Wisconsin true freshman cornerback Xavier Lucas announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Thursday.
His departure is the most stunning of the cycle to date. He is the 21st Wisconsin scholarship player to depart and arguably possibly the most impactful. The breakout freshman enters with three years of eligibility remaining.
Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker
Lucas joined the Badgers as a four-star recruit in the class of 2024, ranked as the No. 372 player in the country, No. 35 safety and No. 52 recruit from the state of Florida. He chose the program over offers from top programs including Alabama, Miami, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
Lucas then emerged as a rising star immediately upon arriving on campus. He earned a spot on the two-deep to start the season and went on to play a primary role throughout. He closed the year with 12 games played, 18 tackles (12 solo), two tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and two pass deflections.
Notably, Lucas is the sixth player from Wisconsin’s cornerback room to enter the transfer portal. The group’s depth has been decimated in that time, as most departures were top recruits from the program’s 2023 and 2024 classes.
Lucas’ departure matters more than most others given his inside track at a starting job in 2025 and for the years to follow.
Thank you Wisconsin for everything! I’m officially in the transfer portal.
— Xavier Lucas (@XavierL_25) December 19, 2024
Wisconsin now must add starting cornerback to its list of roster needs. The program’s only players at the position entering 2025, as of Dec. 19, are senior Ricardo Hallman, redshirt freshmen Jay Harper and Omilio Agard, and true freshmen Jaimier Scott, Cairo Skanes and Jahmare Washington.
For more on the now-former Badgers in the transfer portal and where they end up, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal departure tracker.
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