I freely acknowledge that predicting on-field outcomes for transfer portal additions is, at best, an educated crapshoot, and this year’s crop is no exception for the Wisconsin Badgers.
And as fun as it
is to bring so many new faces and skill-sets into Camp Randall, we won’t know much until spring camp—and even then, there will be fewer certainties than we would like.
But it’s also hard not to be excited in mid-January about the talent and upside of a number of the gentlemen Luke Fickell landed in the portal, especially since so many of them have two or more years of eligibility left, which is a bold departure from past Portal strategy.
So, with that all in mind, here are my 11 favorite additions in this class, ranked. (Yes, more guys can still be added by Fickell, but this should be pretty close to a final list.)
11. WR Jaylon Domingeaux (SE Louisiana, Sr.)
While I haven’t noticed a ton of hype for this addition, it’s easy to see what the Badgers saw in him (and why Penn State and Cincinnati also reportedly had interest).
Blessed with good size (6’2″, 210), he’s shown a propensity for big-time catches and had a nose for the end zone (11 touchdowns, which ranked 6th in FCS). While one is never sure how bumping up from the FCS to the FBS will go, especially for a wide receiver, there is real upside here, with a substantially higher floor but probably lower ceiling than my next entry.
10. EDGE Liam Danitz (Hope College, Grad.)
Yes, he’s D-III, but Wisconsin had a D-III player starting for a good portion of 2025 at safety in Matt Jung.
The name of 6’5″, 230 Danitz’s game is speed and upside: 15 sacks and 21 TFLs as a near consensus D3 All-American with a lightning fast 10.55 100 M dash. Ole Miss and Missouri both wanted him, so the smoke here appears to be real. An intriguing add late in the Portal cycle for Wisconsin.
9. WR Malachi Coleman (Minnesota, R-Jr.)
I want to be up front that this lofty ranking is based on measurables and potential rather than production, but the upside for Coleman is incredibly lofty if he can flip the switch. Elite size (6’5″) and speed (clocked under 4.4 in the 40) on the boundary is something Wisconsin rarely boasts, so here’s hoping Coleman can make that jump.
The fact that he’s a Gopher transfer would be the cherry on top.
8. EDGE Jayden Loftin (Tennessee, R-Fr.)
A big-time target out of high school, Wisconsin got clipped at the wire by SEC power Tennessee for his services, and he spent most of his redshirt freshman season rehabbing a torn ACL from his senior year in high school.
The Badgers have lacked true edge rushing talent in recent years, and the 4-star upside that Loftin flashed in high school could blossom into something special in Madison.
7. DT Junior Poyser (Buffalo, R-Jr.)
A Junior in both name and eligibility, Poyser was a 3rd-team All MAC selection in 2025, and has the massive, run-clogging frame that Fickell needs so badly from the portal after losing almost all contributors from this past season.
Yes, it’s the MAC, but Poyser’s 5.5 sacks from the interior are also very tantalizing (even if he ends up a 1-technique), and he should slide right into a starting spot with a decent spring.
6. CB Bryce West (Ohio State, R-So.)
Although I believe that he will contribute to the Badgers’ wide-open cornerback room in 2026, this lofty perch is partially due to the fact that West has three years of eligibility left and all kinds of space to thrive at a position badly in need of both steady contributors and playmakers.
This transfer caught a few Buckeyes off guard, including Bucknuts247, which noted on the day of that West had a good shot to start for Ohio State in the slot this fall.
5. RB Abu Sama, III (Iowa State, Sr.)
While Wisconsin may be RBU, it certainly hasn’t shown much from the position since Braelon Allen departed. Enter Abu Sama III, by way of Iowa State, the portal’s No. 7 RB per On3, to try and change that perception.
Both strong and an exceptional athlete, Sama looks like the real deal in what should be a top dog role in the backfield that could have several contributors.
He ran for 732 yards and 5 touchdowns on just 140 carries for the Cyclones in 2025. While I don’t see a star, Sama has the look of a really strong contributor for a revamped running game under new coach, Jayden Everett.
4. S Missouri Marvin Burks, Jr. (Missouri, Sr.)
A bit like West, this one raised a few eyebrows. It’s not often that a lower-tier Big Ten team lands a multi-year starting SEC safety in the portal. But that’s exactly what Fickell did.
Burks immediately upgrades an inexperienced and underperforming safety room for the Badgers. While some have noted that he was prone to coverage breakdowns at Missouri, he’s a strong and vicious hitter who should make pass catchers think twice when venturing into territory patrolled by Badger safeties, as opposed to last year, when it was a stroll in a meadow for them.
3. C Austin Kawecki (Oklahoma State, R-Sr.)
Center is often an afterthought in the portal, but there are generally very few experienced ones who can jump right in and be a plus starter.
So the Badgers landing Kawecki, big and rock solid for the Cowboys for three seasons, was a major deal, especially given how unsettled the position was in 2025, including bad snaps.
While a better pass blocker than mauler, with some good coaching from Eric Mateos, Kawecki should be plug-and-play for Fickell, and his experience will be valuable in a still-young offensive line room.
2. CB Javan Robinson (Arizona State, R-Sr.)
This senior looks to be a steady, stabilizing presence for the Badgers cornerback room with a lot of questions. Robinson ended his Sun Devils career with 26 consecutive starts and a lot of very solid play, including a huge interception versus Texas in last season’s College Football Playoff (although future Packer Matthew Golden beat him up a bit in that game).
He’s an effective, high-volume defensive back and a near-elite tackler, per PFF, who gave him an 84.4 tackling grade. Like the No. 4 player on this list, he’s better with the hits/tackles than in coverage, but there’s a very high chance that Robinson outperforms any Badger cornerback performance from 2025. An easy plug-in and forget about it kind of player, and a great job by the Badgers to land him.
1. QB Colton Joseph (Old Dominion, R-Jr.)
I know, you’re shocked. Who else but the talented and, hopefully, program-elevating Joseph could end up at No. 1? This was a huge swing for the Badgers that Fickell hit out of the park.
While there are certainly some elements of his game that can improve, Joseph has a feel for the game and athleticism that should allow him to be the most effective Wisconsin quarterback in a long, long time. We just need to keep him healthy.
