By Nathan Denzin, BADGER STRIPES
The Wisconsin Badgers football team had seven players immediately enter the transfer portal when it opened on December 4, including its most decorated receiver – Chimere Dike.
But Dike, from Waukesha, wasn’t the only pass catcher who fled Madison, as he was joined by Skyler Bell and Keontez Lewis shortly after. The other big name transferring out Monday was quarterback Myles Burkett, who looked like he might take over for Graham Mertz before Luke Fickell was brought in as head coach.
Historically, Dike was the most decorated receiver in the Badgers corps in 2023, entering the season with over 1,100 yards through three years. That includes nearly 700 yards on 47 catches in 2022. Bell looked like he was trending upward in Madison after going for 444 yards last season, averaging almost 15 yards per catch.
Despite the promise of an Air Raid offense, both Dike and Bell took a step back this year. The two combined for just 624 yards on the season, about a quarter of the Badgers total receiving yards on the year. The two were still the third- and fourth-leading receivers on the team respectively, leaving a big hole in the offense.
Lewis – who racked up 313 yards in 2022 – recorded just one catch for 12 yards in only one game played.
Myles Burkett never really found his stride in Madison, attempting just five passes in 2022 while redshirting. He never saw the field in 2023, and now will take his 3-star rating elsewhere.
The Badgers still have their two top receivers from the 2023 season – transfers Will Pauling and Bryson Green – but will need to reload in the offseason to have a potent offense.
So now that Wisconsin is officially in the market for playmakers, what will the offseason look like?
New depth chart for LSU
The immediate concern for Wisconsin is not embarrassing themselves in the Reliaquest Bowl (formerly known as the Outback bowl) against LSU on New Year’s Day. Now are the Badgers worthy of this game? Probably not, even with a full roster.
Wisconsin will now have to play their bowl game without superstar running back Braelon Allen, who committed to the NFL draft last week. Take away two top receivers, and the offense might look a little different come gameday.
The good news is the Badgers will still have Mordecai, and his two favorite targets in Will Pauling and Bryson Green. They also have some experience missing Allen, with Jackson Aker and Cade Yacamelli as lead backs.
Behind the top two receivers and backs though, things get a little murky. CJ Williams will likely take the third starting WR spot, but hauled in just 15 passes for 148 yards this season. The next receiver behind Williams is Vinny Anthony, who recorded just seven catches for 84 yards.
Wisconsin does have some good luck and good history behind them in bowl games, but offensively it might get a little ugly.
2024 and beyond
The bigger question of how Wisconsin responds to the transfers on offense starts January 2nd.
The Badgers only have one wideout in their incoming 2024 recruiting class – three star Kyan Berry-Johnson of Illinois. While he might pan out in year one, it’s risky to hope for a freshman to contribute right away, so Wisconsin will have to look elsewhere for reinforcements.
Cincinnati, Luke Fickell’s old stomping ground, has three receivers and a couple of running backs already in the portal. The top back, Myles Montgomery, rushed for 428 yards this season with over 6 yards a carry – though none of the receivers cracked more than 50 yards in 2023.
However, the Badgers have already sent offers to a couple transfers. The first is Cyrus Allen, who had 46 catches for 778 yards as a sophomore at Louisiana Tech. Allen is 6 feet tall, so he could fill into a spot on the outside. Wisconsin has also offered Michigan State’s Tyrell Henry, who had 24 catches for 195 yards as a sophomore.
While either of those guys would fit nicely at Wisconsin, it’s early in the transfer season and plenty is still sure to happen.
Badger Stripes is a sports news organization that provides in-depth coverage of Wisconsin athletics. Follow us on Facebook.
