With the transfer portal window set to close on Wednesday evening, BadgerBlitz.com contributors Benjamin Worgull, Matt Perkins and Jon McNamara provided their insight on Wisconsin's transfer group.

Worgull: Wisconsin just doesn’t attract wide receivers like CJ Williams, a former top-50 recruit with the size to create matchup problems, speed to challenge defenders vertically, and a polished route runner with a large catch radius. Those kinds of recruits didn’t want to come to a school that was known for running the ball. Offensive coordinator Phil Longo wants to use multiple skill position players as weapons to do a multitude of things within the offense, which rewards skilled players. That’s Williams, who immediately reshapes the image of what the Badgers can be in the passing game.

Perkins: You could put the former SMU and Oklahoma quarterback Tanner Mordecai in the ‘Most Needed’ and ‘Most Likely to Play Early’ categories, but I’ll leave him here as he’s the headliner. Mordecai has proven he can perform at a high level, and he and put up huge numbers in two years as the starter at SMU. He’s clearly adept in an Air Raid system, making him a great fit with Longo.

McNamara: Williams and Mordecai are great picks, but I'm going with Jake Renfro, a plug-and-play transfer from Cincinnati. The former all-conference pick had plenty of interest while in the portal but was ultimately focused on Wisconsin and LSU. Renfro should slide in and start at center for the Badgers right away this spring.

Worgull: Whether Mordecai is considered a portal commitment or a graduate transfer is arguing semantics. The fact is that the Badgers brought in an established quarterback with collegiate experience who knows how to efficiently run an RPO offense. Even though fans were drooling over Nick Evers, the former four-star quarterback is young and inexperienced as a college quarterback. This commitment gives the position instant credibility moving forward with a player who has passed for 7,152 yards and 72 touchdowns in the last two seasons.

Perkins: Is it cheating to pick a specialist? Maybe, but frankly, I don’t care. Nathanial Vakos immediately becomes the most proven Badgers kicker since Rafael Gaglianone and should help not only prevent punting from the opposing 38-yard line but also get an edge in tight games. Throw in the addition of an actual special teams coach in Mike Mitchell and you should expect a unit that can be an additive force in 2023, not a subtractive one.

McNamara: Mordecai will be a starter at quarterback from Day 1, if healthy, and Vakos is on scholarship. But I'll go on the other side of the ball and pick Jason Maitre, a transfer from Boston College. The sixth-year projected nickel back should step into a starting role right away and provide a veteran presence to a group that lost three players to graduation from the 2022 roster.

Worgull: There’s a lot of star power in this portal haul, which has developed the depth at the wide receiver position, but Will Pauling had a solid second season at Cincinnati out of the slot. Ninety percent of his routes were from that spot in 2022 (54 of 60) and had only 11 catches on 20 targets, but Pauling graded out well against No.19 Arkansas (69.3) and exceptional against No.19 Tulane (91.8). I'll be interested to see how he fits with the deep group but Pauling has a skill set tailored for that slot spot.

Perkins: I love Darian Varner’s versatility along the defensive line and think he will be a true disruptor. At Temple, he lined up everywhere from wide nine to head up on the center, depending on the down and distance, and was able to make plays no matter what. He’s also a great complement to what the Badgers already have in Rodas Johnson, James Thompson and Isaiah Mullens, as he brings more of a speed element than the more physically imposing players on the current roster. He won’t lead the team in sacks (that’ll be Darryl Peterson), but he’ll be a dangerous pass rusher who gets key run stop in the backfield as well.

McNamara: Bryson Green and CJ Williams are the headliners at receiver, and Will Pauling is an intriguing option in the slot and return game. That said, Quincy Burroughs could be a sleeper in this class. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, the former Cincinnati receiver brings a nice blend of size and speed to the position. He's also someone assistant coach Mike Brown is familiar with during his time with the Bearcats. Burroughs may not make a huge impact immediately, but he could be someone who turns heads after a year or two in the program.

