Tag: Jeff Grimes

BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from top transfer portal tight end

Wisconsin gets a major transfer commitment

Wisconsin landed a commitment from Ball State transfer tight end Tanner Koziol on Saturday.

He is the program’s second transfer commitment of the cycle, joining Louisville edge rusher Mason Reiger.

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

247Sports ranks the talented tight end as a four-star transfer recruit, the No. 48 overall player in the portal and the No. 3 player at his position.

His commitment is significant news for a Wisconsin team that saw starters Riley Nowakowski and Tucker Ashcraft combine for just 23 catches, 156 yards and a touchdown in 2024. The position never played a big role during Phil Longo’s tenure as offensive coordinator. With new hire Jeff Grimes reshaping the unit, Koziol should immediately fill a primary role in the receiving game.

The multi-year starter totaled 94 catches, a team-high 839 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. His career-long numbers are an impressive 163 catches, 1,507 yards and 18 total touchdowns.

Koziol fits the mold of Grimes’ pro-style offense and immediately gives the program its best receiving threat at the position since Jake Ferguson.

Wisconsin now continues its transfer recruiting with a major position checked off. Defensive line, quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, safety and linebacker remain some of the team’s biggest needs.

Bookmark our transfer offer, visit and commitment tracker for the latest updates.

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Wisconsin quarterback enters NCAA transfer portal

Wisconsin will have a new starting quarterback in 2025

Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is entering the transfer portal, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The veteran played in just three games with the Badgers after transferring in last offseason. He suffered a torn ACL during the first drive of the team’s Week 3 loss to Alabama and missed the remainder of the season.

Related: Major takeaways from Wisconsin hiring Kansas’ Jeff Grimes as its new offensive coordinator

The move comes as the portal officially opens on Dec. 9. Van Dyke is the 14th Wisconsin scholarship player to enter, the 16th overall.

His potential return was a significant point of conversation after Wisconsin’s 2024 season concluded with a Week 14 loss to Minnesota. He has one year of eligibility remaining, but may not be fully ready for the 2025 season as he recovers from the ACL injury.

Luke Fickell addressed that status last week, saying ‘We just don’t know. From what he’s told me, he wants to continue to play college football. It is a tough situation for him and for all of us because there’s just so many unknowns with his injury and how long of a recovery his injury is…I love Tyler, Tyler’s done nothing than be dedicated to what we’ve asked him to do. He’s been at every game, he’s been at every practice. That does mean something. We’re going to have to figure out where the progress is and what the prognosis looks like for him. It’s a position and situation that we can’t end up like we did this year…There’s a lot of unknowns.’

Those comments came as the program was set to hire a new offensive coordinator, which was recently revealed to be Kansas’ Jeff Grimes. A new leader at the helm of the offense and Van Dyke’s unknown health appear to be significant factors in this move.

The veteran quarterback started for three seasons at Miami before transferring to Wisconsin. He totaled 7,469 passing yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions during that time, including an ACC Rookie of the Year breakout season as a redshirt freshman in 2021.

Injuries and inconsistency has plagued Van Dyke since that breakout 2021 season. He threw for just 422 yards and one touchdown in the first two-plus games of the 2024 season with the Badgers.

His departure means Wisconsin is almost guaranteed to have a new starting quarterback in 2025. Grimes and Wisconsin’s potential upcoming quarterbacks coach hire will likely want to reshape the room to fit the new system.

Wisconsin’s current quarterbacks entering 2025 are Braedyn Locke, Mabrey Mettauer, three-star freshman Landyn Locke and four-star freshman Carter Smith. Expect that group to see names added over the next few weeks.

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

BREAKING: Another Wisconsin starting offensive lineman announces return for 2025

BREAKING: Another Wisconsin starting offensive lineman announces return for 2025

Wisconsin center Jake Renfro announced on Saturday he would be returning to the Badgers for his final year of eligibility in 2025.

He is the second veteran member of Wisconsin’s starting offensive line to announce his intention to return, joining right tackle Riley Mahlman.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s updated transfer portal needs after a busy first week of movement

Renfro joined the program in 2023 after three seasons under Luke Fickell at Cincinnati. He was a first-team all-AAC member in 2021 after starting 13 games for a Bearcats team that made the College Football Playoff.

