Tag: Tawee Walker

Wisconsin running back announces transfer commitment

Wisconsin starting running back announces transfer commitment

Former Wisconsin starting running back Tawee Walker committed to Cincinnati on Monday.

Walker, who suited up for one season as UW’s starting running back, entered the transfer portal on Dec. 23. Two weeks later, he announced his decision to play his final season of college football for the Bearcats.

The California native becomes the fourth high-profile offensive player to announce their transfer commitment, joining wide receiver Will Pauling (Notre Dame), wide receiver C.J. Williams (Stanford) and quarterback Braedyn Locke (Arizona).

Walker began his college career at Palomar Junior College in California in 2021. After 1,189 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns with the Comets, he transferred to Oklahoma for his sophomore and junior years.

He appeared in 23 games with the Sooners from 2022-23 and amassed 120 carries for 575 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Walker’s latest season in Madison was easily his best, As Braelon Allen’s replacement, Walker rushed for 864 yards and 10 touchdowns on 190 carries in 2024.

Wisconsin will turn to rising sophomore Darrion Dupree to fill Walker’s shoes this season. Veteran Cade Yacamelli and redshirt freshman Dilin Jones complete the depth chart at the position barring any transfer movement.

For more on where other former Wisconsin Badgers landed, bookmark our 2024 transfer departure tracker.

Former Wisconsin starting running back set to visit SEC power

Former Wisconsin starting running back set to visit SEC power

Former Wisconsin running back Tawee Walker is receiving high-profile transfer interest.

The former Badgers starter is setting up official visits to both Georgia and Cincinnati, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

Related: Where Wisconsin football transfers have signed so far

Walker is in the portal after one year with the Badgers. He was granted an extra year of eligibility for the season he spent at Palomar Junior College. He entered the portal on Dec. 24, looking for a new destination to play that final year.

Walker tallied 864 yards and 10 touchdowns on 190 carries in his one season with the Badgers. Those numbers follow totals of 120 carries for 575 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons at Oklahoma.

Georgia is reportedly entering the mix for Walker as it prepares for its College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Notre Dame. The program is highlighting running back as a need with starter Trevor Etienne likely gone to the NFL draft after the Bulldogs’ playoff run concludes.

Wisconsin will enter 2025 with sophomore Darrion Dupree and redshirt junior Cade Yacamelli leading the running back room. Both excelled in limited action in 2024. Walker commanded the majority of the carries. Dupree took 79 carries for 317 yards and a touchdown, while Yacamelli tallied 274 yards and two touchdowns on just 33 carries.

The Badgers are well-stocked at the position after several years of strong recruiting efforts. Still, it will be interesting to watch Walker in his final year — especially if it is at a leading SEC power in Georgia.

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Wisconsin starting running back enters NCAA transfer portal

Wisconsin starting running back enters NCAA transfer portal

Wisconsin running back Tawee Walker entered the transfer portal on Monday.

He is the 24th Wisconsin scholarship player to enter the portal and the 26th overall. He enters with one year of eligibility remaining: the extra year he was recently awarded after the NCAA granted waivers to former junior college transfers.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Walker spent his freshman season at Palomar Junior College in California before transferring to Oklahoma for his sophomore and junior years. He appeared in 23 games with the Sooners over two seasons, taking 120 carries for 575 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

The veteran transferred to Wisconsin for the 2024 campaign. He took over the starting job after program great Braelon Allen moved on to the NFL. Walker performed well in his only season with the Badgers, rushing for 864 yards and 10 touchdowns on 190 carries.

Wisconsin is set to enter 2025 with rising sophomore Darrion Dupree leading the running back room. Dupree will likely be followed by veteran Cade Yacamelli and redshirt freshman Dilin Jones.

It can be assumed the Badgers entered the offseason without Walker in their 2025 plans. He had exhausted his four years of eligibility until a recent ruling in a court case prohibited the NCAA from counting junior college seasons against a player’s four years of eligibility.

That gave Walker the extra year, a season he will spend elsewhere.

For where he and other former Badgers end up, bookmark our 2024 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.

Six Wisconsin Badgers receive 2024 All-Big Ten honors

Six Wisconsin Badgers receive 2024 All-Big Ten honors

A total of six Wisconsin Badgers earned All-Big Ten honors for their contributions during the 2024 season on Tuesday.

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Joe Huber pocketed third-team all-Big Ten honors, and five other UW playmakers were awarded honorable mention All-Big Ten by media coaches.

