Wisconsin Badgers Transfer Portal Tracker

It's setting up to be another busy two weeks of movement on Wisconsin's roster, with transfers being announced and the coaching staff eyeing potential incoming prospects for the 2024 season and beyond. Here's a look at the Badgers who have announced they will be leaving, plus some transfers from across the country who have known offers from the coaching staff.

Follow all of the transfer portal happenings on a national scale on the brand new Transfer Tracker. It includes drop-down items specifically for the Transfer Portal in the menu bar. The Transfer Portal is already starting to heat up, but the official opening of the entry window for all players is April 15 through April 30.

The Transfer Portal Main Page is the hub where all national content will be hosted, just like for the FB Recruiting and BB Recruiting main pages. There is also a Transfer Portal Message Board, hosted on the national forums.

UPDATED ON 5/1/2024

Nick Evers, who played last season at Wisconsin after he came to UW from Oklahoma, announced on Saturday his intentions to transfer for a second time.

Evers was a four-star prospect and the fourth-ranked dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school, according to Rivals.com. He appeared in just one contest during his freshman season at Oklahoma and did not play in 2023 with the Badgers.

Evers will have three years of eligibility remaining at the school of his choice.

Committed to: Connecticut

T.J. Bollers, a former four-star prospect and one of Wisconsin's top recruiting wins over the 10 years, entered the portal on April 15.

Bollers was a reserve for the Badgers over the last three years as an outside linebacker. He appeared 16 games at UW, largely on special teams.

The Iowa native was listed as a defensive end of the spring roster.

Committed to: California

Committed to: Colorado State

Reserve wide receiver Tommy McIntosh entered the transfer portal on April 25. The former three-star prospect did not play over the last two seasons with the Badgers.

Reserve defensive lineman Mike Jarvis entered the transfer portal on April 25. The former three-star prospect did not see game action over the past three seasons.

Reserve cornerback Michael Mack II entered the transfer portal on April 30. He originally started his career at Air Force and sat out the 2023 season with the Badgers.

Reserve cornerback A.J. Tisdell entered the transfer portal on April 26. The former three-star prospect from Texas did not see game for the Badgers last season.

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Reserve offensive lineman Dylan Barrett announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on 11/29. He was listed as the back-up center at times during the 2023 season.

Committed to: Iowa State

Backup quarterback Myles Burkett announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on 11/29. He was Wisconsin's third-string quarterback this season, beating out the highly-touted Oklahoma transfer Nick Evers. Wisconsin's signal-caller situation is in flux for the time being, as Tanner Mordecai is out of eligibility. However, should Braedyn Locke and Nick Evers stick around for another year, the path to playing time for the former Franklin standout remains murky. It also wouldn't come as a surprise to see the Badgers target a quarterback in the portal this offseason.

Committed to: Albany

Reserve linebacker Ross Gengler announced his intention to enter the portal on Dec. 1. Gengler is a former in-state walk-on from the 2020 recruiting class. At UW, Gengler played in eights games on special teams in 2022 but only one in 2023.

Committed to: TBD

Chimere Dike will take his 97 career receptions for 1,478 yards and nine touchdowns with him into the portal. This last season was a down year in Phil Longo’s offense. He only posted 19 catches for 328 yards and one touchdown.

A three-star recruit coming out of high school, Dike will have one season of eligibility remaining at his school of choice.

Committed to: Florida

Wisconsin wide receiver Skyler Bell, a two-year starter for the Badgers, announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 4. This fall, Bell played in all 12 games and had 38 receptions for 296 yards and one touchdown. A year prior, he totaled 30 catches for 444 yards and five scores.

A three-star prospect coming of out high school, Bell will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at the school of his choice.

Committed to: UConn

Keontez Lewis officially entered the transfer portal on Dec. 4. The junior wide out announced his intentions in mid-September. This will be Lewis' second transfer after starting his collegiate career at UCLA. In 2022, Lewis had 20 catches for 313 yards and three touchdowns for the Badgers.

Committed to: Southern Illinois

Former walk-on Amaun Williams entered the transfer portal on Dec. 5. The reserve cornerback was not on the 2023 roster for the Badgers.

Committed to: TBD

Freshman outside linebacker Jordan Mayer entered the transfer portal on Dec. 7. He did not play as a true freshman this fall. Coming out of high school, Mayer flipped from Boston College to Wisconsin.

Committed to: Penn State (walk-on)

Trey Wedig, a former four-star in-state prospect from Kettle Moraine, entered the transfer portal on Dec. 8. Wedig played in 10 games and made eight starts in 2022. This fall, he was used in a reserve roll for the Badgers at right guard but played sparingly down the stretch.

Committed to: Indiana

Walk-on long snapper Keane Bessert entered the transfer portal on Dec. 11. The news came just minutes before fellow long snapper Cayson Pfeiffer announced his commitment to the Badgers.

