By Nathan Denzin, BADGER STRIPES
Coming off the elation of beating Minnesota handily to take back Paul Bunyan’s Axe, Wisconsin Badger fans were knocked back down to Earth with the announcement that Chimere Dike and Skyler Bell would transfer from Madison just days later.
All in all, 18 Badgers have decided to leave the program after a much anticipated 2023 campaign, which saw Wisconsin struggle throughout much of the year to a 7-5 record. Outside Dike and Bell, the Badgers are losing four more impact players.
The biggest loss will undoubtedly be linebacker Jordan Turner, who started 11 of the teams 12 regular season games. He racked up 61 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks in 2023.
Outside of Turner, the defense is also losing a top rotation guy in defensive end Rodas Johnson. Johnson played in 37 of 38 games over the past three seasons, with nearly 50 tackles and 10 sacks during that time. He was never a consistent starter, but was always reliable in rotations.
Two more guys transferring that could be missed are on the offensive side of the ball: former four-star lineman Trey Wedig of Oconomowoc, and former five-star lineman Nolan Rucci. Both came in with sky-high expectations, but neither lived up to the hype. Wedig sat as the backup right tackle in 2023 after earning eight starts in 2022, while Rucci was the primary back-up to left tackle Jack Nelson over the past two seasons.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the departure of star running back Braelon Allen of Fond Du Lac, who declared for the NFL draft after his junior season. At 6’2, 245 lbs., Allen grades out around the third or fourth round of the draft despite a “down” year for the teenager who will be 20 when the NFL season starts. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai is also leaving after he graduates in the spring. Both will need solid replacements in 2024 if Wisconsin wants to be competitive.
But head coach Luke Fickell and company have been busy, and Wisconsin has already snagged 10 commitments from the transfer portal.
So without further adieu, here are the players Wisconsin has landed from the transfer portal and who the Badgers still have offers out to.
Reloading offensive skill players
Let’s start with the biggest departure: Allen. The Badgers will to miss him, but Fickell has already brought in a back to pair with returning, sixth-year senior Chez Mellusi.
Tawee Walker is that back – a rising junior transferring in from Oklahoma who rushed for 513 yards and seven scores in 2023. He is not the physical specimen that Allen is at just 5’9” and 216 lbs., but he is a power back that can still succeed against a stacked box.
I would expect to see a little more Walker than Mellusi early on in the season as the veteran works his way back from a broken leg, but by November the two should be splitting touches evenly.
Turning to the quarterback situation, the loss of Mordecai has also seemed to be solved. Wisconsin is bringing in QB Tyler Van Dyke from Miami, who will try to continue his success in Madison.
The incoming senior racked up over 7,000 yards in the air through three seasons with the Hurricanes, including 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. However, Van Dyke’s best season at Miami was undoubtedly his redshirt freshman season, when he threw 25 touchdowns against just 6 picks.
The hope in Madison is that the veteran is put in a place to immediately succeed and get back to playing great football.
For Van Dyke to be a smash, his receivers must increase their 2023 production. When Fickell brought in offensive coordinator Phil Longo, the duo promised an air raid offense that didn’t materialize until the bowl game. But with more of his guys in the offense in 2024, we might see better-prepared receivers.
With Dike, Bell and fellow receiver Keontez Lewis gone, spots opened up on the depth chart. The top two will likely go to Will Pauling and Bryson Green, but incoming transfer Tyrell Henry hopes to grab the third spot over CJ Williams.
Henry comes to Madison from Michigan State, where hauled in 24 catches for about 200 yards and a couple of scores with the Spartans in 2023. While those aren’t eye popping numbers, a proven Big Ten receiver is always a good thing to have on your roster.
Van Dyke will also have rising sophomore receiver Trech Kekahuna, who broke out in the bowl game against No. 13 LSU.
Solutions at the linebacker position
With Turner leaving, Wisconsin needed to find an impact linebacker or two in the portal. They found five.
So far, Leon Lowery from Syracuse, John Pius from William and Mary, Jahsiah Galvan from Northern Iowa, Sebastian Cheeks from North Carolina and Jaheim Thomas from Arkansas have committed. All five are linebackers.
Thomas probably has the best odds to make an instant impact after recording 90 tackles, 6.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks in the 2023 season. He finished fifth in the SEC in total tackles, and is ranked as the best linebacker in the portal in 2024 by On3.
The second most likely contributor is Lowery, who had the weirdest transfer portal experience of anyone in 2023. Lowery committed to Wisconsin shortly after entering the portal, then decommitted less than 24 hours later after getting advice from an untrustworthy “agent.”
All hell broke loose after the decommitment, which ended with Lowery firing his agent and recommitting to Wisconsin. All the drama aside, the linebacker totaled 46 tackles in 2023, including 7.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks.
The other three linebackers are more wildcard options.
Pius is the most exciting prospect for me, after he transferred out of William and Mary second in school history for career tackles for loss and fifth for career sacks. The linebacker could be used more as a hybrid edge rusher with Wisconsin, after putting up 11.5 and then 9.5 sacks in back to back seasons.
The other LB to really watch is Galvan out of Northern Iowa. Galvan tallied 77 tackles to go with an interception, a forced fumble and five pass defends in 2023. He comes in as a sophomore, and could play a big part in the Badgers future.
Who could still transfer in?
Wisconsin has known offers out to at least eight more players so far, including a couple receivers and three defensive lineman. Nearly all have other major conference offers though, so it’s difficult to tell where any of them will land.
Spring practice is a few months away, but expect a surprise or two over the coming weeks.
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