As portal season kicks off, over a dozen Badgers have already announced their decision to transfer, with potentially more on the way. That means Luke Fickell and company will need to hit the portal hard themselves if they want to replace the talent and production leaving. Last season's transfer class was very hit-or-miss, and Fickell can't afford another year without getting big time contributors.
Last offseason, Wisconsin brought in 15 new transfers, including quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. Of those 15 however, only two or three made big impacts for the team. Of course it's not Fickell's fault Van Dyke was injured, but outside of running back Tawee Walker on offense, and a few solid defensive contributors like Elijah Hills, the class wasn't strong enough to keep up in the Big Ten.
With a difficult schedule in 2025 and a warm seat, Fickell will need to make this portal season count. So far the Badgers have sent out a few offers, mostly to smaller school players looking to make the jump to a power conference. It's a similar approach the staff used last year, with players coming in from William and Mary, Albany, Toldeo and more. It's a good strategy to find some diamonds in the rough and guys with a chip on their shoulder, but Fickell needs to make it count this year more than ever.
Wisconsin had one splash signing last season in Tyler Van Dyke, they'll need many more than that this season if the Badgers are to be competitive in debatably the best conference in football at the moment. Hopefully the team can still attract some top end talent after the worst season in over two decades.