He then missed the entire 2022 season with an injury before transferring to the Badgers after Fickell got the job. The veteran center remained out for most of the 2023 season, only seeing game action in Wisconsin’s ReliaQuest Bowl loss to LSU.

Renfro stepped into the starting job in 2024 after 2023 starter Tanor Bortolini left for the NFL. He led an offensive line that was arguably the strength of the team, and was far from the reason the offense finished outside the nation’s top 100 in scoring.

His return means three members of the 2024 offensive line will be back — Renfro, Mahlman and left guard Joe Brunner.

Big questions will surround Wisconsin’s left tackle position entering the season. Top freshman Kevin Heywood could win the job if the program does not land a top veteran in the transfer portal.

Wisconsin officially hired Kansas’ Jeff Grimes to its vacant offensive coordinator role on Saturday. While he has significant work to do to rebuild a struggling unit, the team’s returning talent and experience up front should provide a significant help. Renfro’s return is big news in that regard.

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

Report: Wisconsin officially hires Jeff Grimes to fill offensive coordinator vacancy

Report: Wisconsin, Jeff Grimes in agreement on deal as Badgers’ new offensive coordinator

Wisconsin is officially in agreement to hire Kansas’ Jeff Grimes as its new offensive coordinator, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

The Badgers were first reported to be pursuing Grimes on Friday. Just one day later, the deal appears to have been finalized. The specific terms are yet to be announced.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s updated transfer portal needs after a busy first week of movement

Grimes is set to fill a position that became vacant when Wisconsin fired Phil Longo in mid-November. Luke Fickell and the Badgers closed the season with a coordinator-by-committee approach, which was a sub-story to closing losses to rivals Nebraska and Minnesota.

The veteran coordinator is making a lateral move to Wisconsin after spending one year as Kansas’ offensive coordinator. He’s previously held the same position at Baylor (2021-23) and BYU (2018-20). Prior, Grimes was an offensive line coach for numerous top programs, highlighted by time at LSU (2014-17), Virginia Tech (2013) and Auburn (2009-12).

There is still no official word from the Wisconsin program. But Rittenberg’s report, paired with Kansas hiring a new coordinator, enforces its reality.

Grimes will be tasked with fixing a Wisconsin offense that averaged just 22.6 points per game in 2024 (No. 108 in the nation) and 23.5 points per game (No. 93) in 2023. He figures to bring a more classic old-school Wisconsin approach, a departure from the previous two years of Phil Longo’s air raid system.

The next step for the veteran coordinator is recrafting the team’s quarterback room. Kansas star QB Jalon Daniels is staying put with the Jayhawks, so the Badgers may be forced into the larger transfer market. Veteran Tyler Van Dyke may return, though questions surround his health after a September ACL injury.

Grimes’ job will be critical to Luke Fickell’s tenure as he works to improve the team from its 12-13 combined record over the last two seasons.

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

Kansas star quarterback will not be following Jeff Grimes to Wisconsin

Kansas star quarterback will not be following Jeff Grimes to Wisconsin

Wisconsin is reportedly closing in on hiring Kansas’ Jeff Grimes as its new offensive coordinator. All signs point toward the hire becoming a reality, signs such as Kansas hiring Grimes’ replacement.

The next storyline to follow is what the program does at quarterback. Veteran Tyler Van Dyke’s return is up in the air as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in mid-September. It’s likely that Wisconsin will enter the third consecutive season with a new veteran transfer under center.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s updated transfer portal needs after a busy first week of movement

That veteran will not be Kansas star quarterback Jalon Daniels, who recently announced on X his intention to return to the Jayhawks for his final season of eligibility.

“Kansas has been my home, my family, and my foundation,” Daniels wrote. “The work continues, and the best is still ahead. I’m ready to lead the Kansas Jayhawks into the 2025 season and fully focused on becoming the best QB possible.”

The update is noteworthy given the mentioned context. Wisconsin likely needs a quarterback, and just hired Daniels’ offensive coordinator to the same position. Kansas, meanwhile, promoted quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski to its vacant OC position.

