Wisconsin Badgers starting tight end Riley Nowakowski announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Monday.
Wisconsin’s two-deep depth chart continues to dwindle during the winter transfer portal window. The veteran pass-catcher joins quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, defensive lineman Curt Neal, defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. and wide receiver Trech Kekahuna as prominent members of the team’s two-deep to enter.
“I want to thank coach (Paul) Chryst and coach (Chris) Haering for giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of being a Badger,” Nowakowski wrote on X. “I would also like to thank coach (Luke) Fickell and coach (Nate) Letton for helping me continue to grow on and off the field.
“I could not be more appreciative of this program and wish nothing but the best for Badger nation. I have put a lot of time into this decision and it has not been easy. With that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining.”
https://twitter.com/rnowakowski14/status/1866341262913339550/photo/1
Nowakowski arrived in Madison as one of Paul Chryst’s class of 2020 acquisitions after pocketing the John Anderson Award for the top senior linebacker in Wisconsin.
Nowakowski played five seasons in Madison and logged his two most productive seasons in his final two campaigns. From 2023-24, he snared all 18 of his receptions for 131 total yards and one touchdown as one of the program’s primary starters at the position.
The Milwaukee native will search for more touches elsewhere in his sixth year of collegiate eligibility. While he may not have torched opposing defenses with enlarged statistical outputs, he was synonymous with Wisconsin football during his tenure.
Rising junior Tucker Ashcraft, who has reeled in 20 catches for 168 yards and two scores in his two seasons for Wisconsin, will likely assume starting tight end duties for the Badgers.
This could also be a position of need as Wisconsin continues its transfer portal recruiting pursuits.
For more on UW’s departing talent, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal tracker.