The transfer portal officially opened on Dec. 4, and there has been plenty of movement and action in the world of college football. From a Wisconsin lens, the Badgers have added a commitment, extended a handful of offers but also lost players to the portal.
BadgerBlitz.com brings you our weekly "3-2-1" series, honing in on the Week 1 of the transfer portal for UW.
THREE THINGS WE LEARNED DURING WEEK 1 OF THE PORTAL
1. Outside linebacker was a significant area of need
BadgerBlitz.com took a look at Wisconsin's transfer portal needs in late October. Outside linebacker was not at the top of our list, but it may have been for the UW coaching staff.
Last weekend, the Badgers immediately went after Leon Lowery, a transfer from Syracuse. The ups and downs in his portal recruitment were well documented, but the 6-foot-4, 240-pound junior is back on Wisconsin's commit list. Lowery accumulated 71 total tackles, including 13.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks over the last two seasons with the Orange. He has two years of eligibility remaining with the Badgers.
This weekend, the staff is currently hosting John Pius, another edge prospect from William & Mary. Wisconsin offered Pius, a first-team all-conference pick over the last two seasons, on Saturday. It wouldn't be surprising to see him join Lowery in the near future. Should the Badgers have to go beyond Pius, Louisiana Lafayette's Kendre Gant could be next in line.
After the bowl game against LSU, Wisconsin will lose starting outside linebacker C.J. Goetz to graduation. The group will return Darryl Peterson, Jeff Pietrowski and Kaden Johnson from the current two-deep, but immediate help is needed on the edge. Matt Mitchell’s entire room generated just 9.5 sacks through 12 games this fall. Nick Herbig had 11.5 by himself in 2022.
Lowery and Pius would provide an immediate upgrade on the edge with their ability to disrupt action in the backfield.
