Wisconsin and Luke Fickell have attacked the transfer portal this offseason, now with 13 total commitments and the No. 13-ranked transfer class in the country.
One clear area of need was linebacker. Starters Jordan Turner and Maema Njongmeta entered the portal and declared for the NFL draft respectively, plus several outside linebackers either switched positions or left the program.
As a result, the Badgers have commitments from six linebackers in the transfer class: former Arkansas LB Jaheim Thomas, former USC LB Tackett Curtis, former UNI LB Jahsiah Galvin, former UNC LB Sebastian Cheeks, former William & Mary OLB John Pius and former Syracuse OLB Leon Lowery.
The three highest-rated by On3 are Pius at 91.69, Curtis at 91.59 and Thomas at 91.54. They are three of the top five linebackers in the portal, behind only former Georgia ILB Jamon Dumas-Johnson and former Arkansas LB Chris Paul Jr.
The Top 5 LBs in the transfer portal (via @On3sports):
1. Jamon Dumas-Johnson – 92.78
2. Chris Paul Jr. – 91.72
3. John Pius – 91.69
4. Tackett Curtis – 91.59
5. Jaheim Thomas – 91.54Pius, Curtis, and Thomas are ALL going to Wisconsin.
The Badgers are reloading.
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) January 9, 2024
Wisconsin needs a lot to turn around in 2024 for the year to turn out differently than 2023 did. A successful portal class is the first step, and it looks like Fickell and his staff have addressed the team’s needs effectively.