At least one key player is hitting the transfer portal this spring for Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Badgers were dealt a blow earlier this week, as reports surfaced of star transfer tight end Tanner Koziol’s intention to enter the transfer portal once again when the spring window opens on Wednesday.
Koziol, a 6’7, 237-pound tight end, came from Ball State this offseason, where he caught 94 passes for 839 yards and six touchdowns in 2024, nearing the top of his position in the NCAA.
He came in with high expectations, as many pegged him among the top returning tight ends in college football. After a solid first week of practice, though, Koziol reportedly went home during the weekend of April 4th, according to BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew, and hasn’t been with the team since.
“A BadgerExtra source said Koziol returned home the weekend of April 4,” Bartholomew 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.”
Now, he leaves the Badgers with some depth issues at tight end, leading to the question: Should Wisconsin be active in the spring transfer portal now?
Let’s take a look at certain positions where they could add a player.
Quarterback
Let’s first preface this with two things: 1) The Badgers generally haven’t used the spring portal window much, and rightfully so. Head coach Luke Fickell has a certain way of building culture, and doesn’t want to rely too much on the portal, although Wisconsin didn’t have much of a choice this offseason.
Secondly, specifically at quarterback, while Wisconsin has only three scholarship guys, they seem inclined to give each a shot. Adding a quarterback could cloud up reps in the room if a transfer comes in.
With that said, Wisconsin is light on bodies at quarterback, having only those three scholarship guys, and they’re a snap away from a true freshman being their backup quarterback.
The Badgers are planning to run the quarterback more, and need to find a way to rebalance their numbers at the position. Perhaps that comes in the spring portal.
Running Backs
The Badgers also went light at running back this offseason, electing not to bring in any scholarship players, dropping their number from eight (to start last year) to four. Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker are gone, Nate White has transferred, and Jackson Acker is now a tight end.
That leaves Cade Yacamelli and 2024 recruits Darrion Dupree, Dilin Jones, and Gideon Ituka as the backfield for the Badgers in 2025.
Wisconsin seemed to have a slight scare last week when Dupree went down non-contact on a carry, but offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said there were no worrisome injuries in the room, quelling concerns.
The goal is for Dupree and Jones to get a large share of the carries with Yacamelli, as the Badgers are trying to build off their strong 2024 recruiting class. But, depth can be a killer at running back, where injuries are bound to pop up (just look at this past year).
Tight End
Well, with Tanner Koziol’s expected departure, tight end could be an area of need in the spring portal.
Wisconsin is going to rely more on its tight ends this year with heavier personnel packages, so bodies are needed at the position. The Badgers had a solid 1-2 punch with Koziol and the bigger Tucker Ashcraft, but now they’re relying more on J.T. Seagraves and 2024 four-star Grant Stec.
Getting a more experienced pass-catcher in the group who can also match the physicality would be a big addition for Wisconsin.