Wisconsin has already begun its portal recruiting at a position of significant need.
The Wisconsin Badgers have seen some major movement along their defensive line, as starters Curt Neal and James Thompson Jr., as well as freshman Hank Weber all entered the transfer portal this week, depleting the team’s depth at the position.
The position group was already one without much top-end talent, but the losses have created a significant need for defensive linemen in the transfer portal.
And so, the transfer portal has begun to kick in, as the Badgers extended an offer to defensive lineman Langden Kitchen earlier this week.
Kitchen, a 6’7, 270-pound lineman, played the past year at Northwest Missouri State. A native of Huntsville, Missouri, Kitchen had 21 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks in 2023 for the Bearcats, which earned third-team MIAA All-Conference team honors.
A sophomore in 2024, Kitchen played in nine games last year as a true freshman, and will have two years of eligibility left.
He has been one of the more sought-after defensive linemen in the transfer portal thus far, earning offers from schools such as Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Iowa State, while taking a visit to Iowa last week.