Three former Wisconsin Badgers remain in the transfer portal uncommitted

Three former Wisconsin Badgers remain in the transfer portal uncommitted

Wisconsin has had 23 players enter the transfer portal since the end of the 2023 season.

Many of those departures were either depth pieces or poor fits in Luke Fickell’s new-look program. The Badgers’ new head coach is still in the process of turning the roster over, which has led to a consistent stream of departures since his arrival.

Related: Where every member of Wisconsin’s record-breaking recruiting class of 2021 is now

Twenty of the 23 departures have found new landing spots. Only three players remain uncommitted: cornerback Amaun Williams, cornerback Michael Mack and wide receiver Tommy McIntosh.

  • Williams walked on in the class of 2020 after being rated as a two-star recruit. He played in 11 games in 2022 as a backup cornerback and on special teams. He entered the portal on Dec. 3 after the Badgers’ 2023 regular season concluded.
  • Mack initially transferred to Wisconsin from Air Force ahead of the 2023 season. He did not play during the year and was operating with the reserves during 2024 spring practice. He was a spring 2024 entrant into the portal.
  • McIntosh was a three-star recruit in Wisconsin’s class of 2022 — Paul Chryst’s final recruiting class as Badgers head coach. He did not see the field in his first two seasons, though he showed promise during 2023 spring practice. Wisconsin’s deep wide receiver depth chart made it unlikely that McIntosh would find a role in 2024, or in future years.

None of the three players have a 247Sports crystal ball prediction for their transfer destination.

Wisconsin capped an impressive transfer cycle with a surprising commitment from Stephen F. Austin defensive tackle Brandon Lane on Friday. The group of 16 additions is ranked in the top 25 of 247Sports’ transfer classes and will play a sizable role in the team’s success in 2024.

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Wisconsin junior cornerback enters transfer portal

Wisconsin junior cornerback enters transfer portal

Wisconsin junior cornerback Michael Mack has entered the transfer portal, according to a recent X post.

Mack transferred to the Badgers last offseason after three years at Air Force. However, the veteran cornerback was unable to play during the 2023 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 spring transfer portal window tracker

The cornerback re-enters the portal with 20 games of experience, 69 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception and four pass deflections.

Reports from Wisconsin spring practice cite that Mack was the nickel corner with the Badgers’ third-team defense. He was far removed from the starting lineup, with top corners Ricardo Hallman, Nyzier Fourqurean, R.J. Delancy and Jonas Duclona in his way.

Cornerback is one of the deepest position groups on Wisconsin’s 2024 roster. It is one of the team’s strengths entering the year.

Mack is now the program’s seventh transfer departure during the spring window — none of whom were projected to start this season. Luke Fickell and his staff have some work to do to bolster the roster ahead of an important 2024 campaign. Defensive line remains the biggest need, and is one the staff is currently pursuing.

For more on Wisconsin’s transfer portal activity this spring, check out our 2024 spring transfer portal window 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. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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Wisconsin transfer cornerback is not yet eligible to play this season

Wisconsin is appealing the decision

News broke in the midst of Wisconsin’s 38-17 Week 1 win over Buffalo that transfer cornerback Michael Mack had his eligibility waiver denied by the NCAA.

Mack transferred in from Air Force this offseason after playing two seasons for the Falcons and recording 69 tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception. He figures to help out Wisconsin’s depth at cornerback with the top trio of Alexander Smith, Ricardo Hallman and Jason Maitre mostly set.

Related: Big Ten power rankings after Week 1: Is anyone good?

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell commented on the matter during his Monday press conference, saying “I’m going to hold my tongue to say anything about the Air Force Academy and how they’ve treated the kid.”

Reading between the lines, Fickell does not seem thrilled about the situation.

Wisconsin is appealing the decision and will look to get Mack eligible to play in the coming weeks.

Transfer cornerback could miss 2023 season

New cornerback could miss season opener

The Badgers football season is set to begin Saturday versus Buffalo at Camp Randall, but transfer cornerback Michael Mack could be forced to sit it out. The former Air Force player had his NCAA clearance waiver denied, making him ineligible to play.

Mack transferred to Madison this offseason after four seasons with Air Force and he was expected to be a big part of Wisconsin’s secondary in 2023. During his final two campaigns with Air Force, the cornerback recorded 69 combined tackles with an interception and four pass deflections over 20 contests.

If he misses Saturday’s opener and any other subsequent games, true freshman Jonas Duclona could step into a significant role.

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Wisconsin lists a new transfer cornerback on its 2023 training camp roster

More roster news entering training camp:

Wisconsin’s 2023 football roster was updated earlier today in advance of the team’s training camp beginning at UW-Platteville.

The first piece of news was the omittance of top tight ends Clay Cundiff and Jack Eschenbach. The second is also a bit of a surprise: the program is listing Air Force transfer cornerback Michael Mack on the roster.

Mack did not publicly commit to Wisconsin in the offseason, though we know the Badgers were heavy on the pursuit of cornerbacks. 247Sports’ Evan Flood noted earlier today Mack would need a waiver to play for the Badgers in 2023, but also has a redshirt year available.

The two-year starter at Air Force recorded a combined 69 tackles in the two seasons, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and 1 interception.

He joins a room led by Alexander Smith, Ricardo Hallman and Jason Maitre. Mack figures to slot into the depth alongside Nyzier Fourqurean, Amaun Williams, Jonas Duclona and others.