Wisconsin has landed arguably the top FCS defensive lineman out of the transfer portal just days after his former team, Illinois State, lost in overtime against Montana State. Jake Anderson is a monster with 52 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks on the season. As a defensive lineman, he ranks sixth in tackles on his team. He's strong, fast, and yet huge.
Anderson is listed at 6'5 and 295 pounds. He can play inside or outside along the line, though he will mostly project as an interior defensive lineman for the Badgers. It's a big pickup for Wisconsin as Anderson was receiving plenty of interest.
Wisconsin continues to add to its D-line through the portal.
— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) January 9, 2026
The latest is Jake Anderson (Illinois State), who recorded 52 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks on a team that played four days ago in the FCS national championship game. One year of eligiblity left.
Wisconsin lands commitment from Jake Anderson out of Illinois State
Related: Wisconsin football transfer portal tracker: Who's out, in, and the speculation
This is now the fourth defensive line player for the Badgers in this portal cycle, though Justus Boone will most likely be an edge player. This puts three defensive tackles out of the portal on the roster. This is ideal as it was a position group that needed to replace a handful of players due to graduation and transfers out. Anderson will have one season of eligibility left.
The other two defensive tackles for Wisconsin are Russell Hammond IV from West Virginia and Junior Poyser from Buffalo. Counting Anderson, all three of them are right around 300 pounds, which Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell calls the ideal weight for the position. According to Fickell, they need to be that big to stand up to the Big Ten offensive lineman.
That recipe worked for Wisconsin last season as they were one of the best run-stuffing teams in the Big Ten. Fickell is hoping these three big boys, as well as others already on the roster, will keep that vibe going next season.
Anderson is now the 25th transfer to commit and sign with Wisconsin, counting Taylor Schaefer, who comes over from a JUCO. It's a huge transfer class, but it's the only way the Badgers can get better and get better fast.