All Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers' Big Ten rivals praised for transfer portal recruiting. Can Luke Fickell keep up?

Big Ten schools like Oregon, Ohio State and Michigan have made major additions in the transfer portal this offseason. Fickell and the Badgers have some catching up to do.
Lorin Cox|
Nov 2, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) reacts with head coach Luke Fickell during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium.
Nov 2, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke (18) reacts with head coach Luke Fickell during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

Luke Fickell has made some important roster additions for the Wisconsin Badgers through the transfer portal this spring.

The problem is, many of his conference rivals have done even more.

ESPN recruiting analysts Craig Haubert and Billy Tucker evaluated every program's newcomers this spring, and six other Big Ten teams ranked among the Top 20.

The team that made the most improvements in their eyes was the Oregon Ducks, who the Badgers face on Oct. 26. ESPN described it as a "a top-five recruiting class and an elite group of transfers," led by former Tulane running back Makhi Hughes.

Ohio State came in at No. 7, getting a lot of credit for how they replaced many of the players they lost to the NFL Draft. They have a few freshmen who could get playing time despite their loaded roster. Wisconsin plays them a week before Oregon.

Michigan ranks No. 9 with the number one quarterback recruit in the country, Bryce Underwood, and a rebuilt backfield with former Alabama running back Justice Haynes.

Nebraska (17th), Indiana (18th) and Maryland (20th) also earned high marks for their transfer portal additions, ranking above other powerhouse programs like Notre Dame (22nd), Florida (23rd) and USC (24th).

Wisconsin did not rank among the 25 schools that ESPN mentioned after a few of their spring transfers departed following short stints in Madison.

Fickell still has time to add more talent to his roster, but in the eyes of national recruiting analysts, he's falling behind some of his peers.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published
Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

Home/Football