The Badgers could be losing a playmaker very soon.
The Wisconsin Badgers had a number of key transfer portal additions this offseason on both sides of the ball as they underwent a major coaching change on offense and a scheme change on defense.
On offense, Wisconsin got a new quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end to bolster offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’s offense. However, one of those players is expected to move on when the spring transfer portal window opens this week.
Ball State transfer Tanner Koziol was expected to be a big addition in the tight end room, as he came to Wisconsin after catching 94 passes for 839 yards and six touchdowns in 2024.
Koziol was listed as a top returning tight end in college football by several analysts and was expected to provide a spark at a position where Wisconsin hasn’t seen much success since Jake Ferguson.
However, according to BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew, Koziol intends to enter the spring transfer portal after having gone home over a week ago.
“A BadgerExtra source said Koziol returned home the weekend of April 4,” Bartholemew said. “Two other sources said Koziol intends to hit the transfer portal again when it opens Wednesday, but Wisconsin officials said they had no information on the matter when asked Sunday. A message left with Koziol was not returned Sunday.”
Koziol had a solid first week of spring ball, but then began to deal with injuries and hadn’t been seen at practice recently. If he is to depart the program, tight end Tucker Ashcraft would elevate to the top tight end role, while others like Grant Stec, J.T. Seagraves, and Jackson Acker would be in line for more snaps.
Wisconsin has operated with heavier personnel more this offseason, using two tight ends in quite a few packages, so the position will be highlighted more than usual. As a result, Ashcraft has enjoyed a nice spring with more passing volume heading his way.
But, the loss of Koziol would be a big blow to the team’s depth, and could even prompt them to target a tight end in the spring portal window, although the Badgers have rarely been active in years past.