The football program at Wisconsin has had quite the month. In addition to signing their 2024 high school class, the Badgers gained 13 players via the transfer site.
lost a number of players to the NFL Draft and the portal, recruited a new wide receiver coach after their previous one was fired, missed out on the ReliaQuest Bowl, and moved the offensive line coach to a new position.
The most scholarship players Wisconsin can have on its roster when preseason workouts start is 85, under NCAA regulations.
As of right now, my unofficial calculation puts Wisconsin’s total scholarship count for the upcoming season at 91.
The Badgers will undoubtedly lose a few players who aren’t satisfied with their responsibilities during spring workouts, but bear in mind that there is another transfer portal window that opens for 15 days in April.
In addition, we have no idea which other players might withdraw due to personal or medical reasons.
Below is a quick summary of the number of scholarships I have:
26 scholarship returnees, including three quarterbacks, four running backs, eight wide receivers, three tight ends, and eight offensive linemen, are on offense.
Nine cornerbacks, five safeties, four inside linebackers, three outside linebackers, and seven defensive linemen make up the 28 players on defense; the two special teams players are a kicker and a punter.
56 players total from that. The total now stands at 91 after Wisconsin added 13 scholarship transfers this offseason and 22 scholarship-bound freshmen.
Nevertheless, since 10 of the 22 true freshmen will be early entrants, Wisconsin won’t exceed the 85-man scholarship cap during spring practices this semester. By my count, that makes 79 scholarship players available for the Badgers to play spring ball.
The players on this list have committed to a school and have transferred out of the program: wide receiver Skyler Bell (UConn), wide receiver Chimere Dike (Florida), offensive lineman Dylan Barrett (Iowa State), quarterback Myles Burkett (Albany), and linebacker Jordan Mayer (Penn State).
linebacker Jordan Turner (Michigan State), walk-on offensive lineman Zach Mlsna (UW-La Crosse), walk-on long snapper Keane Bessert (Kansas State), and offensive lineman Trey Wedig (Indiana).
Rogers Johnson, a defensive lineman from Texas A&M; Darrian Varner, a defensive lineman from Cincinnati; and Nolan Rucci, an offensive lineman from Penn State.
Nine athletes have committed to Power 4 conference programs based on that list (because there is no longer a Pac-12 program).
However, each circumstance is unique, and it’s crucial to remember that the players are departing Wisconsin either because they weren’t playing there, because they didn’t fit the system, or because they just wanted to play somewhere else.
They won’t necessarily have a bigger impact there just because they’ve committed to another Power 4 program. It doesn’t necessarily follow that Wisconsin made a mistake in using that player in Madison, even if they do have a bigger influence.
This season, Barrett played center for the third team. Next season, he wasn’t going to be able to outperform Jake Renfro. When Cincinnati transfer and four-year starter Cayson Pfeiffer received a scholarship from Wisconsin, Bessert became expendable.
Mayer did not play; nonetheless, the Nittany Lions offered him as a preferred walk-on, and he accepted the offer despite coming to Penn State. Varner was a minor player who, according to Pro Football Focus, played 122 defensive snaps but didn’t have the anticipated impact.
I can see why Rucci’s loss saddened some supporters; after all, he was once a five-star prospect. However, he would have played more if he had been superior to Jack Nelson. Rather, Nelson began each game at left tackle.
Rucci’s choice was cemented when Nelson decided to play again in 2024, as it meant Rucci would have probably missed a fourth season without being involved in the game.
Wedig is the one I feel is most lost out of this bunch since I believe he would have had the chance to start the next season.
However, Wedig told me after he left the team that he didn’t like being taken out of the starting lineup in the middle of the season.
Additionally, he wound up at a school where Bob Bostad, a coach he already knows, will be overseeing him.
Despite his impressive tackle totals, Turner didn’t exactly suit defensive coordinator Mike Tressel’s plans for that position (the Badgers signed four transfer inside linebackers this spring).
Probably the biggest surprise was Johnson’s admission to Texas A&M. However, after five seasons at Wisconsin, he didn’t have a strong 2023 campaign and decided to transfer to a place where he could use his pass rush skills more.