The honorable mention group includes safety Hunter Wohler, cornerback Ricardo Hallman, offensive lineman Jack Nelson, running back Tawee Walker and punter Atticus Bertrams. This is the second consecutive season Hallman and Wohler earned Big Ten accolades after the defensive back duo landed on All-Big Ten squads in 2023.

Huber started in all 12 games of UW’s 2024 season and helped Wisconsin allow just 13.0 sacks and 47.0 tackles for loss, both top five in the conference, per UW Athletics.

Wohler captained the Badgers this season with 71 tackles, the fifth-most among Big Ten defensive backs. Nelson, another mainstay in Wisconsin’s offensive line alongside Huber, allowed just one sack and eight pressures this season, per PFF. Both Wohler and Nelson accepted invitations to the 2025 Senior Bowl on Wednesday.

Hallman, fresh off an All-Big Ten third team nod in 2023, recorded 16 tackles for Wisconsin this year, while Walker finished with 864 yards and 10 touchdowns to pace UW’s backfield.

To round out Wisconsin’s 2024 postseason accolades, Bertrams recorded a 45.3 punting average as a sophomore, the second-best mark in the Big Ten.

Huber, Nelson, Wohler, Walker and Hallman were all celebrated on Wisconsin’s senior day on Nov. 29. Other than Bertrams, the entire group of all-conference honorees has likely played their final games at Wisconsin.

Photo gallery from Wisconsin football’s narrow loss to No. 1 Oregon

Best photos from Wisconsin’s narrow loss to No. 1 Oregon in Week 12

The Wisconsin Badgers lost to No. 1 Oregon 16-13 on Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium. The loss marked Wisconsin’s third in a row, as the team is now 5-5 on the season and 3-4 in Big Ten play.

The Badgers looked markedly better on the defensive side of the ball versus the Ducks, limiting the No. 1 team in the country to a season-low 16 total points. That output came thanks to big plays in key moments, starting with Nyzier Fourqurean’s interception off Dillon Gabriel in the first quarter.

Wisconsin entered the halftime break up 10-6, in a strong position to pull the upset win.

The Badgers then got a stop to open the second half before embarking on a nearly nine-minute, 16-play drive that ended with a field goal. It expanded Wisconsin’s lead to 13-6, which remained the score to open the fourth quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Gabriel was able to complete a 15-yard pass to tight end Terrance Ferguson to convert a fourth-and-nine. The Ducks finished off the drive with a touchdown on the ground by running back Jordan James, knotting the game up at 13-13.

Oregon later added a field goal with less than three minutes left in the game and the Badgers weren’t able to answer, falling 16-13.

Wisconsin will now travel to face Nebraska at Lincoln Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. In the meantime, here some of the best photos from Wisconsin’s almost historic upset against the Ducks:

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes: Series history, all-time record

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes: Series history, all-time record

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) travel to face the Iowa Hawkeyes (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT. It will be the 98th all-time meeting between the two programs, who will go to battle for the Heartland Trophy.

The Badgers own a slight all-time advantage, going 49-46-2 against the Hawkeyes. That being said, Wisconsin has dropped back-to-back matchups against Iowa for the first time since 2008-2009.

The Hawkeyes defeated the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium 15-6 in 2023, a game in which Braedyn Locke had to replace starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai after Mordecai suffered a broken hand.

Iowa was forced to go to their backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan in Week 9 against Northwestern, defeating the Wildcats 40-14. Starter Cade McNamara has been ruled out for Week 10 against the Badgers, so Sullivan will draw another start. Formerly a member of the Wildcats, Sullivan transferred to Iowa prior to this season, but he has faced Wisconsin in the past, completing 11 of 17 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in a 42-7 loss to the Badgers in 2022.

Wisconsin saw its three-game win streak come to an end in Week 9, falling to No. 3 Penn State at home 28-13. Tawee Walker was limited to just 59 rushing yards on 22 carries, his lowest total since becoming the team’s primary option in the backfield. The Badgers are now 3-2 in the Big Ten so far this season, currently tied for fourth place with five teams in the conference, including Iowa.

Photo gallery from Wisconsin’s loss to No. 3 Penn State

Photo gallery from Wisconsin’s loss to No. 3 Penn State

Wisconsin fell to No. 3 Penn State 28-13 on Saturday.

The loss halts the Badgers’ momentum after it entered the contest riding a three-game winning streak. The Nittany Lions were favored in the game and picked by many to win, but the loss still delivers a deflating blow to the Badgers’ rest-of-season outlook.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin’s tough loss to Penn State

A big part of that deflating impact was the context surrounding the loss. Wisconsin led 10-7 at halftime before the scales tipped in the opposite direction. Saturday will feel like a significant missed opportunity for a Wisconsin program badly in need of a signature win to kickstart the Luke Fickell era.

