Tag: commit

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman announces transfer destination

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman announces transfer destination

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman Gabe Kirschke signed with Wake Forest on Tuesday, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

Kirschke spend the 2024 season at Colorado State after beginning his career with the Badgers. He joins the Demon Deacons for his final two years of eligibility.

Related: Where Wisconsin football transfers have signed so far

Kirschke jumps back to the Power Four level after a strong campaign at Colorado State. He tallied 42 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6 1/2 sacks, one interception, two pass deflections and two forced fumbles, helping lead the Rams to an 8-4 regular season before losing their bowl game.

The defensive lineman had plenty of interest this transfer cycle. He shared offers from Purdue, Kansas, Minnesota, Houston, West Virginia, Ole Miss and Wake Forest.

Kirschke appeared in one game over two seasons with the Badgers. He joined the program as a walk-on in its class of 2022, choosing the program over several scholarship offers.

The defensive lineman transferred out after the 2023 campaign. He was one of several Wisconsin transfers to have a breakout 2024 season at a new destination. His path represents the potential benefit of transferring to a lower-level destination where playing time is available. After one year, he’s already back in the Power Four (ACC).

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Former Wisconsin wide receiver transfers to SEC school

Former Wisconsin receiver transfers to SEC school

Former Wisconsin wide receiver Markus Allen committed to Mississippi State on Tuesday.

The former Badger entered the portal on Dec. 10 after playing the 2024 season at Eastern Michigan. There, he tallied a career-best 43 catches, 651 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Allen now commits to the Bulldogs with two years of eligibility remaining.

Related: Where Wisconsin football transfers have signed so far

Allen originally joined Wisconsin as a three-star recruit in the class of 2021, flipping to the Badgers after initially committing to Michigan. He played parts of two years with the program, totaling 10 receptions, 156 yards and one receiving touchdown.

The Ohio native first entered the portal in October of 2022 after Wisconsin fired Paul Chryst. He opted to return to the Badgers in December of that year after briefly committing to rival Minnesota. That return did not last long, however, as he reentered the portal in June of 2023.

Allen went on to play the 2023 season at Butler Community College in Kansas before transferring to Eastern Michigan. As mentioned, he put together a career year with the Eagles in 2024.

The former Badger joins a Mississippi State program that went 2-10 in 2024 under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby. Lebby was previously the offensive coordinator under Brent Venables at Oklahoma. He now leads a Bulldogs program that has been reeling since the death of former coach Mike Leach.

Allen recently gained an extra year of eligibility after the NCAA granted waivers for years spent at junior college. He’ll now look to capitalize on a breakout 2024 campaign and translate the production to the SEC level.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Another Wisconsin transfer commits to play for Phil Longo

Another Wisconsin transfer commits to play for Phil Longo

Wisconsin transfer cornerback Jace Arnold committed to Sam Houston State on Tuesday.

Arnold is the second former Badger to commit to the Bearkats, joining quarterback Mabrey Mettauer. The two players follow former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo, who was recently hired as Sam Houston State’s new coach.

Related: Where Wisconsin football transfers have signed so far

Arnold entered the portal after two seasons with the Badgers. He is one of numerous Wisconsin class of 2023 signees to depart. He originally committed to the program in June of 2022 when Paul Chryst was at the helm. Wisconsin has seen a degrading of its cornerback depth this transfer cycle, Arnold’s departure is one of many from the room.

The former three-star recruit was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 752 player in the class of 2022, No. 76 cornerback and No. 71 player from his home state of Georgia. He appeared in 14 games during his tenure as a Badger, mostly appearing on special teams.

Arnold joins a Sam Houston State program that went 10-3 in 2024 in its second season at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Coach K.C. Keeler took the Temple vacancy, leading to Longo’s hire. The former Badger offensive coordinator was an assistant with the Bearkats from 2014-16.

Arnold is the 17th Badger transfer to announce a new destination. Wisconsin had 24 total players enter the transfer portal during the recent winter window, pending the ongoing situation with star freshman Xavier Lucas.

