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Wisconsin Badgers defensive tackle decides against transfer portal, will return for 2026

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for Wisconsin Badgers defensive tackle Charles Perkins, but the dust has settled, and he's set to return to the team for 2026.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin Badgers defensive lineman Charles Perkins (30) will return in 2026 instead of entering the transfer portal.
Wisconsin Badgers defensive lineman Charles Perkins (30) will return in 2026 instead of entering the transfer portal. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for Wisconsin Badgers defensive tackle Charles Perkins, but the dust has settled, and he's set to return to the team for 2026.

That was the initial plan three weeks ago, when he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was excited to "run it back" with the Badgers for the fifth year of his college career and second at Wisconsin.

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Then earlier this week, he had a change of heart. His agency announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Thursday.

His decision prompted some further discussions with the Wisconsin coaching staff, and by Friday evening, he was back locked in as a Badger.

Badgers enforcing reported revenue-sharing contract

It appears he might have learned about the new reality of college football, the hard way.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported this week that Perkins had signed a new revenue-sharing contract with the Badgers in December, correlating with his social media post about running it back.

The details of that contract have not been made public, but it's likely it included language that prevented him from entering the transfer portal without some sort of financial repercussions.

Perhaps those "further discussions" with the Wisconsin staff made that more clear to Perkins, prompting him to return to the team instead.

It's a similar situation as to what happened with quarterback Demond Williams at Washington, who went through the same type of back-and-forth after signing his deal with the Huskies.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers round out defensive line with transfer who just played in FCS National Championship

This is all a sign that Luke Fickell is building more stability for the program by being able to keep players around through their contractual obligations, rather than have them try to leave every time the transfer portal window opens.

Perkins should be in line to start or at least be a significant contributor in the Badgers' defensive line rotation this fall.

Wisconsin has added three other defensive tackles in the portal so far, with  Junior Poyser from Buffalo, Hammond Russell IV from West Virginia and Jake Anderson from Illinois State.

Perkins will have the advantage of being familiar with the playbook and the coaching staff already.

He was limited to eight games this past season due to injuries after transferring in last winter from UT-Martin at the FCS level.

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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.

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