The Badgers are now 0-5 against ranked opponents since Fickell took over in 2023. That mark tells the story.

Before the team changes attention to its Week 10 trip to rival Iowa, here is a look at some of the best photos from the tough primetime loss:

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions: Series history, all-time record

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions: Series history, all-time record

The Wisconsin Badgers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) host No. 3 Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT. It will be the 21st all-time meeting between the two programs.

The Badgers have gone 9-11 in the team’s 20 previous matchups with the Nittany Lions, dropping five in a row and seven of eight overall. The last time the two teams faced each other was in Week 1 of the 2021 season, with Penn State winning 16-10 in Madison.

In that contest, running back Chez Mellusi churned out 132 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries for Wisconsin, while quarterback Graham Mertz completed 22 of 37 passes for 185 yards, also throwing two interceptions.

On the other side, quarterback Sean Clifford completed 18 of 33 pass attempts for 247 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson reeled in five catches for 102 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Wisconsin traveled to the Penn State goal line trailing 16-10 with one minute remaining in the game. The Badgers failed to score, and fell by that same margin.

Penn State was idle in Week 8 of the college football season after defeating USC 33-30 in overtime in Week 7. The Nittany Lions trailed by 14 points in the second half before coming back to win. Quarterback Drew Allar finished his day with 391 passing yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

The Badgers were able to extend their win streak to three in a row last Saturday, knocking off Northwestern 23-3 on the road. Running back Tawee Walker compiled 126 rushing yards on 23 carries while quarterback Braedyn Locke produced 160 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception while completing 14 of 24 passes.

Wisconsin is now 3-1 in the Big Ten so far this year and currently sit in fifth place in the conference.

Best photos from Wisconsin’s win over Northwestern Wildcats

Best photos from Wisconsin’s convincing win over Northwestern Wildcats

The Wisconsin Badgers defeated Northwestern 23-3 on the road Saturday afternoon in Evanston, Illinois. The victory was Wisconsin’s third in a row — and was revenge for their 24-10 defeat at the hands of the Wildcats in 2023.

It wasn’t the prettiest of contests, but Wisconsin took advantage of some critical mistakes by Northwestern, most notably recovering a fumble within the five-yard line with less than a minute left in the first half. Cade Yacamelli ultimately punched it in for a score, giving the Badgers a 14-0 halftime advantage. Additionally, the Wisconsin defense blocked a field goal and recorded a safety in the victory.

As a whole, the Badgers compiled 199 rushing yards in the game, with Tawee Walker leading the way with 23 carries for 123 yards. Quarterback Braedyn Locke completed 14 of 24 passes while recording a touchdown and an interception against the Wildcats.

Mike Tressel’s defense held Northwestern to 209 total yards, limiting quarterback Jack Lausch to a miniscule 82 passing yards while completing nine of 24 passes.

The Badgers will have a massive contest with No. 3 Penn State at home in Week 9 as they’ll attempt to pull off the upset and secure their fourth consecutive victory. In the meantime, here are some of the best photos from Wisconsin’s convincing win in Evanston:

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Northwestern Wildcats: Series history, all-time record

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Northwestern Wildcats: Series history, all-time record

The Wisconsin Badgers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) travel to face the Northwestern Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) in Evanston, Illinois on Saturday at noon ET, 11:00 a.m. CT. It will be the 106th all-time meeting between the two storied prodgrams.

The Badgers own the all-time advantage, posting a 61-39-5 record against the Wildcats. Facing Northwestern on the road, however, has been quite the challenge in recent history. Since 2003, Wisconsin has gone 2-6 in games in Evanston — though they did win their most recent road matchup 42-7 in 2022.

The Wildcats pulled off a dominant 24-10 win over the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium in 2023. Many describe the contest as the low point for Wisconsin in Luke Fickell’s first campaign as head coach.

Northwestern most recently defeated Maryland 37-10 on the road in Week 7, snapping a two-game losing skid. Maryland out-gained the Wildcats 355 yards to 283, but the Terrapins turned the ball over four times, opening the door for Northwestern to take advantage.

Wisconsin, on the other hand, dominated Rutgers on the road last week, defeating the Scarlet Knights 42-7. Tawee Walker compiled 198 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries and he’s now scored eight times over his last three games. The Badgers are 2-1 in the Big Ten so far this season and currently sit in ninth place in the conference.