With plenty of players already having bid Madison farewell to seek greener pastures, and the transfer portal window officially open as of Monday, Dec. 9, one of the most hectic portions of the college football calendar is upon us.

Wisconsin will once again have to tap into the transfer portal to replenish its ranks and attempt to strengthen its weaker positions. Luke Fickell's first two transfer portal hauls left a lot to be desired, and this winter's transfer class will be critical in fortifying the roster for a massively important 2025 season.

With that in mind, BadgerBlitz.com ranks Wisconsin's transfer portal needs by position below:

Braedyn Locke's entry into the portal on Wednesday solidified quarterback as Wisconsin's top transfer portal need. Just three scholarship gunslingers remain on the Badgers' roster, two of whom will be true freshman in 2025.

Locke's departure signifies a couple of things. For one, it indicates that the coaching staff wanted to move in a new direction, as there seemed to be a possibility Locke would stay in Madison even under the new offensive regime. Secondly, it now opens the door for Wisconsin to target multiple quarterbacks via the portal. The Badgers carried four scholarship gunslingers in 2024, and five in 2023, the first two seasons of Fickell's tenure. Considering, however, that two of Wisconsin's signal callers will be true freshman and one will be a redshirt freshman in 2025 (assuming Mabrey Mettauer hangs around, which seems increasingly unlikely), the lack of experience may call for a fifth scholarship arm for the new quarterbacks coach to work with.

Known portal offers: N/A

Just like a season ago, defensive line tops the Badgers' list of needs via the portal. Wisconsin's defensive line play was mediocre to poor all season long, and the only player whose performance didn't leave a lot to be desired (Albany transfer Elijah Hills) is out of eligibility.

With that, Wisconsin needs to reload, and fast. Easier said than done, of course, given the fact that nearly every school needs defensive linemen and the demand heavily outweighs the supply. Ben Barten is the only potential returnee with significant game experience, and while he certainly developed as the season wore on, the Badgers need more talent along the defensive front. Otherwise, this room will rely heavily on its young players.

Known portal offers: Langden Kitchen, David Blay, Corey Walker, Joshua Donald