Wisconsin has landed commitments from transfer cornerbacks Geimere Latimer (Jacksonville State) and D’Yoni Hill (Miami) in recent weeks. The two expect to play significant roles in 2025 for a suddenly-thin Wisconsin secondary.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Wisconsin lands commitment from LSU transfer defensive lineman

Wisconsin lands commitment from LSU transfer defensive lineman

Wisconsin landed a commitment from LSU transfer defensive lineman Jay’Viar Suggs on Friday.

Suggs chose the Badgers over top contenders Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State and Tennessee. He joins the program with one year of eligibility remaining.

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

Wisconsin was previously in the running to land Suggs during last year’s transfer cycle. He began his career at Grand Valley State (D-II), playing under then-head coach Matt Mitchell, who is now Wisconsin’s outside linebackers coach. The defensive tackle broke out in his final two seasons with the program, tallying a combined 14 1/2 tackles for loss and eight sacks.

Suggs then chose to transfer to LSU last offseason over finalists Wisconsin, Michigan and Kentucky. He appeared in 12 games for the Tigers in 2024, totaling 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, 2 1/2 sacks and two pass deflections.

The veteran tackle is Wisconsin’s 18th overall transfer commitment (17th scholarship player). Importantly, he’s the fifth addition at defensive tackle, joining Corey Walker (Western Michigan), Parker Petersen (Tulane), Charles Perkins (UT-Martin) and Michael Garner (Grambling State). Wisconsin prioritized the position after losing the majority of production from its 2024 unit, highlighted by the departures of Elijah Hills (eligibility) and Curt Neal (transfer to Illinois).

Suggs projects to join Walker, Petersen and returning contributor Ben Barten atop the Badgers’ defensive tackle rotation in 2025.

For more on Wisconsin’s transfer additions and remaining top targets, bookmark our 2024 transfer offer, visit and commitment tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Wisconsin quarterback transfers to play for Badgers’ former offensive coordinator

Another Wisconsin quarterback announces transfer destination

Former Wisconsin quarterback Mabrey Mettauer transferred to Sam Houston State on Sunday.

The move reunites Mettauer with former Badgers’ offensive coordinator Phil Longo, who accepted the Bearkats’ head coach job this month.

Related: Where Wisconsin football transfers have signed so far

Mettauer departs after one season with the Badgers. He joined the program as a four-star recruit in the class of 2024, ranked as the No. 462 player in the class and the No. 31 quarterback.

The Texas native appeared in three games as a true freshman, completing one pass for two yards. He played most of the season as the team’s primary backup behind starter Braedyn Locke.

247Sports ranks the 6-foot-4 quarterback as a three-star transfer, the No. 611 overall player in the portal and the No. 66 quarterback.

Mettauer was a center of conversation throughout the 2024. Starter Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL in the team’s Week 3 loss to Alabama, giving the job to Braedyn Locke for the remainder of the season. Locke struggled at times, especially in the Badgers’ late-season losses to Iowa and Oregon. Many wanted to see Mettauer take over under center during that stretch. Despite that external conversation, Wisconsin never made a change at the position.

Mettauer joins a Sam Houston State program that went 10-3 in 2024, including a New Orleans Bowl win over Georgia Southern. Coach K.C. Keeler left for the Temple job at the end of the regular season, leading to the program’s hire of Longo.

The young quarterback should have an opportunity to see the field with the Bearkats. If all goes well, he could transfer back to the Power Four level.

For more on where Wisconsin transfers end up, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal departure tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Wisconsin wide receiver announces transfer commitment

Wisconsin wide receiver is off to the ACC

Former Wisconsin wide receiver C.J. Williams committed to Stanford on Friday.

Williams is the 14th Badger transfer to announce his new destination. He is the program’s second primary wide receiver to depart, joining multiyear starter Will Pauling, who committed to Notre Dame.

Related: Where Wisconsin football transfers have signed so far

Williams transferred to Wisconsin ahead of the 2023 season. He was part of the program’s overhaul of its offensive room, specifically to match Phil Longo’s air raid scheme. The former USC Trojan and top-100 recruit totaled just 31 receptions, 396 receiving yards and two touchdowns during his two years with the Badgers.

