Tag: offer

Wisconsin offers, lands visit with San Diego State transfer quarterback

Wisconsin offers, lands visit with San Diego State transfer quarterback

Wisconsin has an official visit scheduled with San Diego State transfer quarterback Danny O’Neil, according to On3’s Steve Wiltfong.

This report follows O’Neil entering the portal earlier Thursday. He is the first quarterback on Wisconsin’s reported list of transfer offers and visits. Wiltfong reports the freshman transfer will visit the Badgers this weekend.

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

O’Neil entered the transfer portal after one season at San Diego State. He started as a true freshman, completing 63.3% of his passes for 2,181 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Head coach Sean Lewis’ Aztecs went 3-9 in 2024 with O’Neil at the helm and finished with the nation’s No. 117-ranked scoring offense. That may be due more to O’Neil’s circumstances than to his specific play.

The promising freshman is in the portal with three years of eligibility remaining.

O’Neil has yet to receive a transfer ranking by 247Sports. He’d bring a combination of youth and promise to Wisconsin’s quarterbacks room as new coordinator Jeff Grimes works to rebuild the offense.

While Wisconsin may be better served finding a veteran to bridge the gap until top signee Carter Smith is ready to start, O’Neil is a rare underclassman transfer to also have starting experience at the position.

Wisconsin is in the quarterback market after the recent departures of Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke to the transfer portal. Many of the dominoes at the position are falling rather quickly, so the Badgers already locking in an offer and visit with O’Neil makes him a top target to watch.

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Wisconsin offers Kansas State transfer WR, son of former Milwaukee Brewers second baseman

Wisconsin offers Kansas State transfer WR, son of former Milwaukee Brewers second baseman

Wisconsin football extended an offer to Kansas State transfer wide receiver Tre Spivey on Tuesday.

Spivey entered the portal this week after two years with the Wildcats. He was previously one of Wisconsin’s recruiting targets in the class of 2023 during the Paul Chryst regime, though he opted for Kansas State over finalists Oklahoma State and Arizona.

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

The 6’4,” 217-pound wide receiver played in 12 games in 2024, totaling 14 catches, 160 receiving yards and one touchdown. He is already a popular portal prospect. Wisconsin leads an offer list that already includes Arizona, BYU, Nevada, Iowa State, Kennesaw State, Georgia Tech, Liberty and Coastal Carolina.

Wisconsin has a need at wide receiver with several gone from the room, including top underclassman Trech Kekahuna. It is working to address the position, with offers out to Spivey, Colorado State transfer WR Caleb Goodie and Miami (OH) transfer Javon Tracy.

Wisconsin’s previous pursuit of Spivey during his high school process may have buried the lede. He is also the son of former Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Junior Spivey.

Junior Spivey played for five years in the MLB, including the 2004 season and part of 2005 with the Brewers. He was part of a larger trade that brought in future Brewers legend Craig Counsell over from the Diamondbacks — that term ‘legend’ likely applies until the date Counsell took the Chicago Cubs’ managerial job before last season.

Spivey played in 108 total games for the Brewers. He hit .256/.337/.737 over that time with 21 doubles, 12 home runs, 45 RBI and 55 runs scored.

Tre Spivey may rise to the top of Wisconsin’s transfer wide receiver big board if the cards fall right. Fans of both the Brewers and the Badgers could see a long-shot connection between the two teams come to fruition.

For more on Wisconsin’s latest offers and visits with the portal window now open, bookmark our offer and interest tracker.

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Wisconsin football offers breakout Mountain West transfer wide receiver

Wisconsin offers breakout Mountain West transfer wide receiver

Wisconsin’s efforts to bolster its wide receiver position continued on Tuesday. It extended an offer to Colorado State transfer Caleb Goodie — the second such offer in the class, joining Miami (OH) transfer Javon Tracy.

Goodie entered the portal this week after two years with the Rams. He originally joined the program as a three-star recruit in the class of 2023.

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

The explosive playmaker won’t struggle to find suitors in the portal. His breakout 2024 season established him as one of the best receivers in the conference — 21 receptions, 436 yards, 20.8 yards per catch, four receiving touchdowns, five carries and 87 rushing yards.

Those totals were enough to lead Colorado State in receiving. His yards-per-reception clip of 20.8 finished third in the entire Mountain West.

The 6’1,” 170-pound playmaker would add an explosive dimension to Jeff Grimes’ new Wisconsin offense. The unit may be in need of a home-run threat after top underclassman Trech Kekahuna departed this week.

Both Goodie and Tracy would fill a key void in 2025 and beyond — regardless of which veterans return for a final season. The room has clearly been something the program has prioritized this cycle.

For more on Wisconsin’s latest offers and visits with the portal window now open, bookmark our offer and interest tracker.

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Wisconsin offers, lands visit with standout freshman transfer safety

Wisconsin offers, lands visit with freshman standout transfer safety

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.

Wisconsin extended an offer to Northern Illinois transfer safety Santana Banner on Tuesday.

The standout redshirt freshman is also reportedly set to take an official visit to the program.

