Which losses have hurt the Badgers the most in the transfer portal this offseason?
The Wisconsin Badgers have been one of the busiest teams in the transfer portal, as they’ve seen 25 players exit the door to go elsewhere, while bringing in 13 commits of their own thus far, marking for one of the top transfer classes in the country.
However, they still have a number of holes to fill, so let’s evaluate all of their losses in the transfer portal thus far, rating them from 1-10 based on the sting factor of how much that departure hurts.
Let’s start with the team’s second wave of transfers.
DL James Thompson: 10
Yes, he didn’t play last year, but it’d be hard to say that the Badgers aren’t going to miss James Thompson Jr. this upcoming season.
A potential NFL player with his unique size and length, there’s a reason he’s getting offers from top-level programs this offseason. The Badgers would’ve very much liked if Thompson stayed around for his final season, given their depth and current stance at the position.
DL Hank Weber: 4
From a player perspective, there isn’t much to take away here, as Weber wasn’t an early enrollee and really didn’t have much film in fall camp.
However, his departure after just one season with the program is notable, as the three-star defensive lineman was a part of head coach Luke Fickell’s first true recruiting class.
Sure, Weber wasn’t one of the marquee recruits in the 2024 cycle, but losing a freshman nonetheless stings a little bit, bumping this rating up.
OL James Durand: 2
Durand was a part of the two-deep at times this season at guard, but this is a move that felt expected this offseason.
A four-star recruit in 2023, Durand was a target of the old coaching staff’s, and Wisconsin has brought in a load of talent along the offensive line in their last two recruiting classes.
They have ample depth and certain players, such as Collin Cubberly, Ryan Cory, and Emerson Mandell could’ve very well jumped Durand on the two-deep this offseason.
QB Tyler Van Dyke: 5
This rating is in part due to Wisconsin’s current stance at the position, as well as the fact that the Badgers brought Tyler Van Dyke in with a package from the transfer portal for him to only suit up in three games.
While he may not have been the best fit for the system, he could’ve competed for the starting job with Billy Edwards Jr. and at least provided some solid experienced depth for the Badgers.
Nonetheless, it makes sense that he’d chase a starting gig or a better competition for his final season of eligibility.
TE Riley Nowakowski: 5
Nowakowski wasn’t an elite option during his time at Wisconsin, but he was arguably the team’s best blocker at tight end, as well as a solid veteran in a room full of younger players.
The addition of Tanner Koziol is huge for the room, but this rating is a bit higher as Nowakowski would’ve helped out the Badgers in heavier personnel packages with his blocking.
The flip side is him heading out gives the younger players at the position, such as 6’6, 260-pound Grant Stec, a bigger opportunity to shine.
S Kamo’i Latu: 2
Latu was a contributor for the Badgers in 2023, but lost his starting job midway through the year and didn’t play much at all in 2024 while preserving his medical redshirt.
If he returned for a sixth season, it wasn’t going to be in Madison. The reason this isn’t a 1 is because of the loss of some depth that the Badgers could’ve potentially used next year, as they ran bare at safety following a number of transfers.
QB Braedyn Locke: 4
This move felt inevitable, given that Wisconsin was going to target the quarterback position in the transfer portal, while Locke would most likely prefer a chance to start somewhere.
After the last two seasons, it felt unlikely that the Badgers wouldn’t go with a more sure thing at quarterback, and they brought in multiple options to add depth in the room with Billy Edwards Jr. and Danny O’Neil.
Locke had a good stint in Madison, but he would’ve only been the No. 2 at best if he remained with the Badgers.
CB Max Lofy: 6
Max Lofy entered last year as the starting slot cornerback, but lost his job midway through the season to Austin Brown, with the two splitting time from there.
With the loss of a number of cornerbacks this offseason, there seemed to be an opening for Lofy in the slot, but perhaps the plan is to go back to Brown as the nickel once again.
With the lack of numbers at corner though, given Lofy’s experience, this move hurts more than some of the other transfers.