Wisconsin lands Albany transfer DL Elijah Hills
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.
A handful of defensive linemen are on their way out for the Badgers, a group that includes transfers Rodas Johnson (Texas A&M) and Darian Varner (Cincinnati). But Hill is expected to compete for time with a unit that returns starter James Thompson, as well as reserve contributors Ben Barten, Curt Neal, Cade McDonald and T.J. Bollers. Freshman Jamel Howard will be relied on to contribute in Year 2 with the program in 2024.
According to PFF, Hill played 779 snaps in 2023 and had an overall grade of 70.0.
The Badgers have added 13 scholarship players via the portal this winter.
| Player | Year | Player (continued) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Fifth year |
Third year |
||
|
Fifth year |
Second year |
||
|
Fifth year |
Second year |
||
|
Fourth year |
Second year |
||
|
Fourth year |
First year |
||
|
Third year |
First year |
||
|
Third year |
First year |
||
|
Manny Mullens |
Third year |
_________________________________________________
*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den
*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel
*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)
*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45, @seamus_rohrer, @DonnieSlusher_
*Like us on Facebook