Williams joins a Stanford program that has gone 3-9 in each of the last four seasons. The Cardinals finished second-to-last in the ACC in 2024 in their first year in the conference. The former Badger shouldn’t have much trouble finding a primary role in the team’s offense in 2025 with star wideout Elic Ayomanor off to the NFL draft.

He joins the Cardinals with two years of eligibility remaining.

Wisconsin bolstered its wide receiver room this offseason, adding transfers Mark Hamper (Idaho) and Jayden Ballard (Ohio State). The two are set for leading roles on the offense next season alongside returning contributors Trech Kekahuna and Vinny Anthony.

The group will have a significant say in the success of Wisconsin’s offense as it ushers in a new system under coordinator Jeff Grimes

In the meantime, we’ll closely monitor how both Pauling and Williams perform at their new destinations. For more on where to watch now-former Badgers entering 2025, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal departure tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Wisconsin quarterback transfers to Big 12 program

Wisconsin starting QB is off to the Big 12

Wisconsin transfer quarterback Braedyn Locke signed with Arizona on Friday, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

Locke entered the transfer portal earlier this month after two years with the Badgers. He is one of 24 Wisconsin scholarship players to depart since the conclusion of the 2024 season and the 13th to find a transfer destination.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Locke originally transferred to Wisconsin entering 2023 after a redshirt season at Mississippi State. He was one of several quarterback additions that offseason as Phil Longo implemented his air raid system.

The former four-star recruit entered 2023 as the primary backup to starter Tanner Mordecai. He went on to play in five games (three starts) as Mordecai battled a hand injury, completing 50% of his passes for 777 yards, five touchdowns and an interception.

Locke’s 2024 became a near duplicate of his 2023 campaign. He entered as the backup to starter Tyler Van Dyke. He was then thrust into the full-time starting role after Van Dyke suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3. The redshirt sophomore played in 11 total games (nine starts) and completed 55% of his passes for 1,936 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He and the Badgers finished with a 5-7 record, missing a bowl game for the first time since 2001.

A main story of the Badgers’ 2024 campaign was Longo’s firing with two games remaining in the season. The program has since hired Jeff Grimes as its new offensive coordinator, which followed the addition of several top transfer quarterbacks — just as was the case entering 2023.

Locke entered the portal amid that movement. He now joins an Arizona program that went 4-8 in 2024 in its first year in the Big 12 — also the first year under head coach Brent Brennan. Starting quarterback Noah Fifita is set to return for 2025, making Locke a primary backup option with the chance to win the job in 2026.

Locke, Van Dyke and Mabrey Mettauer are all on the move after the 2024 campaign. Their respective careers at new destinations will be worth watching as Wisconsin reworks its offense under Grimes.

For more on where former Badger transfers are headed, bookmark our transfer departure tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman commits to FCS program

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman commits to FCS program

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman Hank Weber committed to Samford this month.

Weber entered the portal after just one year with the Badgers. He moves to the Football Championship Subdivision program with four years of eligibility remaining.

Related: Where Wisconsin football transfers have signed so far

Weber originally joined the Badgers as a three-star recruit in the class of 2024. He was the No. 1,175 overall player in the class, No. 123 defensive lineman and No. 39 recruit from his home state of Tennessee. He did not see the field in his season with the team.

He joins a Samford program that went 4-7 in 2024 and finished fifth in the Southern Conference.

The defensive lineman is one of multiple true freshmen to exit Wisconsin after the 2024 season, joining star cornerback Xavier Lucas and pass-rusher Anelu Lafaele. Lafaele already committed to Michigan State. Lucas has not  announced his transfer destination.

All three true freshmen were in different spots on the depth chart before transferring. Weber was the furthest from playing time. That reality will likely change at Samford.

Wisconsin has had 24 scholarship players enter the transfer portal since the winter window opened on Dec. 9. That window closes Dec. 28, so not many more departures are expected.