Committed to: Kansas State

Jordan Turner, a starting inside linebacker for Wisconsin over the past two seasons, entered the transfer portal on Dec.13. The former three-star prospect had 129 total tackles and five sacks over the past two seasons.

The Badgers will now have to replace two of their top three inside backers in 2024 with Turner in the portal and Maema Njongmeta set to graduate. Junior Jake Chaney is expected to return and lead the unit this spring.

Committed to: Michigan State

Rodas Johnson, a starting defensive lineman for the Badgers over the past two season, entered the transfer portal on Dec. 18. The former four-star prospect had 50 total tackles for the Badgers over the last four seasons.

Committed to: Texas A&M

Darian Varner, who battled injuries this offseason and played sparingly in 2023, entered the transfer portal on Dec. 20. The veteran defensive lineman played last fall at Temple.

Committed to: Cincinnati

Nolan Rucci, a former five-star tackle in the 2021 class, entered the transfer portal on Jan. 4. He was the primary back-up to left tackle Jack Nelson over the past to seasons. Rucci did not log a start for the Badgers during his time in Madison.

Committed to: Penn State

Reserve walk-on Tommy Brunner announced his decision to enter the portal on Jan. 5. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

Committed to: Western Illinois

Walk-on offensive lineman Zack Mlsna announced his decision to enter the portal on Jan. 5. He redshirted in 2023.

Committed to: UW-La Crosse

Kaden Johnson, a former four-star prospect in the 2020 class, entered the transfer portal on Jan. 5. He was the No. 1 player in Minnesota's in-state class in that cycle.

As a reserve, Johnson racked up 22 tackles in 2022. This fall, he had just five, including one sack.

Johnson's transfer makes sense with outside linebackers Leon Lowery and John Pius joining the room via the transfer portal. Aaron Witt also saw snaps ahead of Johnson in the bowl game against LSU.

Committed to: Nevada

Reserve inside linebacker Aidan Vaughan announced his decision to transfer from Wisconsin on Jan. 6.

Vaughan's transfer makes sense with inside linebackers Jashiah Galvan, Sebastian Cheeks and Jaheim Thomas joining the room via the transfer portal.

Committed to: Liberty

Leyton Nelson, 6-foot-6 and 308 pounds, has an obvious connection to the Wisconsin program. The former three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class was recruited by and played for AJ Blazek during his time at Vanderbilt. He chose the Commodores over offers from Louisville, SMU, Florida State, Cincinnati, Miami, Rutgers, Penn State, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee, among others, coming out of high school.

Nelson appeared in one game for Vanderbilt in 2022 and 11 the following season, largely in a reserve role. The Florida native will have three years of eligibility remaining at UW.

Former Arrowhead High School standout Joey Olka announced his intentions to come back home and play for the Badgers on April 24. The former three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class spent the last two seasons at Illinois.

A projected interior lineman, Okla redshirted in 2022 and played in one game for the Illini last season. He accepted a preferred walk-on offer from UW and will has three years of eligibility remaining.

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Wisconsin received a commitment from Leon Lowery on Thursday. It was his second pledge to the Badgers in less than a week.

The Syracuse transfer committed to UW shortly after his official visit this past weekend. The following day (Monday), Lowery backed away from that decision. But on Thursday, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound projected outside linebacker rejoined Wisconsin's current portal class.

Over the last two seasons with the Orange, Lowery played in 25 games with 14 starts. He accumulated 71 total tackles, including 13.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks during that time span. He has two years of eligibility remaining with the Badgers.

Wisconsin added Cincinnati long snapper Cayson Pfeiffer on Dec. 11, just one day after his official visit with the Badgers. The veteran specialist will be on scholarship and have one year of eligibility remaining at UW. Pfeiffer will replace multi-year starter Peter Bowden, who is set to play his final game against LSU.

A two-year starter at William & Mary, John Pius visited Wisconsin officially the weekend of Dec 8, a trip that also netted a scholarship offer. On Dec. 11, the FCS All-American announced his commitment to the Badgers.

In 2021, Pius appeared in all 11 games and earned 10 starts at outside linebacker. He finished the season with 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3.5 TFL and a fumble recovery. Pius started nine games the following season and finished second in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the national defensive player of the year in the FCS. He was also an All-America first team selection by the Associated Press.

This fall, Pius recorded 9.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss for William & Mary. His overall PFF grade was an impressive 85.1 in 2023. In total, Pius racked up 115 career total tackles and 18.5 sacks for the Tribe.

Pius chose Wisconsin over offers from Cincinnati, Ball State, Coastal Carolina, Marshall and UConn. He is expected to have one year of eligibility remaining with the Badgers.

For the second year in a row, Wisconsin's starting quarterback will likely come via the transfer portal.