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

Banner entered the transfer portal earlier this week after two years at Northern Illinois. He broke out in 2024, recording 54 total tackles, one forced fumble, one interception and four pass deflections.

The talented safety finished second on the team in tackles, just one behind senior linebacker Jaden Dolphin (55) — that on a Northern Illinois team that handed top-ranked Notre Dame its only loss of the regular season.

Banner enters the portal with three years of eligibility remaining.

Wisconsin is one of several programs reportedly in hot pursuit of the standout underclassman, along with Cincinnati, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Missouri.

The Badgers have a big void at safety entering 2025 with Hunter Wohler off to the NFL draft and several underclassmen gone to the portal.

The team needs both starters and depth at the position. Banner’s current trajectory points toward him being the former.

For more on Wisconsin’s latest offers and visits with the portal window now open, bookmark our offer and interest tracker.

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Minnesota in pursuit of Wisconsin top transfer wide receiver

Minnesota in pursuit of Wisconsin top transfer wide receiver

The Minnesota Golden Gophers extended an offer to Wisconsin transfer wide receiver Trech Kekahuna on Tuesday.

The offer follows Kekahuna’s recent decision to enter the portal after playing two years with the Badgers. He is one of 15 Wisconsin scholarship players (17 overall) to enter since the portal officially opened on Monday.

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

The speedy slot receiver caught 25 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns for the Badgers in 2024. His role was somewhat limited throughout the season as veteran Will Pauling dominated snaps and touches at the position.

Kekahuna’s best outing was a six-catch, 134-yard, 2-touchdown game against Purdue on Oct. 5. The breakout gave a glimpse at what he’s capable of with top-end speed and ability.

https://twitter.com/trechkekahuna/status/1866501104441438345

Kekahuna departed the Badgers’ wide receiver room as the program changes its offensive system under new coordinator Jeff Grimes. Wisconsin’s passing offense ranked No. 14 in the Big Ten in 2024 despite Phil Longo’s air raid approach.

Minnesota, meanwhile, ranked No. 10 led by veteran quarterback Max Brosmer.

Kekahuna garnering significant interest is not a big story. He shouldn’t have trouble finding a strong destination to play his remaining years of eligibility. The story is Minnesota’s pursuit. Wisconsin-to-Minnesota transfers, or vise versa, are incredibly rare — that’s what made Markus Allen’s jump back and forth between the programs in 2022 such a surprise.

Kekahuna also has announced offers from Arizona, Washington State, New Mexico State, UNLV, San Jose State, Wyoming, Houston, UConn, Hawaii, Utah, East Carolina, Michigan State, NC State and Iowa State. There is no shortage of interest. We’ll see if Minnesota can win the recruiting battle.

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Wisconsin offers, lands visit with veteran FCS transfer linebacker

Wisconsin offers, lands visit with veteran FCS transfer linebacker

Wisconsin extended an offer to Chattanooga transfer linebacker Alex Mitchell when the transfer portal opened on Monday.

247Sports’ Matt Zenitz then reported that Mitchell will ‘visit Wisconsin next week.’

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

The veteran transfer linebacker tallied 101 tackles, two sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions and four pass deflections as Chattanooga’s leading defender in 2024.

He originally joined the program as an unranked linebacker in the class of 2022. He began by making the Southern Conference All-Freshman team in 2022, before fully breaking out in 2023.

That 2023 campaign included 78 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles, an interception and three pass deflections. His ascension only continued in 2024, as he finished third in the Southern Conference in tackles.

Mitchell would fill Wisconsin’s need at inside linebacker. 2024 starters Jake Chaney and Jaheim Thomas are both gone entering 2025. That leaves Christian Alliegro as a likely starter, with an open space next to him. Former USC transfer Tackett Curtis was a highly-rated recruit, though he still appears far from ready to capture a starting role.

Mitchell is one of a few transfers with confirmed visits to Wisconsin. For more, bookmark our Wisconsin transfer offer, visit and interest tracker.

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Former Wisconsin defensive lineman heavily pursued upon transfer portal entry

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman heavily-pursued upon transfer portal entry

Former Wisconsin defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. picked up a collection of major offers after entering the transfer portal on Monday.

Thompson Jr. had expressed his intent to enter the portal on Dec. 4. This activity follows the portal opening on Dec. 9. He is one of 14 Badger scholarship players to enter and one of 16 overall from the program.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal tracker

His early wave of offers came from Illinois, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Cal, Stanford and Auburn. The heightened interest isn’t a surprise given Thompson Jr.’s experience and the premium put on depth and experience at the position.

The veteran lineman played five seasons with the Badgers. He was a standout in both 2022 and 2023, playing in all 26 games over that time and recording 52 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two pass deflections and a fumble recovery.

Thompson Jr. missed most of the 2024 season with a torn pectoral muscle suffered during the preseason. He returned for the Badgers’ Week 13 loss to Nebraska, though he only played seven snaps. He didn’t play in the finale against Minnesota.

His and starting defensive lineman Curt Neal’s transfer departures create a glaring area of need for the Badgers this offseason. The program is losing most of its key contributors at the position on a defensive line that struggled against some of the top teams on the schedule.