Thamel specifically reported that ‘Daniels has agreed to a new deal to stay with the Jayhawks for 2025.’ NIL can be added to the coaching continuity as reasons for his decision to remain with the Jayhawks.

Daniels has played in 37 career games for Kansas dating back to 2020. He’s completed 61.3% of his passes for totals of 6,751 yards, 45 touchdowns and 24 interceptions, in addition to 303 carries for 1,041 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns.

The dual-threat quarterback had his best season in 2022 under former OC Andy Kotelnicki, who has since moved over to Penn State. He finished that year with a 66.1 completion percentage, 2,014 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions.

His one year under Grimes (2024) was a minor step back. The veteran completed just 57% of his passes for 2,454 yards, 14 touchdowns and a league-leading 12 interceptions.

Grimes will not get a further chance to help Daniels back to his top-end 2022 form, as Wisconsin will have to look elsewhere for its starting quarterback in 2025.

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

Kansas hires replacement for Wisconsin’s reported new offensive coordinator

Kansas hires replacement for Wisconsin’s reported new offensive coordinator

More and more signs point toward Wisconsin officially hiring Kansas’ Jeff Grimes for its vacant offensive coordinator position.

First, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Friday that Wisconsin was ‘targeting’ Grimes, with talks ‘expected to intensify in the near future.’ Now, Kansas has officially promoted quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski to its offensive coordinator position, further signaling Grimes’ move to the Badgers.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s updated transfer portal needs after a busy first week of movement

Kansas officially announced Zebrowski’s promotion on Saturday afternoon. He has previously served as the team’s quarterbacks coach from 2021-24, and co-offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2024. He’s previously coached quarterbacks at Southern Illinois (1999), D-III Millikin (2000-02), UW-Whitewater (2007-09), Northern Illinois (2010), Minnesota (2011-15), D-III Hamline (2016) and Buffalo (2017-20).

It was also announced on Friday that Kansas QB Jalon Daniels would remain with the program for his final collegiate season.

Wisconsin has apparently closed in on Grimes as its next offensive coordinator. The veteran assistant was Kansas’ offensive coordinator in 2024, after holding the same position at Baylor (2021-23) and BYU (2018-20). His hire indicates Wisconsin’s movement back to a pro-style, power-run-centric offense, a move that head coach Luke Fickell has hinted toward in recent press conferences.

We now await official word on Wisconsin’s hire of Grimes. After that, it’s all systems go as he works to rebuild a struggling offensive unit.

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

Report: Wisconsin closing in on offensive coordinator hire

Report: Wisconsin close to hiring Kansas offensive coordinator as its next OC

Wisconsin is closing in on hiring Kansas offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes as its next OC, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“A deal is not complete,” Thamel wrote on X. “But the sides are talking and those talks are expected to intensify in the near future.”

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s updated transfer portal needs after a busy first week of movement

Wisconsin is looking to fill a position that became vacant when the program fired Phil Longo in November. Grimes is an experienced assistant with extensive roots coaching the offensive line and a power-run scheme.

The veteran assistant has coached offense at the college level since 1998. His notable stops include Arizona State (OL, 2001-03), BYU (OL, 2004-06), Colorado (OL, 2007-08), Auburn (OL, 2009-12), Virginia Tech (OL, 2013), LSU (OL, 2014-17), BYU (OC, 2018-20), Baylor (OC/TEs coach, 2021-23), Kansas (OC, 2024).

He does not have any prior connection to either Luke Fickell or the Wisconsin program — aside from coaching the BYU team that upset the Badgers in 2018.

Grimes’ Kansas offense finished the 2024 regular season ranked No. 53 in scoring offense (29.7 points per game), No. 13 in rush offense (211.4 yards per game) and No. 88 in pass offense (208.8 yards per game).

His potential hire reflects Luke Fickell’s recent comments about the Badgers returning to a more pro-style offense. At the least, Fickell has expressed a desire to build an offensive identity around the program’s classic calling card — the offensive line and the run game. Grimes fits that mold directly.

