Luke Fickell unable to keep true freshmen as the future star plans to portal

When the portal opens on January 2nd, there's another Wisconsin name that is planning to jump in, and it's a frustrating loss. Eugene Hilton Jr., the true freshman wide receiver who was underutilized by the Badgers but showed amazing promise, is ready to take his game to the next level, but not in Madison.

Hilton came into Wisconsin with a lot of excitement and buzz, being the son of former NFL great T.Y. Hilton, but also showing insane ability on the field. He electrified in spring camp and even had a few standout performances on the field. One of the best plays he had wasn't even a catch; it was the way he tricked the defensive back to free up the field for an explosive touchdown run.

Eugene Hilton Jr. plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens and leave Wisconsin

Related: Wisconsin football transfer portal tracker: Who's out, in, and the speculation

This season for the Badgers as a true freshman, he caught eight balls for 91 yards. He wasn't called upon a lot, but when he was, he showcased raw athleticism and the ability to be a game-changing wide receiver in college football. The sky was the limit, and Wisconsin fans were ecstatic about his future as a Badger.

Now, fans are frustrated as he was one of the few players that they desperately wanted to hold on to. He, along with Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano, was part of a group of true freshmen who showed where the future could go, even under Luke Fickell.

The Badgers already needed to head into the portal for wide receiver help after the loss of senior Vinny Anthony and Trech Kekauna (also planning to enter the portal), but now even more so as Wisconsin looks to replace Hilton.

It's hard to fault Hilton. He was underutilized even as a freshman, was part of a terrible offense, had to deal with a rotating group of quarterbacks all season, and next year, the quarterback situation is changing again. It makes sense that he would want to look for a new opportunity.