The Badgers have addressed their growing roster needs with 17 transfer commitments (16 scholarship, one walk-on). Several of those additions are along the defensive line: tackle, defensive end and outside linebacker.

For more on those additions and Wisconsin’s remaining transfer targets, bookmark our transfer offer, visit and commitment tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Third Wisconsin defensive starter transfers to the same Big Ten rival

Another former Badger is off to Illinois

Wisconsin defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. signed with Illinois on Wednesday, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

Thompson is the 12th Wisconsin transfer to find a new destination. He is the third former Badger, all three defensive starters, to sign with the Fighting Illini, joining defensive tackle Curt Neal and outside linebacker Leon Lowery

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Thompson entered the transfer portal earlier this month after five years with the Badgers. He originally joined the program as a three-star recruit in the class of 2020.

The veteran tackle emerged as a primary force on the Badgers’ defensive front in 2022, totaling 23 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks. He backed that up with a strong 2023 campaign: 29 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass deflections. Thompson Jr. then missed the majority of the 2024 campaign due to a torn pectoral muscle suffered in training camp. He returned to play seven snaps in the Badgers’ Week 13 loss at Nebraska, but did not see the field during their season finale against Minnesota.

He joins an Illinois program that recently wrapped up a 9-3 regular season. It enters its bowl game against South Carolina with a chance to clinch the program’s first 10-win season since 2001.

Bret Bielema continues to target former Wisconsin players and coaches for his Illinois program: He seems to be attempting to replicate the Badgers’ approach during the mid-2000s. Former Wisconsin stars Aaron Henry (defensive coordinator) and Terrance Jamison (defensive line coach) lead his coaching staff. Wisconsin program Jim Leonhard was an analyst with the program in 2023 before moving to the NFL.

Now, Bielema’s defense will be led by three former Wisconsin starters: Thompson Jr., Neal and Lowery. The Badgers will get a first-hand look at how that strategy works out. They host the Fighting Illini in 2025.

Wisconsin has done well in addressing defensive line this portal cycle with commitments from Parker Petersen (Tulane), Corey Walker (Western Michigan), Charles Perkins (UT-Martin) and Michael Garner (Grambling State). The comparison point between the Badgers’ new-look group and that from the previous two seasons will be evident when they meet the Fighting Illini on Nov. 22.

For more on where former Wisconsin transfers will play in 2025, bookmark our transfer departure tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Former Wisconsin safety announces transfer destination

Former Wisconsin safety announces transfer destination

Former Wisconsin safety Kamo’i Latu committed to UConn this week.

Latu entered the portal on Dec. 12 after three years with the program. He joins the Huskies for a final season of eligibility.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Latu transferred to Wisconsin entering 2022 from Utah. He started for the Badgers that season, totaling 55 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions and three pass deflections.

The veteran safety then played only 14 games over the next two years following the program’s hire of coach Luke Fickell. Latu suited up for three contests in an injury-plagued 2024 campaign.

He joins a UConn program that has become a popular destination for former Wisconsin transfers. Nick Evers and Skyler Bell transferred to the Huskies after the 2023 season. Bell had a career year with the Huskies, helping lead the team to a program-best 8-4 season and Fenway Bowl appearance.

Wisconsin will enter 2025 with Preston Zachman as its primary starting safety and an opening at the other spot. Transfers Matthew Traynor (Richmond) and Matt Jung (Bethel) figure to compete for the major share of snaps.

The position is one of several on Wisconsin’s roster that had its depth decimated during this portal window. In addition to Latu, redshirt freshmen Justin Taylor and Braedyn Moore transferred out.

Latu’s added intrigue to his transfer on Monday when he specifically thanked Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard for his time at Wisconsin. Neither coach has been with the program since 2022. There was no mention of the Badgers’ current staff.

“Huge shoutout to Paul Chryst and Jim Leonard staff for an amazing time at Wisconsin,” Latu posted on X. “Wisconsin will always have a special place in my heart!”

Latu is one of 10 former Badgers to announce a transfer destination so far. For where every departing transfer ends up, bookmark our transfer departure tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.