Wisconsin brought in a number of transfers to bolster their passing game this offseason.
The Wisconsin Badgers made a plethora of moves in the transfer portal this offseason, looking to shore up a couple of key deficiencies on their roster, namely with their front seven and their pass-catching options.
On the offensive side of the ball, Wisconsin added a pair of wide receivers, Ohio State transfer Jayden Ballard and Idaho transfer Mark Hamper, as well as Ball State transfer tight end Tanner Koziol.
Those three additions are expected to bolster a skill position group that struggled to be consistent at times in 2025, as the Badgers transition to a new offensive scheme under coordinator Jeff Grimes.
While Wisconsin could rely more on their running game in 2025, Grimes has shared the importance of having an efficient vertical passing attack in his offense, which makes the production from skill-position players vital for the Badgers.
So, who will end up being the Badgers’ top skill position player in 2025?
It’s been a while since a tight end has been dominant in Madison, but that might end up being the case this season with Tanner Koziol, who was one of the best tight ends in the country at Ball State in 2024.
Koziol broke out in his junior season, catching 94 passes for 839 yards and eight touchdowns, pacing the Cardinals in each category last season. Heading into the 2025 season, he’s been nationally seen as one of the best tight ends in the country, recently being ranked as the No. 5 tight end by PFF.
“After a stellar junior season at Ball State, Koziol transferred to Wisconsin for his senior campaign,” PFF’s Max Chadwick said. “No returning FBS tight end was more valuable in 2024 than the Illinois native, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. His 94 catches trailed only Harold Fannin Jr. and Tyler Warren — two top-100 prospects on PFF’s 2025 big board — at the position, and his 840 receiving yards were the fifth most.
“At 6-foot-7, Koziol thrives in 50-50 situations. His 26 contested catches last year were nine more than any other tight end in college football.”
Wisconsin’s top skill position player will likely rely on quarterback Billy Edwards’s tendencies, but Koziol should be a key piece to the equation and comes to Madison as an established player looking to put a strong cap to his collegiate career in 2025.