Wisconsin wide receiver Will Pauling entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.
He is the program’s 18th scholarship player to enter since the portal opened on Dec. 9. He is easily one of the highest-impact departures, having led Wisconsin in receiving the last two seasons with a combined 116 catches, 1,244 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker
Pauling transferred into the program before the 2023 campaign after two seasons at Cincinnati. He was one of several Bearcats to follow coach Luke Fickell after he took over in Wisconsin.
Pauling caught 13 passes for 128 yards in his two seasons at Cincinnati. His breakout came as the Badgers’ top wideout in 2023, tallying 74 catches for 837 yards and six touchdowns. He was a tailored fit in Phil Longo’s air raid offense and quickly became quarterback Tanner Mordecai’s go-to target.
The veteran’s 2024 campaign was not as smooth. He missed several games with an injury and played through various ailments in the season’s final weeks. His year-to-year production was cut in half as a result. The team’s inconsistent quarterback play also contributed to the decline.
Pauling enters the portal with one year of eligibility remaining.
Wisconsin WR Will Pauling has entered the portal as a grad transfer, @mzenitz and I have learned for @247Sports.
Pauling has combined for 1,244 yards and 9 touchdowns over the last two seasons. https://t.co/iTdzAvtiDc pic.twitter.com/LiBAdoa6dt
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) December 17, 2024
His move follows the Badgers’ string of portal additions. The two most noteworthy are quarterbacks Billy Edwards Jr. and Danny O’Neil, who project to enter 2025 as the team’s starter and backup, respectively.
Wisconsin has yet to make any transfer additions at wide receiver this offseason. The position is now a pressing need with both Pauling and C.J. Williams entering the portal.
For more on Wisconsin’s targets at the position, bookmark our transfer offer, visit and commitment tracker.
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