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 2025 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 Dec. 9 through Dec. 28.

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 1/16/2025

Tawee Walker figures to be a heavily recruited transfer prospect after posting 864 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season at Wisconsin, his only one with the Badgers. A former junior college prospect, Walker’s first two years of Power Four football were spent at Oklahoma where he rushed for 575 yards and seven touchdowns on 120 attempts.

Committed to: Cincinnati

Former four-star Mabrey Mettauer entered the transfer portal on Dec. 21. With that, all four of Wisconsin’s scholarship quarterbacks from the 2024 roster are no longer with the program.

Mettauer played in four games as a true freshman and assumed the backup role behind Braedyn Locke after Tyler Van Dyke went down with an injury against Alabama. He will have four years of eligibility remaining at the school of his choice.

Committed to: Sam Houston State

Jamel Howard, one of the more touted members of Wisconsin's 2023 recruiting class, announced his decision to enter the portal on Dec. 21. After a redshirt season, Howard did not record any statistics in 2024. He will have three years of eligibility remaining at the school of his choice.

Walk-on kicker Nate Van Zelst entered the transfer portal on Dec. 19. In 2022, Van Zelst played in 11 games as the primary place kicker. He converted 11-of-14 field goals and all 35 extra point attempts. Van Zelst did not see action the past two seasons.

Freshman Anelu Lafaele entered the portal on Dec. 18, making him the second member of the 2024 recruiting class to announce his transfer. In 2024, Lafaele, a Hawaii native, redshirted. He was a former three-star prospect coming out of high school.

Committed to: Michigan State

Will Pauling's departure was a surprising development on Dec. 17, as he finished as Wisconsin's leading receiver, receptions-wise, even in a down 2024 season. After breaking out in his debut year with the Badgers to the tune of 74 catches for 837 yards and six touchdowns, he was limited to 42 receptions for 407 yards and three scores this season. Pauling also missed the final two games of the year due to injury.

Committed to: Notre Dame

C.J. Williams' departure on Dec. 17 doesn't come as much of a surprise at wide receiver. After arriving in Madison dripping with hype (Williams was the highest-rated receiver the Badgers have ever signed in the Rivals.com era), the wideout struggled to make an impact. He caught under half of his passes, struggling with drops at times and failing to flash any true dynamic ability. Across two seasons, Williams reeled in 31 catches for 396 yards and two touchdowns.

Committed to: Stanford

Redshirt senior Max Lofy entered the portal on Dec. 16, making him the fourth cornerback to announce his transfer for the Badgers.

A former three-star prospect from the 2020 class, Lofy's five seasons at Wisconsin were plagued by injuries. He played in 29 contests and finished with 29 career tackles and one interception. At points this year, Lofy was listed in the two-deep as a slot corner.

Lofy will have one year to play at the school of his choice.

Redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke entered the portal on Dec. 11, making him the third quarterback to announce his transfer for the Badgers.

During his two years at Wisconsin, Locke played in 16 games. During that stretch, he replaced an injured starter in 2023 (Tanner Mordecai) and 2024 (Tyler Van Dyke).

This fall, the former four-star prospect started nine games, with the Badgers going 3-6 in those contests. Locke threw for 1,936 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2024.

Locke, who transferred to Wisconsin from Mississippi State, was closely connected to coordinator Phil Longo, who was fired in late November. He will have two years of eligibility remaining at the school of his choice.

Committed to: Arizona

Redshirt senior Kamo'i Latu entered the portal on Dec. 9, making him the second safety to announce his transfer for the Badgers.

Latu transferred to Wisconsin from Utah ahead of the 2022 season. That year, he played in 13 games with 12 starts at safety.

In 2023, Latu started six games but saw his playing time decrease as the season wore on. This fall, he competed in just three contests and was able to maintain a redshirt season. PFF credited Latu with just 11 defensive snaps.

Committed to: UConn

Redshirt senior Riley Nowakowski entered the portal on Dec. 9, making him the first tight end to announce his transfer for the Badgers.

A former walk-on, Nowakowski started at outside linebacker but transitioned to fullback early in his career at UW. When Luke Fickell took over, the former in--state standout from Milwaukee Marquette moved to tight end, the position he worked at the past two seasons. During that time, Nowakowski caught 18 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown.

