Wisconsin football is currently making national headlines due to its somewhat public dispute with star freshman cornerback Xavier Lucas.
Lucas claims that the Badgers are blocking him from entering the transfer portal. That, while BadgerExtra‘s Colten Bartholomew is reporting that Wisconsin believes Lucas must honor a deal he signed with the program in early December. This deal was reportedly signed days before Lucas announced his intention to transfer on Dec. 19.
Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal class by projected 2025 impact
Lucas’ post on X claiming Wisconsin is restricting him from entering the portal is now up to 3.6 million views.
Big picture, this appears to be another fallout from college football’s current unsustainable model of free transfer movement and unregulated NIL money — all without a true governing body.
On a smaller scale, this situation has a significant impact on the Badgers in both 2025 and beyond. Lucas broke through as a true freshman in 2024, playing a significant role on the two-deep alongside starters Ricardo Hallman and Nyzier Fourqurean. He was set to lead the team’s cornerback room in 2025 and beyond.
The situation could have a resolution sooner rather than later. Saturday, Dec. 28 is the final day of the winter transfer window. Schools have until the end of the day to officially file the required paperwork — something Lucas is currently claiming Wisconsin has yet to do.
There is extra time for that paperwork to be processed, which can lead to delayed announcements. But Saturday is the last official day for this situation to reach a resolution. Otherwise, it may have to wait until the spring transfer window (April 16-25) — that if it doesn’t require litigation on a much larger scale.
Excluding Lucas, Wisconsin has seen 24 scholarship players enter the portal since the winter window opened on Dec. 9. Wide receiver Trech Kekahuna is the one entry to return to the program.
Wisconsin’s dispute with Lucas appears more complicated than a simple submission of the paperwork before Saturday’s deadline. If that step isn’t made, which it seems unlikely that it will, this story could grow in prominence as the offseason continues.
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