight end
- LB Tyler Jansey — Wisconsin backup linebacker
- S Justin Taylor — transfer portal (Dec. 3, 2024)
- LB Christian Alliegro — Wisconsin starting inside linebacker
- QB Cole LaCrue — transfer portal (Nov. 21, 2024)
Just Jamel Howard, Tucker Ashcraft, Tyler Jansey and Christian Alliegro remain with the program from that class. Ashcraft and Alliegro played prominent on-field roles this past season.
The circumstance with every player is different. Both LaCrue and White faced uphill battles for snaps and playing time, while the opposite can be said for those numerous members of the secondary.
The most glaring departure by far is Kekahuna. The talented wide receiver was arguably underutilized in Phil Longo’s offense throughout the 2024 season. Though Will Pauling may return as Wisconsin’s top slot receiver in 2025, Kekahuna figured to play a significant role in the team’s new offensive system — whatever that specifically looks like.
This wave of exits crushes the team’s depth at cornerback and safety, adding the two positions as significant needs this transfer cycle. More than that, it also signals the current age of the sport. High school recruiting is still paramount. But excelling in that area won’t tell the full story when numerous players across the country transfer within their first two years at the college level.
The movement can likely be credited to the state of the sport. It’s something that needs to be a one-off, however. Fickell and his staff can’t afford another wave of departures from its top-ranked 2024 or 2025 classes.
For more on Wisconsin’s recent transfer movement and what it means for the team moving forward, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal tracker.
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