Committed to: Indiana

Redshirt senior Tyle Van Dyke entered the portal on Dec. 9, making him the first quarterback announce his transfer for the Badgers.

Van Dyke, who only started three games before suffering a season-ending ACL tear against Alabama, has on e year of eligibility remaining. Luke Fickell talked about Van Dyke on Signing Day.

“I love Tyler. Tyler has done nothing but be dedicated to what we've asked him to do. He's been at every game. He's been at every practice. And that does mean something, we're going to have to figure out where the progress is and what the prognosis looks like for him, because it is a position in a situation where we can't end up where we were this year. And I don't mean like, ‘Okay, we have better quarterbacks.’ I mean, it can't be in a position where you really only have two guys and one guy that's coming off of two ACL surgeries,” Fickell said.

Committed to: Southern Methodist

Redshirt freshman James Durand entered the portal on Dec. 5, making him the first scholarship offensive lineman to announce his transfer. A former four-star prospect from Arizona, Durand was credited with three offensive snaps this fall.

Committed to: Western Illinois

Freshman Hank Weber entered the portal on Dec. 4, making him the first member of the 2024 class to announce his transfer. A former three-star prospect, Weber did not see action this fall.

Committed to: Samford

James Thompson Jr. entered the portal on Dec. 4, making him the second defensive linemen to depart from the program after Curt Neal announced his intention to transfer the day prior.

Thompson was injured for essentially the entire 2024 season. He played a handful of snaps against Nebraska and didn't log a tackle. During his career with the Badgers, Thompson logged a total of 58 tackles, five sacks and two pass-breakups.

Committed to: Illinois

Reserve lineman Manny Mullens entered the transfer portal on Dec. 4. A former walk-on who came to Wisconsin from Lake Erie College (DII), Mullens did not see game action during his time at UW. He is the younger brother of former Badgers' defensive lineman Isaiah Mullens.

Committed to: Tiffin

Redshirt freshman Nate White entered the transfer portal on Dec. 4, making him the second wide receiver to hit the portal for the Badgers in this cycle.

White was an impact tailback at the prep level. He was an all-state pick in 2022, rushing for 1,345 yards and 26 touchdowns on 135 carries through 10 games. During fall camp, White moved from running back to wide receiver, a move that likely played a factor in his decision.

Committed to: South Dakota State

Redshirt freshman Braedyn Moore entered the transfer portal on Dec. 3, making him the fifth defensive back to hit the portal for the Badgers in this cycle.

A former three-star prospect, Moore came over with Luke Fickell from Cincinnati's 2023 recruiting class. He played in six total games this season and registered two tackles.

Committed to: Toledo

Jace Arnold joined Jonas Duclona, Justin Taylor and Amare Snowden to become the fourth defensive back from Wisconsin's 2023 recruiting class to enter the portal. Arnold announced his intention to seek a new program on Dec. 3.

Arnold didn't play a snap his true freshman year, taking a redshirt. The cornerback appeared in two games this season, but played just 11 total snaps between the Purdue and Northwestern games.

The former three-star prospect from Georgia will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Redshirt sophomore Curt Neal entered the transfer portal on Dec. 3, making him the first defensive lineman to hit the portal for the Badgers in this cycle. A starter this fall, Neal led all linemen with 30 total tackles. In total, Neal played in 29 games at Wisconsin during his career in Madison. He recorded 46 tackles, five for loss, and one sack. He will have two years of eligibility remaining at the school of his choice.

Committed to: Illinois

Justin Taylor entered the transfer portal on Dec. 3, making him the third defensive back to hit the portal for the Badgers in this cycle.

A former three-star prospect, Taylor was an early commit for UW in the 2023 class. He brought versatility to the Badgers' secondary with the ability to play safety or cornerback but played just four defensive snaps in 2024.

Committed to: Wyoming

Jonas Duclona entered the transfer portal on Dec. 2, making him the second cornerback to hit the portal for the Badgers in as many days.

Duclona got on the field sparingly as a true freshman, appearing in three games. In 2024, however, he appeared in just one game (Alabama), playing 12 snaps.

The former high three-star prospect and Florida native racked up 34 offers coming out of high school. He'll have three years of eligibility remaining at his next program.

Committed to: South Florida

Former four-star prospect Amare Snowden announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 1. Snowden, a redshirt freshman, was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023 and a Rivals250 prospect.

