The Wisconsin Badgers had quite a bit of movement this offseason, as a handful of players left and entered the transfer portal.
Some of that change came at the receiver position, where Wisconsin dealt with quite a few key departures, leading them to go for Ohio State’s Jayden Ballard in the fall transfer portal and Hawaii’s Dekel Crowdus in the spring transfer portal.
Wisconsin’s biggest loss was slot receiver Will Pauling, who joined former wide receivers coach Mike Brown with the Notre Dame Fighting
Irish.
Pauling, an All-Big Ten selection in 2023, had a down year last season while dealing with inconsistent quarterback play, catching 42 passes for 407 yards and three touchdowns.
He initially was set to return to Wisconsin, but it would have been tough for both him and Trech Kekahuna to earn opportunities in offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’s new scheme. As a result, Pauling entered the transfer portal after Kekahuna withdrew from the portal and returned to Wisconsin, heading to Notre Dame.
Well, Pauling has seemingly transitioned well to his new school, as the Fighting Irish anointed him a captain ahead of the 2025 season.
Since transferring there, his work ethic has been revered by teammates, with Pauling picking up the nickname ‘Gug Rat’ for always being at the facility. He’ll look to bounce back for a strong fifth and final collegiate campaign in 2025.
