The Wisconsin Badgers will lose one of their former starting linebackers to the transfer portal this offseason, as Tackett Curtis will head elsewhere for his final year of eligibility.
Curtis, a native of Louisiana, transferred to Wisconsin ahead of the 2024 season after his freshman season with the USC Trojans. The Badgers had been a big player in his recruitment out of high school, recruiting him as an outside linebacker under Paul Chryst’s staff, and re-continued the relationship in the portal,
but as an inside linebacker.
Ultimately, Wisconsin beat out some top suitors for the linebacker and got his commitment. But, his career at Wisconsin started slowly, as Curtis underwent surgery and missed spring ball.
He and Christian Alliegro were the backups to Jake Chaney and Jaheim Thomas, but both flashed and showed they were deserving of more snaps as the season went on. Curtis finished the year with 27 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and two pass breakups.
He began the 2025 season as a starter alongside Alliegro, but had inconsistent play with tackling and angles, which led to freshmen linebackers Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano getting more snaps as the season progressed.
Wisconsin started Catalano over Curtis when facing the Oregon Ducks and kept it that way for the rest of the season. So, it isn’t a surprise that Curtis will look elsewhere for his final year of eligibility, as Wisconsin seems set going forward with Catalano and Posa as their starting linebackers.
The next big question is about the future of Christian Alliegro, who has been a quality player, but now figures to be in a crowded room. Can Wisconsin keep him or will he also look elsewhere for the 2026 season?
