The Badgers continued to add to their defensive line unit with a productive freshman.
The Wisconsin Badgers continued their transfer portal efforts in the trenches, landing Grambling defensive lineman Micheal Garner, he announced on Saturday.
#Badgers land a commitment from Grambling DL Micheal Garner. 4th land for the DL room. https://t.co/aaiIqDPXr5
— Bucky’s 5th Quarter (@B5Q) December 22, 2024
Garner, a 6’7, 280-pound defensive lineman, took an official visit to Wisconsin this weekend, posting that he received a scholarship from the Badgers afterwards, and a commitment now comes over the weekend from the redshirt freshman.
He becomes the fourth defensive lineman to commit to Wisconsin in the transfer portal this offseason, joining Tulane’s Parker Petersen, Western Michigan’s Corey Walker, and UT-Martin’s Charles Perkins.
As a redshirt freshman in 2024, Garner recorded 11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble for Grambling. He had made a major transformation with his body, jumping up from 230 pounds to 280 pounds, and could end up as a defensive end for the Badgers.
Wisconsin has seen an influx of defensive linemen depart the program this offseason, as Curt Neal and James Thompson Jr. entered the transfer portal, while Elijah Hills is out of development.
The Badgers already didn’t have the strongest unit in 2024, leading to deficiencies in stopping the run, leading Wisconsin to address the position as a major need this offseason.
Garner will add to the defensive line rotation that figures to feature six defensive linemen as head coach Luke Fickell had hoped for in 2024.