The Wisconsin Badgers continued to add to their defensive line, landing Illinois State transfer Jake Anderson, he announced on Friday.
Anderson, a 6’5, 305-pound defensive lineman, was an All-Missouri Valley Conference second-teamer in 2024 and an honorable mention in 2025 as one of the team’s best players up front. He entered the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility and got some P4 interest, but the Badgers ultimately came out on top with a commitment here.
In 2024, Anderson started in
all 14 games, recording 59 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, a pass breakup, an interception, and a forced fumble for Illinois State. He was a huge force in the run game with 29 stops, including seven in one game against Indiana State.
This season, Anderson started all 16 games for Illinois State, recording 52 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. He was once again a force with 28 stops, which was third on the team and led all defensive linemen.
With Anderson, the Badgers are adding a big body that can play in the middle of their defense line on early downs and help stop the run. While his pressure numbers haven’t been that high at Illinois State, there is some promise that Anderson can be an early-down lineman at Wisconsin with the potential for more.
Wisconsin needs size and experience up front with its defensive line, and Anderson can provide exactly that, coming in for his final season of eligibility. He joins West Virginia transfer Hammond Russell and Buffalo transfer Junior Poyser as the three defensive linemen coming into the program this offseason.
Wisconsin still likely needs one more experienced body for its rotation after losing Charles Perkins to the transfer portal. If they can find a way to retain the disruptive defensive tackle, they could have a set room in 2026.
