MADISON, Wis. – Parker Petersen was ready to bet on himself.

Thriving in his first opportunity to play at the college level, the 6-4, 300-pound Petersen wanted to spend his last college season in a situation where he could compete at the highest level, prepare himself for a professional opportunity, and leave a tangible impact.

Petersen and Wisconsin hope all those boxes get checked in 2025.

The Nashville native announced his intentions to transfer to the Badgers for his final year of eligibility. He joins tight end Tanner Koziol (Ball State) and outside linebacker Mason Reiger (Louisville) as known transfers to join Wisconsin this offseason.

“Wisconsin was always one of those schools that stood out to me,” Petersen told BadgerBlitz.com. “As a kid, J.J. Watt was an idol of mine. It was a very personal decision for me, and them being the first school that reached out to me to express that interest was an opportunity I just could not pass up.”

One of the many former high school prospects who saw their recruitment impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, Petersen’s best scholarship opportunities came from the MAC. He settled on Tulane and appeared in one game his first two seasons before a breakout junior season.

Playing for a team that advanced to the American Athletic Conference championship, Petersen registered 21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus rated him as one of the top interior defensive linemen in the American Athletic Conference.

“Ultimately what pushed me to go into the portal is I have one year of football left and I see it as a God-given opportunity to take a step back and where I have elevated myself to with the performance in my game,” Petersen said. “It’s ultimately where can I go that I think I can play on a bigger stage and live out a childhood dream of mine to play football in a Power-Four program.”

Imagine Petersen’s surprise that his name in the portal attracted the major-conference interest he missed in high school. Petersen said Auburn, Notre Dame, and USC were the most interested, but the Badgers’ early interest pushed them to the forefront.

Petersen had other visits scheduled but canceled them when his visit to UW’s campus exceeded his dream expectations.

“I just want to play football,” he said. “I am not really interested in all the bells and whistles of traveling the country and getting to see these places. That’s fantastic and I love doing that, but I just want to find a spot that’s a great fit for me. Going in and understanding my role there, Wisconsin was a no-brainer.”

“I knew that it would be very hard for another school to match my level of interest in Wisconsin and the path that they paved for me with my role coming in.”

Depth on the defensive line was a critical area for Wisconsin and position coach E.J. Whitlow to address once the transfer portal opened. The Badgers saw their top player from 2024, Elijah Hills, exhaust his eligibility, and projected 2025 starters - James Thompson Jr. and Curt Neal - enter the portal. It’s a possibility that fifth-year senior Ben Barten could also leave the program, leaving the Badgers with little returning experience at a position that underwhelmed last season.

The Wisconsin staff told Petersen he’d fill Neal’s spot at nose tackle and play a scheme like what he thrived in at Tulane.

“I know exactly where my skill set lies and that’s my initial attack off the ball, ability to stuff gaps, read an offense and find the ball, to see ball get ball,” Petersen said. “I know I play with a high motor, and I play very aggressive and fast. At the end of the day, that’s a selling point to a lot of places.”

In the wake of the Badgers finishing 5-7 and seeing their 22-year bowl streak end, Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell preached having “blind faith” in the rebuilding process. That resonated with Petersen, who believes he can do more for the program than just clogging up the middle of an offense.

“If you go in somewhere and you know you have the opportunity to build a culture and be a part of creating something special at this stage in college football, that ultimately is what the role they see for me coming in as a leader,” Petersen said. “This to me is an opportunity and it’s an opportunity for me to showcase and to prove I am going to come in and work just as hard, if not harder than anybody in the room to accomplish my goals and that’s to compete at the highest level. I want to make a name for myself and to do it at a school like Wisconsin is a dream come true. I know that I have the ability to do it.”

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