Snowden played sparingly this fall. PFF credited him with just three defensive snaps.

Committed to: Toledo

Leon Lowery entered the transfer portal on Dec. 1 after one season at Wisconsin. A starter (12 games with 11 starts). for the Badgers in 2024, the former three-star prospect had 29 tackles, 11 pressures and just one sack this fall during a rather lackluster campaign.

The Syracuse transfer committed to Wisconsin shortly after his official visit last winter. Lowery backed away from that decision but rejoined UW's portal class shortly after.

Over 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.

Committed to: Illinois

Redshirt freshman quarterback Cole LaCrue announced his plans to transfer on Nov. 21. He is the first known player to enter the portal in this cycle for the Badgers.

A former three-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, LaCrue did not see action during his time in Madison. He originally committed to head coach Paul Chryst before he was fired. Luke Fickell and then-coordinator Phil Longo hung onto his pledge in that cycle.

Mason Reiger, 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, missed the entire 2024 season due to injury. In 2023, the Illinois native finished second on the team in sacks with five to go along with 22 total tackles. He will have one season of eligibility with the Badgers.

Over his career playing time (2021-2023), Reiger, who was part of the 2020 recruiting class, racked up 49 total tackles, eight sacks and four forced fumbles.

Reiger joins a room that loses John Pius and Leon Lowery but is set to return Aaron Witt and Darryl Peterson. The Badgers are also high on freshman Thomas Heiberger.

Tanner Koziol, who committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 14, is an imposing target. Standing at 6-foot-7, 237 pounds, he has the size to overwhelm defensive backs but also the wiggle to out-maneuver linebackers. As Ball State's leading receiver by a wide margin, he averaged about eight catches and 70 yards each game. He also reeled in 73 percent of his targets, displaying how reliable of an option he was for Cardinals quarterback Kadin Semonza.

Koziol, a true junior in 2024, had been involved in the Ball State offense ever since he stepped on campus. Over his freshman and sophomore seasons, he corralled 69 receptions for 668 yards and 10 touchdowns. But his explosion in 2024 helped him finish as the second-most productive tight end in the nation, just behind Bowling Green's Harold Fannin Jr. Still, his 94 receptions were fourth in the entire nation.

One of the many former high school prospects who saw their recruitment impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, Parker 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. Petersen committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 15.

“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.”

A converted tight end who was a member of the 2021 recruiting class, Corey Walker, who committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 16, started 11 games in 2024 for Western Michigan. The Illinois native racked up 38 tackles and 5.5 sacks with a PFF grade of 73.2. He will have one year of eligibility remaining with the Badgers.

A former three-star prospect from the 2023 recruiting class, Danny O'Neil, who committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 16, was the first true freshman starting quarterback for the Aztecs in the program's history. He threw for 2,181 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.

San Diego State finished 3-9 under former Badgers' tight end Sean Lewis. But O’Neil opened the season by throwing 127 straight pass attempts without an interception. He will have three years of eligibility remaining at Wisconsin.

In high school at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, O'Neil had over 7,750 career yards through with 98 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,326 yards and 27 scores, something that is likely appealing for first-year coordinator Jeff Grimes.

Charles Perkins, the sixth commit Wisconsin has secured by way of the transfer portal, spent three seasons at UT-Martin. He redshirted his true freshman season, but played in 10 games in 2023, recording 40 tackles, 9 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. That performance earned him FCS freshman All-American honors.

After the departure of longtime starter Taulia Tagovailoa, redshirt junior Billy Edwards, who committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 16, took over as the staring quarterback for Maryland in 2024.

He ranks third in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (261.9) and second in completions (273) this season. Overall, Edwards completed the aforementioned 273 passes on 420 attempts (65%) for 2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He added 150 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

According to Pro Football Focus, Edwards made 11 starts for the Terrapins in 2024, and played 744 offensive snaps. He was the highest-graded offensive players for Maryland this season with a grade of 79.6.

In 26 career games with the Terps, Edwards completed 311 out of 496 passing attempts (63%) for 3,317 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 377 yards and 13 scores.

Matthew Traynor, who committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 16, started for Richmond in 2024, logging 44 tackles, two interceptions and three pass-breakups. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed a reception on 15 of the 24 times he was targeted in coverage.

