Wisconsin added one of its top transfer portal targets on Sunday evening.
Jake Renfro, who spent the last three seasons at Cincinnati under current UW head coach Luke Fickell, announced his commitment to the Badgers. LSU, among many other schools, was also heavily involved in his recruitment.
The former three-star prospect from Providence High School in Illinois visited Madison no less than two times since he entered the portal on Dec. 1.
Renfro, 6-foot-3 and 308 pounds, missed the entire 2022 season due to injury. In 2021, he started 13 games and was a first-team All-AAC pick. As a true freshman, Renfro played in seven contests and made six starts. He could potentially get a medical redshirt for this past season.
With Joe Tippmamn headed to the NFL, Renfro could slide in nicely at center for the Badgers in 2023. That would allow Tanor Bortolini, who worked at center against Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, to shift over to either right or left guard this spring.
Renfro is the second player to transfer from Cincinnati this week, along with fellow offensive lineman Joe Huber.
"You can never have enough good o-linemen, so whether it’s portal or freshmen, we’re always looking to get bigger and better in the o-line room, so that will never change," offensive coordinator Phil Longo told reporters earlier this week.
Wisconsin and new position coach Jack Bicknell Jr. now have 12 scholarship offensive linemen on the projected spring camp roster. That group includes starting tackles Jack Nelson and Riley Mahlman, as well Bortolini and Michael Furtney, versatile interior linemen who have started 16 and 12 games, respectively, during their time at Wisconsin. Trey Wedig, who can play guard or tackle, also returns for the Badgers this spring.
Renfro, who has at least two years of eligibility remaining at Wisconsin, is one of six scholarship transfer portal targets Fickell has landed for the Badgers.
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