Wisconsin Badgers biggest remaining needs after first 25 transfer portal additions

Despite two dozen transfer portal additions so far, the Wisconsin Badgers still have a few more needs to fill with veteran players this winter.

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the first quarter of their game against Washington Saturday, November 8, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Wisconsin Badgers have been one of the most active teams in the transfer portal this winter with 25 new players added as of Sunday afternoon.

That ranks Top 10 in the country for most players brought in through the portal this year so far, adding talent at virtually every position across the roster.

Still, despite all that work, Luke Fickell still has a few lingering needs he should address with the remaining days of the transfer window, in order to fully round out his team.

Edge Rusher

Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Sebastian Cheeks (15) is the team's top returning edge rusher for 2026. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

You can never have too many good pass rushers, but the Badgers could use at least one more proven play-maker to feel really confident about their ability to attack opposing quarterbacks.

Mason Reiger, Darryl Peterson, Corey Walker and Aaron Witt all exhausted their eligibility, and Wisconsin has only added two transfers to fill the void.

One of those additions, Jayden Loftin from Tennessee, was true freshman who redshirted this past fall, making him much more of a developmental player than a plug-and-play contributor.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers land transfer portal edge rusher who ranked Top 25 in 2025 recruiting class

The other, Justus Boone from Arkansas, will be a sixth-year senior with some real experience, but he has three sacks in the three years he's been on the field.

The Badgers haven't brought in a proven pass-rusher with a track record of success. They bring back Sebastian Cheeks and Tyreese Fearbry (among others), who both contributed last year, but Fickell would be smart to keep adding at the position to increase the chances that quality contributors win the starting job.

Wide Receiver

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. (13) returned to the school after testing out the transfer portal this winter. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Wisconsin had to almost completely rebulid its wide receiver position through the portal after three players announced their intentions to transfer and three others graduated.

They were fortunate to convince rising sophomore Eugene Hilton to return to the Badgers after initially entering the portal, but that still left six players to replace.

Fickell opted to sign three true freshmen in the 2026, but he still needed more proven contributors to replace the likes of Vinny Anthony and Trech Kekahuna.

UW has added two quality receivers in the portal so far with Shamar Rigby from Oklahoma State and Jaylon Domingeaux from Southeastern Louisiana, but offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes could use one more veteran to round out the group.

Related: Ranking the Wisconsin Badgers four most important offensive transfer additions

Chris Brooks and Tyrell Henry return from last season as well, but that leaves Wisconsin with only five wide receivers who have NCAA experience. That doesn't leave them much wiggle room in case of injuries.

It should be a high priority to support new quarterback Colton Joseph with as many quality weapons as possible.

Interior Defensive Line

Wisconsin Badgers defensive lineman Dillan Johnson (76) will compete with the team's experienced additions in the transfer portal. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Badgers built their defensive line through the portal last winter, to great success. The downside was, most of those players were in the last year of eligibility and need to be replaced again.

Wisconsin's top four defensive linemen from last year all graduated, and Fickell has added three proven players to replace them.

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Junior Poyser from Buffalo, Hammond Russell from West Virginia and Jake Anderson from Illinois State all have starting experience and should plug in as immediate contributors.

The Badgers could use at least one more to have a deep enough rotation to keep them all fresh, along with returning players like Charles Perkins and Dillan Johnson.

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