The Badgers locked in most of their 2026 class Wednesday afternoon, but a lot of the work to finish the roster still remains. While the high school side of things is mostly wrapped, Luke Fickell and company will now need to turn their attention to the transfer portal.
With a new budget, Wisconsin is sure to be active in the portal, but which positions they'll target are less clear--except for one. When asked if the Badgers would target a quarterback in the portal, Fickell didn't mince words.
"Yes," said Fickell. "We know that the quarterback position is going to be really key and really critical."
Who could Wisconsin potentially add in the portal?
While Fickell said the Badgers would target a quarterback, he didn't give any indication as to what type of player they might go after. Billy Edwards Jr. and Carter Smith are still potentially in the running to earn the starting job in 2026, but neither has shown enough to say for certain they'd win it. So it's safe to say Wisconsin would be looking for their future starter.
There are already two potential names surfacing as potential candidates for Wisconsin's quest for a new quarterback in Colton Joseph and Marcus Stokes, but as more players enter the portal, there's sure to be a plethora of options.
Wisconsin hasn't had much luck in the portal in recent years. Both Tyler Van Dyke and Billy Edwards Jr. missed a majority of the season after initially tabbed as the starting quarterback. Hopefully, 2026 breaks the curse.