A few days ago Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers added a new portal transfer from Purdue, long snapper Nick Levy. A highly accomplished and veteran presence in a crucial special teams position. However, the head-scratching part of the transfer is not how good Levy is, but rather the reality that Fickell had already added a long snapper in the winter portal, Eli Stein.
Stein is also a veteran, but with two years of eligibility remaining, and is quite accomplished at the position. He was also the long snapper for the Badgers all spring, including in the Spring Showcase. And yet one day he woke up and realized he was losing his starting spot to a new transfer addition, Nick Levy, which feels somewhat like a strange move by Fickell. It honestly feels like he pulled the carpet out from under Eli Stein.
Eli Stien into the portal. Writing was on the wall when the Badgers added a long snapper a few days ago. https://t.co/Fh0S0sRz4d https://t.co/CQWS9bFGZb
— Jon McNamara (@McNamaraRivals) April 23, 2025
Eli Stein is back in the portal after Luke Fickell adds another long snapper to take his spot
Eli Stein was a great addition as a long snapper. He's a former Adidas All-American, 2x Mannelly award watchlist (given to top long snappers), and he was a All-SEC freshman at one point when he played for Arkansas.
If there aren't reduced roster limits, it's not uncommon to have multiple long snappers. However, it is uncommon to have two long snappers that are starters and veterans. It was also a strange move, considering the roster limits are likely to be reduced. So what is Fickell doing? He may have intentionally or unintenionally forced Stein out.
Maybe Stein also doesn't fit what he wants in a transfer out of the portal. He's been very vocal about his disdain for some of the transfers that have come in and immediately left when they were proving to be too soft. Stein may not fit that bill but there seems to be a reason why Fickell pulled the carpet out from under him.