The safety is a versatile defensive back. Traynor played 355 snaps in the box, 225 on the back end and 43 in the slot this season, according to PFF. He figures to compete for a starting strong safety role right away in Wisconsin's depleted safety room.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Marietta, Georgia native listed offers from Delaware, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville State, Liberty and Arkansas State before announcing his commitment to the Badgers.

Eli Stein, a Wisconsin native, returns home via the transfer portal from Arkansas. A high school All-American from Cambridge High School, Stein was the long-snapper for the Hogs in 2022 and 2023 before he lost out to Ashton Ngo this fall. Stein will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Badgers.

Jayden Ballard was a hot commodity out of high school as a four-star, Rivals250 recruit with a handful of top tier offers. But in four seasons in Columbus, he struggled to make an impact, totaling 11 catches for 177 yards and one score.

Ballard will have one season of eligibility remaining, making him a one-year rental with the Badgers. The wideout is the 10th portal prospect Wisconsin has signed, and the second skill player on offense, joining former Ball State tight end Tanner Koziol.

In 2024, Antarron Turner, who committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 18, had 61 total tackles, three sacks and two pass break-ups. He will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Badgers.

A Florida native, Turner also received portal offers from Western Michigan, UConn, Kansas, Western Kentucky and Toledo, among others.

Matt Jung, 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, had 181 tackles, 16 interceptions (six for scores), 19 pass breakups and 3.5 sacks over his two-year career at Bethel University. He is originally from Neenah High School.

"I had a pretty good last two years at Bethel," Jung said. "I was an All-American both years and I wanted to see what opportunities were out there. Honestly, I didn't think they would be in the Big Ten or playing for Wisconsin at the time. It's surreal and unbelievable.

"I grew up going to games at Camp Randall all the time. It was always a childhood dream to play there."

A 6-foot-2, 210-pound redshirt sophomore, Mark Hamper comes to Wisconsin from Idaho. He will have three years of eligibility remaining with the Badgers.

After playing in four games in 2023 as a true freshman, Hamper had 48 receptions for 966 yards and six touchdowns this past fall. He earned him FCS Freshman All-American accolades and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, presented annually to the most outstanding freshman player at the FCS level.

In Micheal Garner, the Badgers are getting a unique prospect with plenty of size at 6-foot-6 and 280. The Chicago native had 16 tackles, five sacks and 13 pressures over the course of his career at Grambling.

In addition to Wisconsin, Garner also listed portal offers from Colorado, Kent State, UAB, Coastal Carolina and Georgia State, among others.

Former Michigan punter Stone Anderson is expected to be the backup to Atticus Bertrams in 2025. He has three years of eligibility remaining for the Badgers.

A former four-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, Tyreese Fearbry chose the Wildcats over offers Auburn, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Miami, among many others, coming out of high school.

Over three seasons, Fearbry had 21 total tackles. This fall, the Pennsylvania native played in 11 of Kentucky’s 12 games and had 14 tackles.

A 5-foot-10, 187-pound junior, Geimere Latimer played the last two seasons at Jacksonville State. He will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Badgers.

In 2023, Latimer, a Georgia native, played in 13 games as a true freshman for the Gamecocks. He racked up 10 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.

This fall, Latimer had 42 tackles, three interceptions and five pass deflections for a Jacksonville State team that won a Conference USA championship.

In Jay'viar Suggs, the Badgers are getting another tackle with good college experience and ideal size at 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds. The Michigan native was credited with 10 tackles, three TFLs, and 2.5 sacks last season at LSU. Oklahoma, Kentucky, Michigan, Arkansas, Penn State and Tennessee were also involved with Suggs this winter.

Prior to LSU, Suggs appeared in 18 games at Grand Valley. He racked up 42 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He played under current outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell.

Prior to his time with the Hurricanes, D'Yoni Hill played at Marshall in 2022 (10 appearances) and 2023. As a sophomore, he saw time in all 13 games with nine starts. Hill finished with 55 tackles, 10 pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble.

In 2024, Hill, a Florida native, played in 11 games with five starts for the Hurricanes. He had 33 tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass defended.

Hill, who was also considering Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Missouri, among others, will have one year of eligibility remaining with the Badgers.

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