He also has extensive experience as an offensive coordinator, though hasn’t risen far since starting as BYU’s OC in 2018. That lack of trajectory could be good news for the Badgers, as Grimes may be more likely to stay around if he finds success. It does also signal the difference between him and some of the other top coordinator candidates.

We now await confirmation on if the reported ‘talks’ reach a deal.

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

Coaching search: How to watch Auburn Football head coaching candidates this weekend

Is scouting the future in your weekend plans? Here is a guide for how to watch games involving potential Auburn head coaching candidates this Saturday.

This week has been a whirlwind for Auburn Football.

The news of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s firing broke Monday morning, and interim head coach [autotag]Carnell Williams[/autotag] worked long hours this week in order to put a perfect gameplan together for the Tigers’ game at Mississippi State on Saturday night.

There is no doubt that Williams will get his chance to audition for the vacant position, but there are plenty of potential candidates to watch out for as well.

Auburn fans have read reports all week that profile each possible candidate. Some names make sense, while some seem farfetched. No matter how popular or how obscure a possible target can be, it does not hurt to take a deeper look at what each candidate brings to the table.

For Auburn fans that are looking for a chance to thoroughly examine each possible candidate, you have come to the right place.

Auburn Wire has made a list of every coach that has been mentioned in some sort of fashion as a target for the Auburn opening and has created a guide of their week ten schedule in an effort to allow you the opportunity to watch them coach with your own eyes.

Are you wanting more information on a lesser-known name? Do you need to prove your point to a fellow college football fan? Check out the list below to make sure that you do not miss an opportunity to watch your favorite candidate coach live on Saturday:

CBS Sports analyst lists familiar name as potential head coaching candidate

A Pac-12 offensive coordinator with Auburn ties is seen as a “risk-taking” candidate.

Auburn fans can expect to see many names floating around as possible replacements for former head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag].

The most popular names surrounding the opening are Ole Miss’ [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag], Liberty’s [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], Jackson State’s [autotag]Deion Sanders[/autotag], and Baylor offensive coordinator [autotag]Jeff Grimes[/autotag].

When listing his potential candidates for the Auburn vacancy, Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports mentioned the above names, but also went out of the box by mentioning several unique names. One, in particular, has a tie to Auburn from its’ previous administration.

Kenny Dillingham, who served as offensive coordinator under Gus Malzahn during the 2018 season, is currently leading Oregon‘s high-powered offense with former Auburn quarterback [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag] serving as the quarterback in his system. Dodd lists Dillingham as a name to watch despite his age (he is only 32 years old). Dodd says that he may be worth the risk if that is the route that Auburn chooses to take.

If you want to take a chance, this is your guy. In 2019, as a 29-year-old, Dillingham was the offensive coordinator for Gus Malzahn’s last good team at Auburn. The Tigers won nine games, beat three top 20 teams (including Alabama) and averaged 33 points a game. Dillingham birthed the Bo Nix era (16 touchdowns as a freshman). The two reunited at Oregon where Nix has matured with the Ducks as a fringe Heisman Trophy contender. There’s plenty to like there for Auburn if they want to go extremely young.

After suffering a devastating loss to Georgia to open the season, Oregon has won eight straight games and is ranked No. 8 in the initial College Football Playoff ranking. Dillingham has led the Ducks offense to a No. 3 ranking in overall offensive yards per game, averaging 514 yards per contest.

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Best case scenario: Auburn Wire staff reveals their pick for Auburn’s ‘home run hire’

The staff at Auburn Wire shares their thoughts on who would be the best fit to lead Auburn’s football program.

After weeks of speculation, Auburn University finally made the move to fire Bryan Harsin after spending a season and a half on the Plains.

Now, here comes the fun part.

There is no official timetable for Auburn to hire its next head coach, but it is assumed that a hire will not be made until sometime after the conclusion of the regular season on Nov. 28. Until then, there will be plenty of speculation as to who will take over the vacant role of the SEC’s first head coach opening.

The staff here at Auburn Wire obviously has no say as to who accepts the job, but we like to have fun and will take advantage of the opportunity to share our thoughts on potential head coaching candidates.

Who are our picks for the job? Below, you will find a list of our top three targets, as well as our “home run” pick.

Enjoy our picks for Auburn’s “home run hire.”