The 2026 transfer portal season has been a kinetic whirlwind of activity for Luke Fickell’s Wisconsin Badgers, in both directions, and I’m going to take a look at all positions on the team to try to make
sense of where the squad stands heading into February.
My grades will primarily be based on the players brought in, but fit and depth will certainly factor into the analysis. I’m going to start with the offense, and will cover the defense later this week.
Quarterback
Let’s start right at the top. While online “experts” have some varied opinions, my take is that Old Dominion transfer quarterback Colton Joseph is not only the crown jewel of this portal class, but also the fulcrum for any meaningful success for the team this fall.
Joseph’s impressive combination of arm talent and running ability makes him a very good fit for Jeff Grimes’s system, although it will take some dedication for the rising junior quarterback to fully acclimate himself in a new scheme and environment while facing tougher defenses. Non-Power Four or not, it’s hard to ignore a 1000+ yard, 13-touchdown rushing season.
A high 3-star out of Austin, Texas from the 2024 class (No. 34 overall quarterback per 247), Deuce Adams from Louisville isn’t long on experience, but brings an intriguing skill set that can best be characterized as developing.
Adams and Carter Smith battling it out for the backup slot behind Joseph will be something to keep an eye on in camp. Freshman Ryan Hopkins will hopefully learn and redshirt this fall.
Grade: A
Running Back
This is comfortably in my top three favorite portal rooms for the Badgers, along with cornerback and quarterback.
Abu Sama, late of Iowa State, and his impressive blend of speed and power should lead a committee this fall. He reminds me a bit of Corey Clement and has real-world production in his back pocket, including 732 yards, five touchdowns, and 5.2 yards per carry in his junior campaign.
Bryan Jackson from USC might serve as a thunder to Sama’s lightning and has a fair amount of experience for a deep USC backfield and two years of eligibility left. Nate Palmer has an intriguing ceiling coming from TCU and will probably get a better shot for carries in 2027, carrying three years of remaining eligibility.
With former four-star Darrion Dupree returning for Wisconsin, and the talented Qwantavious Wiggins heading to Madison in the 2026 class, new running backs coach Jayden Everett’s backfield is looking stocked and ready to roll, and the competition for reps should be fun to watch.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver
I know that most Wisconsin fans were hoping for a blue-chip portal wide receiver, and I want to get it out there right away that they didn’t land one. Years of having a moribund passing game likely factored in here. But that’s not to say that the Badgers didn’t bring some intriguing talent in, because they absolutely did by employing a Moneyball style of recruiting.
Landing two former four-star speedsters with ideal boundary size in Malachi Coleman (Minnesota) and Zion Kearney (Oklahoma) is notable. While neither has broken through at the college level, they each possess tantalizing upside if it can be unleashed.
Jaylon Domingeaux from Southeastern Louisiana brings sturdy FCS production with a large frame to Madison for his final season, while rising junior Shamar Rigby (Oklahoma State by way of Purdue) has flashed impressively, with 351 yards and a score for the Cowboys in 2025. Both could find themselves in the Badgers’ two-deep to start 2026. Former Louisville walk-on Eli Adams (brother of Deuce) is a late addition who will try to compete for reps this spring.
Reeling Eugene Hilton back in from the Portal feels, in some ways, like an addition, and he will have every opportunity to earn significant targets for the Badgers this season, while Chris Brooks Jr. and Tyrell Henry will also be in the mix.
2026 recruits Zion Legree and Keeyshawn Tabuteau will both likely get a look in camp for slot reps, given how many big-bodied boundary types are in the room.
Grade: B/C (with potential for more)
Tight End
After losing Lance Mason to graduation and Tucker Ashcraft to the portal, Fickell and tight ends coach Nate Letton had some serious work to do, and they struck twice.
The top add was Bowling Green’s Jacob Harris, who profiles as a solid, chains-moving guy with upside who can do real damage near the goal line, as his five touchdowns in 2025 demonstrate. While he’s unlikely to be quite what the Badgers lost in Mason, Harris has two years of eligibility left and should slot right into a robust competition for snaps with returnees Grant Stec, Jackson McGohan, JT Seagreaves, Emmett Bork, and Nizyi Davis.
Then, there’s Wisconsin’s other tight end transfer portal commit, Ryan Schwendeman. He’s a 6’5″ 245 blocking specialist with two years of eligibility left, and he seems to have the hard-nosed demeanor the Badgers look for at the position. He will, at a minimum, provide veteran leadership in a relatively young room.
Grade: B
Offensive Line
I’ve not been shy about how much I like (and trust) new offensive line Coach Eric Mateos, who put some outstanding lines together for an otherwise bad team at Arkansas (and has experience coaching with Jeff Grimes).
While Mateos hit the portal robustly, he clearly made strong efforts to retain the offensive line already in the room, especially the 2024 and 2025 guys, including left tackle Kevin Heywood and guard/tackle Emerson Mandell. The depth/potential of the room is very strong.
Mateos’s best portal add is former Oklahoma State center Austin Kawecki, a senior who will slide right into the starting role and hopefully stabilize a position that was far too inconsistent in 2025. New additions also include a smorgasbord of young players with established upside like P.J. Wilkins (Ole Miss), Lucas Simmons (Florida State), Blake Cherry (Arkansas), and Stylz Blackmon (Augustana).
All adds besides Kawecki have multiple years of eligibility left, and the offensive line room is primed for a ton of competition and a big step forward from 2025.
Grade: A/B