Worgull: There are many candidates that can be listed here, but I’m going to choose Nick Evers because a) he was the first portal commit for Luke Fickell b) his talent and untapped potential are phenomenal and c) his commitment gave the new Badgers coaching staff and the program immediate credibility, choosing this staff over, as he said, “two other Pac12 schools, two other Big Ten schools, one SEC school, and two Big 12 schools.”

Across his final two years in high school, Evers threw for nearly 5,000 yards and 44 touchdowns and rushed for 18 scores. During his senior season, he rushed for 648 yards. Skill position players aren’t fools, wanting to play for a dynamic quarterback who can get them the ball. Evers just might be that guy.

Perkins: The past two seasons of Wisconsin offensive line play are arguably the two worst campaigns of the 21st century. Add in switching to a completely new offensive scheme and the departure of Joe Tippmann to the NFL draft, and the Badgers were desperate for linemen. Jake Renfro was one of the best players available in the portal at interior OL, and his familiarity with Fickell and the rest of the staff that came over from Cincinnati can only help ease the transition for both sides. You could add Joe Huber here as well, as he’s another Bearcat transfer on the offensive line, but Renfro has all-conference upside and should slide into the center position seamlessly.

McNamara: There was no bigger hole on the offseason roster than quarterback. So when Phil Longo added Tanner Mordecai, it provided an immediate bridge to Big Ten title contention in 2023 season. Moredecai was a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award each of the past two seasons.

Worgull: Wisconsin was returning a lot of bodies from the receivers room already (Markus Allen, Skyler Bell, Chimere Dike, Dean Engram, and Keontez Lewis) and the Badgers adding a former four-star receiver in CJ Williams and a couple of former Cincinnati players (Quincy Burroughs and Will Pauling) made sense. Adding Bryson Green to an already deep group was impressive.

Turning down Auburn, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss, Green played in 23 games with Oklahoma State and was third on the team in catches (36), second on the team in receiving yards (584 yards), and first in touchdown receptions (5). He had a trio of 100-yard receiving games this year: Texas (133), Texas Tech (115), and Kansas (105). He contributed as a freshman, too, recording 12 catches for 139 yards in starting six of 12 games.

Perkins: Like a lot of other people, I assumed that once the Badgers secured Evers and Mordecai that they would be set at quarterback. And on the surface, Braedyn Locke, a Mississippi State transfer, doesn’t quite fit the build of the other commitments that Longo and co. had received from the other two transfers, as well as Mabrey Mettauer. But after talking with Nick Harris, I can see why the staff was eager to get him in the building. He’s a precision passer who has a ton of poise in the pocket.

McNamara: Tough no to go with Locke here. Wisconsin appeared set in both the immediate (Mordecai) and long term (Evers and Mettauer) at quarterback, but Longo still went out and got Locke, a former four-star prospect from 2022 recruiting class. His commitment shows Wisconsin's emphasis on creating competition at each position, something that appeared to be lacking over the last few years.

Worgull: Joe Huber had no offers and no recruiting ranking coming out of Dublin (OH) Jerome. This past season, the former walk-on started all 14 games at right tackle for the Bearcats, playing 854 total snaps and earning a grade of 80.6, according to Pro Football Focus. Having grown into a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive tackle and having at least two years of eligibility remaining, Huber adds depth to a line that started eight different combinations in 13 games.

Perkins: Michigan State transfer Jeff Pietrowski is the only player that the Badgers acquired that has proven Big Ten production. He was outstanding in a rotational role as a sophomore in 2021, picking up five and a half sacks. Despite losing most of the past season to injury, he’s still got a ton of upside as a versatile edge piece in Mike Tressel’s 3-3-5.

McNamara: I like Ben's pick here. Huber could step in right away and start at guard in 2023. He also adds some positional versatility for the Badgers and first-year position coach Jack Bicknell Jr.

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