After the Badgers added veteran signal caller Tanner Mordecai roughly one year ago, UW went back into the portal again and secured a commitment from Tyler Van Dyke on Dec. 12. A three-year starter at Miami, Van Dyke completed 219 of his 333 attempts (65.8) for 2,703 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2023. During his career with the Hurricanes, Van Dyke threw for 7,478 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

Rivals.com ranks Van Dyke as the No. 13 quarterback in the portal. He is expected to have two years of eligibility remaining with the Badgers..

A former three-star prospect from the 2023 recruiting class, Jackson McGohan announced his decision to transfer from LSU to UW on Thursday (Dec. 14). He visited Madison officially this past weekend.

Coming out of Miamisburg High School, McGohan was named to the All-Southwest Ohio team in both 2021 and 2022. He led the Greater Western Ohio Conference with 52 catches for 941 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022.

McGohan decommitted from Cincinnati after Fickell's departure in November of 2022. He also had offers from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State and Kentucky, among others, during the course of his recruitment.

At LSU, McGohan played in eight games, largely on special teams.

Tyrell Henry, 6-foot and 175 pounds, spent the last two seasons at Michigan State. He had 24 receptions for 195 yards and three touchdowns in 2023 and is also a weapon in the return game. Henry played his prep ball in Michigan with current Wisconsin freshman Amare Snowden.

Indiana, Pittsburgh, Boston College and Minnesota, among others, also offered Henry while he as in the portal. UW has also offered transfer receivers Jaden Richardson (Tufts) and Cyrus Allen (Louisiana Tech).

A former four-star prospect coming out of Evanston High School in Illinois, Sebastian Cheeks was a top target for the Badgers in that 2022 recruiting class. An opportunity to play closer to home also factored into his decision to transfer to Wisconsin.

"It was a big part of my relocation and getting back closer to home," Cheeks said. "Wisconsin was somewhere I was familiar with, and there's not a lot of college towns like Madison. The fans have your back, the program has your back and the community has your back. Being part of that type of program means everything.

"Outside of being familiar with Madison, I really just enjoyed my conversations with the coaches. They talked about their vision for me and the impact I can have within the program. I can not only be developed but also contribute to their success right away. It's not a one-year plan because I want to finish my career as a Badger."

In 2022, Cheeks appeared in three games as a true freshman during a redshirt season with the Tar Heels. This fall, Cheeks, 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, appeared in eight games and finished with one tackle

Tawee Walker, who played last season at Oklahoma, committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 29. He is expected to have one year of eligibility remaining at Wisconsin.

Walker, 5-foot-9 and 215 pounds, rushed for 513 yards and seven scores this past season for the Sooners. He had two touchdowns in Oklahoma's upset of Texas, and a career-high 146 yards in a loss to Kansas.

Walker transferred to OU from Palomar College (California) prior to the 2022 season. That year, he played in 11 games and totaled 62 rushing yards on 18 carries.

A 6-foot-4, 245-pound junior who played at Arkansas this past season, Jaheim Thomas was a mainstay for the Hogs in 2023. In 12 games, he recorded 90 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Thomas finished fifth in the SEC in total tackles.

A former four-star prospect coming out of Princeton High School in Ohio, Thomas committed to Luke Fickell at Cincinnati as part of the 2020 recruiting class. In total, he played three seasons with the Bearcats. He is expected to have one year of eligibility remaining at Wisconsin.

In 2022, Thomas was third on roster with 70 total tackles and second with 6.5 tackles for loss to go along with two sacks. Thomas entered the transfer portal shortly after Fickell left for Wisconsin last offseason.

RJ Delancy III, who has one year of eligibility remaining, saw action in 38 games for the Rockets over the last three seasons. He recorded 62 tackles and two interceptions during that stretch.

In 2023, Delancy had 28 tackles, including 15 solo stops, 10 pass deflections and one interception. His PFF grade of 85.1 (399 snaps) was fourth on Toledo's defense this fall.

A former four-star prospect coming out of Many High School in Louisiana, Tackett Curtis was a top target for the Badgers in the 2023 recruiting class. The No. 3 inside linebacker and No. 71 overall prospect chose the Trojans over Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Curtis was the first freshman linebacker to start at USC since Cam Smith in 2015. In 355 defensive snaps, Curtis finished with 40 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Wisconsin has significantly revamped its inside linebacker room via the portal this winter. Curtis joins a transfer group that also includes Jaheim Thomas (Arkansas) and Sebastian Cheeks (North Carolina).

Wisconsin's biggest are of concern going into the transfer portal season was defensive line. Tuesday, the Badgers started to address that need with a commitment from Elijah Hills, a transfer from Albany. The 6-foot-2, 281-pound lineman visited UW officially on Sunday.

In 2023, Hills recorded 31 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The previous season, he had 28 tackles - seven tackles for loss - and four sacks. James Madison, Tulane, Houston and West Virginia, among others, were also involved in his recruitment in the portal.

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