MADISON, Wis. – Darian Varner thought he was all set.

One of the hundreds of players who put their name in the transfer portal in late November, Varner thought he found his new home at Virginia Tech. It was a step up in competition, moving from the AAC to the ACC, offered him early playing time, and was close to his home in Norfolk, Virginia.

Then Wisconsin came calling, and everything changed.

“The program has great history,” Varner told BadgerBlitz.com. “I’m familiar with the system and it’s something I wanted to be a part of.”

Varner switched his commitment to Wisconsin during his official visit to Madison this week. Even though he signed with the Hokies, NCAA rules legislate that national letters of intent are non-binding with transfer recruits until they attend classes.

Both Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel have highlighted the lack of depth along the defensive line as a concern. Starting nose tackle Keeanu Benton is off to the NFL, leaving senior Isaiah Mullens, juniors Rodas Johnson and Gio Paez, and sophomore James Thompson Jr. as the returnees with experience. Varner’s arrival immediately bolsters the group.

“I am bringing versatility,” said the 6-2, 260-pound Varner. “I can play all three positions and possibly some edge rusher. The defense is familiar to me and includes a lot stuff I’m doing now.”

Voted a captain by his Temple teammates, the sophomore had 35 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. Against Tulsa in October, Varner recorded a 3.5 sack performance, a career-best, with 5.5 total tackles. He finished tied 16th nationally in sacks per game, earning first-team all-conference recognition.

“I felt I could play at a higher level,” Varner said. “That’s the main reason why I entered the portal.”

UW has currently landed four players from the transfer portal under Fickell: Lake Erie College defensive lineman Manny Mullens, Oklahoma quarterback Nick Evers, Boston College defensive back Jason Maitre, and SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai.

Varner will arrive in time to be a participant in spring practices.

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