Thompson Jr. appears set to find a strong destination for his final season of eligibility, following in the footsteps of former Badger linemen Rodas Johnson and Gio Paez. It will be worth monitoring where he ends up, and what Wisconsin is able to do at the position entering 2025.

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Wisconsin football offers standout all-MAC transfer cornerback

Wisconsin offers standout Miami (OH) transfer cornerback

Wisconsin extended an offer to Miami (OH) transfer cornerback Raion Strader on Monday.

Strader is the program’s second public transfer offer, joining Louisville edge rusher Mason Reiger. Both offers follow the portal officially opening on Dec. 9.

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

The standout cornerback entered the portal after two years with the Redhawks. He played 13 games as a true freshman in 2023, recording 57 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception and 13 pass deflections. He then earned first-team All-MAC honors with a stellar 2024 campaign, finishing with 53 tackles, two interceptions and an NCAA-leading 18 pass deflections.

Wisconsin extends the offer after seeing a majority of its cornerback room transfer out in the last few weeks. Star Ricardo Hallman may still return for another season, but the position has quickly become one of the biggest needs on the team.

The Badgers have found recent success adding experienced cornerbacks from mid-major or D-II programs. 2024 starter Nyzier Fourqurean transferred in from Grand Valley State and has a terrific impact.

Strader’s production and accolades highlight him as a potential top cornerback option in the transfer portal. A commitment would be big news for a Badgers defense that needs a boost.

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Florida offers Arizona WR commit, official visit in the works

Florida is looking to add another receiver to its recruiting class of 2025 and recently offered Arizona commit Muizz Tounkara out of Texas.

Florida is still adding names to its 2025 recruiting board, including Arizona wide receiver commit [autotag]Muizz Tounkara[/autotag], according to Gators Online.

The Texas native who played out of Clear Springs in League City, picked up an offer from the Gators on Halloween and is planning an official visit to The Swamp. Tounkara says that he plans to travel to Gainesville on Nov. 23 for Florida’s final home game against Ole Miss.

“The Gators have been in contact with me for about a week now,” Tounkara told On3 last weekend. “Joe Hamilton, Billy Napier and Coach (Billy) Gonzales. (Gonzales) is telling me they need a big-body receiver that can stretch the field and make plays on special teams, too.”

The push for Tounkara comes after West Broward receiver Joshua Moore flipped his commitment from Florida to Miami. The Gators still have a pair of four-star receivers under commitment, but they play a different style at the position.

Tounkara considers and offer from an SEC team such as Florida to be a difference maker, one that would have him heavily considering backing off his verbal commitment to Arizona.

Recruiting Summary

A consensus three-star recruit, Tounkara is ranked the highest by 247Sports at No. 92 among wide receivers in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite has him at No. 829 overall and No. 128 at this position, while the On3 composite puts him at Nos. 818 and 128, respectively.

Arkansas currently leads the On3 recruiting prediction machine with 22.9% of the prediction, closely followed by Kansas (20.1%) and Vanderbilt (17.2%). Arizona still holds 14.3% of the prediction thanks to his verbal commitment.

Here’s what 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks has to say about him:

“Tall, long, lean, and athletic with a longer stride and corresponding build-up speed that influences field-stretching ability and return game juice. Experience in all three phases with snaps at corner facing Texas 6A competition in Houston metro.

“Capable of winning contested throws in traffic thanks to frame, high-pointing acumen, and body control in the air. Capable of go-get-it grabs against overmatched high school defenders.

“Looks tough on tape with willingness to work the middle of the field and affect the screen / perimeter run games as a blocker. Still honing route-running snap/technique, but possesses the twitch to foster consistent late-separating ability and top-of-the-route pop.”

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Wisconsin class of 2025 commit receives offer from top Big Ten rival

Wisconsin class of 2025 commit receives offer from top Big Ten rival

Wisconsin class of 2025 commit Nolan Davenport received an offer from Big Ten rival Michigan earlier this week.

Davenport committed to the Badgers back on June 6 after taking an official visit during the program’s busy May 31 weekend. He chose Wisconsin over other top contenders Missouri and Penn State — Missouri being the only other he took an official visit to (June 21).

Related: Wisconsin Badgers football class of 2025 commitment tracker

The three-star offensive tackle is currently ranked by 247Sports as the No. 716 player in the class of 2025, No. 54 offensive tackle and No. 27 recruit from his home state of Ohio.

Michigan extending this late offer is certainly noteworthy. It could signal that Davenport is regarded better than his recruiting ranking indicates. It also sees a premier national brand with excellent history at the position enter the fray — which sometimes can mean bad news for the Badgers.

Wisconsin will look to keep Davenport in its class of 2025 as the weeks and months pass before the class becomes official.

Luke Fickell’s class currently ranks No. 28 in the nation with 23 players committed. The group is a strong follow-up to a program-best class of 2024 output — one that has already made a significant on-field impact (CB Xavier Lucas, RB Darrion Dupree, OT Kevin Heywood).

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