Big news for Badgers fans on this Tuesday afternoon. Evan Flood of 247Sports and others have reported that Wisconsin has landed a commitment from USC transfer linebacker Tackett Curtis, the second-ranked linebacker in the portal.
Curtis was one of Wisconsin’s top targets in the class of 2023. The former four-star recruit and No. 108 overall player in his class instead chose USC, where as a true freshman he appeared in 12 games and registered 40 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
USC had ESPN SP+’s No. 105-ranked defense, a driving force behind the team’s disappointing 8-5 record. Head coach Lincoln Riley fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch in early November and will enter 2024 with staff turnover on that side of the ball.
The linebacker entered the portal on December 18 after the team’s regular season concluded.
247Sports ranks Curtis as the No. 43 player in the portal, and again the No. 2 linebacker. He becomes Wisconsin’s 12th transfer commitment of the offseason in a class that ranks well inside the nation’s top 15.
Curtis will join the Wisconsin program with three years of eligibility remaining.
BREAKING: The nation's second-ranked transfer linebacker, Tackett Curtis, has transferred to the #Badgers from USC.https://t.co/5shfOjmWnL pic.twitter.com/aoyWctVnHy
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) January 9, 2024