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5 players Wisconsin Badgers must prevent from entering transfer portal this winter

The Wisconsin Badgers will lose plenty of players to the transfer portal, but they have to hold onto some of their top young talent that represent the future of the program.
Cam Wilhorn|
Aug 28, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. (13) rushes with the football against Miami (OH) RedHawks defensive back Adrian Walker Jr. (6) during the third quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. (13) rushes with the football against Miami (OH) RedHawks defensive back Adrian Walker Jr. (6) during the third quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

After the Badgers failed to reach bowl eligibility for a second consecutive season, it looks as though Luke Fickell will be coaching for his job in 2026.

Promises of more financial investment from the athletic department, some promising young players and a significantly softer schedule make the prospects of a turnaround feasible.

Still, Fickell and his staff will have to put the money to good use, finding quality talent via the transfer portal while keeping key players in Madison.

Atop the list of talents to retain stand Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano. They won't make this list, though, as Posa has already all-but confirmed he'll be back for 2026 and spoke of himself and Catalano in tandem as the future several times throughout the season.

CB Omillio Agard

Ricardo Hallman, D'Yoni Hill and Nyzier Fourqurean have exhausted their eligibility, gutting an already thin cornerback room. Geimere Latimer is at risk of entering the portal after his younger brother, class of 2026 RB recruit Amari Latimer, flipped to West Virginia on signing day.

If Latimer is gone, Agard would be the longest tenured cornerback on the roster. In 2025, he served as Wisconsin's third outside corner and split work with Hill throughout the campaign.

Agard finished with an interception, two pass breakups and one sack, according to Pro Football Focus. He graded out as Wisconsin's second best corner overall and in coverage.

Retaining Agard could prevent Wisconsin from having to completely overhaul the corner back room, and he has the talent to be a quality starter in 2026.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers redshirt freshman cornerback turning heads with early play-making

WR Eugene Hilton

Badgers media raved about Hilton throughout spring and fall camps. The son of 10-year NFL pro T.Y. Hilton, Eugene frequently made eye-popping catches and possesses the natural skill required to not only be an exceptional college wideout, but be productive at the next level.

When the season rolled around, Wisconsin's poor passing attack and the presence of talented veterans left minimal snaps for the four-star high school recruit.

He totaled eight catches for 92 yards on the year, including a 42-yard catch in the fourth quarter against Oregon.

With several players graduating and a trio of wide receivers having entered the portal, Hilton is one of three wideouts on the Badgers roster to have caught a pass at the college level.

OLB Sebastian Cheeks

Wisconsin is losing its top two pass rushers this offseason in Mason Reiger and Darryl Peterson. The duo's ability to get after the quarterback played a key role in the Badgers' defensive emergence down the stretch.

Now, it's up to Cheeks to carry on their legacy and wreak havoc on opposing QBs.

Cheeks is of a slighter build than both Reiger and Peterson, but he's transitioned into more of a pass-rushing role. After logging three sacks in 58 pass rush snaps in 2024, per PFF, Cheeks logged just one sack in 2025 despite notching a pressure on 28 of his 209 pass rush attempts.

His 28 pressures finished second on the team, sandwiched between Reiger (45) And Peterson (26).

Cheeks is the best pass rusher on the roster at this point and should take another step forward in 2026.

OL Kevin Heywood

Heywood is clearly Wisconsin's top tackle now that Riley Mahlman has graduated, and frankly, there aren't many other tackles the Badgers would likely feel comfortable starting in 2026.

Emerson Mandell primarily played right tackle during the 2025 campaign, but he may be more of a natural guard.

Before Heywood tore his ACL in spring ball, he was penciled in to open the 2025 campaign as the Badgers starting left tackle.

At 6-foot-8 and 325 pounds, he is a behemoth. He was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of high school, and he served as Wisconsin's swing tackle as a true freshman last year.

The Limerick, Pennsylvania native played 72 snaps in 2024 (15 at RT, 57 at LT), and he allowed just one pressure and no sacks, per PFF.

Coming off a major injury, he will have some question marks heading into the 2026 campaign, but right now, Heywood is the team's top tackle and still has plenty of time to improve.

OL Emerson Mandell

Mandell was one of the most under-appreciated players on the 2025 roster. As a redshirt freshman, he spent the entire offseason in a battle with Kerry Kodanko for the starting right guard spot.

The battle went down to the wire, but it was Mandell who won the starting gig.

Then, left tackle Davis Heinzen was benched after a poor Week 1 and Wisconsin was forced to flip right tackle Riley Mahlman to the left side. That meant Mandell became the starting right tackle, a position he'd hold for the remaining 11 games.

He had his fair share of struggles, which isn't a surprise for a second-year player who swapped positions early in the season, but he wasn't a weak spot by any means.

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His 63.9 PFF grade was within one point of both Mahlman and left guard Joe Brunner.

Mandell simply being available may have been his most valuable contribution. Backup tackles Barrett Nelson and Leyton Nelson were injured for all or most of the season.

Still, it was a solid season for a second-year offensive lineman. With guys like Mahlman, Jake Renfro and possibly Brunner leaving the program, Mandell can become a foundational piece to a thin offensive line room.

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Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

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