BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from Louisville transfer defensive end

Wisconsin has its first transfer commitment of the offseason

Louisville transfer pass-rusher Mason Reiger committed to Wisconsin on Friday.

He was one of the first transfer prospects to visit the Badgers earlier this week. He’s now the program’s first transfer commitment of the offseason.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments

The 6’4″, 250-pound defender entered the portal after five years at Louisville. He initially joined the program as a walk-on in its class of 2020.

Reiger then grew into a prominent role as his career continued. He played in nine games as a redshirt freshman in 2021, recording nine tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. He then played in 13 in 2022, recording 18 tackles, seven tackles for loss and a sack.

2023 was his breakout season: 22 tackles, six tackles for loss and five sacks as a primary part of the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation.

Reiger then missed the entire 2024 season after a long recovery from offseason knee surgery. He commits to the Badgers with one year of eligibility remaining.

The Louisville transfer joins a Wisconsin defensive front room that should continue to be a target throughout this transfer cycle. The defensive line group lost several key contributors after 2024, headlined by James Thompson Jr. (portal), Curt Neal (portal) and Elijah Hills (eligibility). The pass-rushing room is no different, with 2023 transfers John Pius (eligibility) and Leon Lowery (portal) both gone.

Reiger figures to immediately slide into the Badgers’ pass-rushing rotation. He brings 49 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks of production at the Power Four level. Unlike many of the Badgers’ small-school transfer prospects, Reiger shouldn’t have much trouble translating his production to the Big Ten level.

Wisconsin now continues its transfer recruiting with several more positions of need. Defensive line remains on the list, along with quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, safety, linebacker and tight end. Bookmark our transfer offer and visit tracker for the latest updates.

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