The Wisconsin Badgers continued their transfer portal spree on Monday, landing a commitment from Florida State Seminoles transfer Cai Bates, he announced.
Bates, a redshirt freshman in 2025, played in seven games this season, mainly on special teams. He saw three games of action in 2024, playing in three games before redshirting.
He was a highly-touted recruit in the Class of 2024, being ranked as a top-10 corner in the class and the No. 87 recruit overall, according to 247Sports. Standing 6’2, 190
pounds, he presents the length and size that Wisconsin has looked for in its boundary corner.
A native of Edgewater, Florida, he’s the second cornerback to commit to the Badgers in the transfer portal, joining Oklahoma State transfer Eric Fletcher. Like Fletcher, Bates is a young prospect with a bit of untapped potential, having three years of eligibility left.
But, it’s notable that, even with their recruiting rating out of high school, Bates has struggled to see the field at a struggling Florida State school.
Wisconsin will likely continue to add at the cornerback position after losing its top three cornerbacks from the 2024 season, notably needing a nickel cornerback. But, they continue to prioritize younger players with multiple years of eligibility, and could start some of those guys in the secondary in 2026.
