It’s offseason time for the Wisconsin Badgers, who disappointed en route to a 4-8 season this year and will have quite a few changes to make over the coming months.
The first already came as the Badgers
replaced offensive line coach Jeff Grimes with Arkansas’s Eric Mateos, which means Wisconsin will have its fifth offensive line coach in six years.
But, the majority of the work will come in the transfer portal, where the Badgers are going to need to replace a ton of talent and also add significantly at several position groups.
Let’s break down the five biggest needs for the Badgers in the portal this offseason.
Honorable Mention: Defensive Line
The Badgers revamped their defensive line in a big way last offseason, adding seven outside linebackers/defensive linemen from the transfer portal.
A couple of those players, such as Mason Reiger, Parker Petersen, and Jay’Viar Suggs, are done after the 2025 season. Wisconsin will also lose Ben Barten, who took a big step in 2025, so there’s quite a bit of snaps and production to replace here.
The reason this group isn’t higher is because 1) the Badgers do have some young talent, such as Dillan Johnson, who could step into a bigger role and 2) the Badgers have even bigger needs elsewhere. That speaks to how much they need to add in the transfer portal this offseason.
5. Safety
The Badgers are losing their top two safeties: Austin Brown and Preston Zachman, unless the latter surprises and applies for a medical waiver for another year of eligibility.
Zachman was the leader of the group, but suffered a season-ending injury last year, while Brown didn’t take that hopeful next step. Zachman’s backup, Matt Jung, struggled when put on the field in a bigger role. Wisconsin shouldn’t look for him to be a starter in 2025.
The Badgers may need two or three additions here, with a couple being potential starters. The reason this group is at five is that Wisconsin does have some young talent (Grant Dean, Luke Emmerich, Raphael Dunn) that could eat into some of the snaps next season.
4. Offensive Line
We know the offensive line is the heartbeat of the Badgers offense. And there is expected to be some big changes next season. Of course, there’s the hiring of Eric Mateos.
But, Wisconsin may have to replace three veteran starters: Riley Mahlman (NFL), Jake Renfro (transfer portal), and Joe Brunner (NFL?). The one that could return is Brunner if the feedback he receives isn’t what he’s looking for.
Wisconsin has Kevin Heywood back from an ACL tear. That should solve one of the tackle spots. Emerson Mandell could kick back into guard, where the Badgers see him fitting best. Colin Cubberly could take a starting spot after taking over at right guard to end the year. Perhaps that’s at left guard?
Still, Wisconsin needs to figure out its center spot and its right tackle spot. Ryan Cory didn’t play that well when tasked with stepping up as the top center, although that usually came due to injuries mid-game. And Kerry Kodanko is done with eligibility. That’s the main priority in the portal.
Wisconsin could also hit the portal for a right tackle. The main returning options there are Barrett Nelson (missed all of 2025 with injury) and the number of freshmen options from the 2025 class.
The Badgers will probably also look for some extra depth after getting only one offensive line commit in their 2026 class. So, there’s some work to be done.
3. Cornerback
Wisconsin is losing its top three cornerbacks from the 2025 season. Ricardo Hallman and D’Yoni Hill are out of eligibility. And Geimere Latimer is entering the transfer portal. That’s a lot of snaps to replace, even if the production wasn’t great.
Wisconsin didn’t enter the 2025 season with a ton of depth at the position either. True freshman Cairo Skanes and redshirt freshman Omillio Agard were the top backups on the boundary. One or both currently project as starters for the Badgers.
It seems likely the Badgers will hit the portal for their nickelback once again, which has become a recurring theme. But, they probably need at least two to three cornerbacks to fill the depth at the position in 2026, not to mention the starting-caliber talent.
2. Wide Receiver
Wisconsin is losing its top four pass-catchers from a season ago: Lance Mason (eligibility), Vinny Anthony (eligibility), Trech Kekahuna (transfer portal), and Jayden Ballard (eligibility).
Currently, its top projected receivers are Eugene Hilton Jr. (true freshman in 2025), Chris Brooks Jr. (11 catches, 124 yards in 2025), and Tyrell Henry (5 catches, 29 yards in 2025). That’s a room that will need a ton of production.
The Badgers probably are looking to keep Hilton at all costs, so he should project as a starter. But, Wisconsin needs much more from its starters and some depth pieces after losing Anthony and Kekahuna. It’ll be hard to attract receivers to Wisconsin after the lack of production from receivers over the past few years.
That makes it even more of a challenge and priority.
1. Quarterback
It’s pretty clear the Badgers need a quarterback. Wisconsin had three transfer portal quarterbacks in 2025 with Billy Edwards, Hunter Simmons, and Danny O’Neil. None of them panned out.
True freshman Carter Smith showed some glimpses of potential with his dual-threat ability, and the Badgers should definitely look to keep him. But, he’s likely to need at least another year of development, and Wisconsin needs numbers at quarterback.
The Badgers need a top-tier starter. If they’re really looking to invest with NIL, that’s the position they must do so at. But, they also need depth, and I expect them to take two quarterbacks in the transfer class.
Those additions could make or break the team’s 2025 season.
