The transfer portal has been quite the party for the Wisconsin Badgers. So many new faces and many of them solid and even great additions. However, yesterday, the Badgers lost a key piece to the puzzle for next year in veteran offensive lineman Joe Brunner. He was poised to be a starting guard next season, and now he's out the door looking for another home.
However, it took all of one night for Luke Fickell to add another player to the offensive line. It's not a like-for-like exchange, as Brunner is a guard and Lucas Simmons is a tackle, but Fickell has shown he won't sit idly by while players leave. He has the resources to replace talent now.
Wisconsin standout offensive guard Joe Brunner has entered the transfer portal, @chris_hummer and I have learned.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 7, 2026
Was a starter for the Badgers the last two seasons and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection this season. pic.twitter.com/GaRU8zAfKk
Wisconsin loses star guard Joe Brunner but adds tackle Lucas Simmons from Florida State
Related: Wisconsin football transfer portal tracker: Who's out, in, and the speculation
The addition of Simmons is a huge pickup for the Badgers. He's actually from Stockholm, Sweden, but went to Clearwater Academy International in Florida for high school. He was a 4-star recruit and spent this season as a redshirt freshman playing in every game for the Seminoles as a rotational depth lineman.
He's now entering into his sophomore year for Wisconsin with some experience and still all of that 4-star pedigree that originally had him as one of the top tackle recruits in the country. He's 6'8 and 308 pounds, a big body that can still get a bit bigger.
BREAKING: Florida State OT Lucas Simmons has committed to Wisconsin #Badgers pic.twitter.com/hcpCRH3lGj
— Nick Osen (@TheRealNickOsen) January 7, 2026
Coming out of high school, he had scouts buzzing for his reach, size, and athletic ability. He was still a relatively raw offensive lineman, but there was and still continues to be a lot of excitement about his potential.
His recruiting profile said this on 24/7 Sports when he was a recruit, "Should be viewed as a potential multi-year starter for a Top 25 program. However, it will need some time to incubate at the school choice and probably shouldn’t be rushed into action, as that could kill confidence and hamper development. Sheer mass could have NFL circles buzzing one day."
That's some high praise for Simmons, and he's going to be a crucial addition for the Badgers as soon as this next season.