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Wisconsin Badgers starting linebacker plans to enter transfer portal after losing job to freshman

Another Wisconsin Badgers starter is entering the transfer portal to look for better playing opportunities elsewhere for his final season of eligibility.
Lorin Cox|
Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Tackett Curtis (4) celebrates a defensive stop against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium
Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Tackett Curtis (4) celebrates a defensive stop against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first quarter at Camp Randall Stadium | Ross Harried-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin linebacker Tackett Curtis was supposed to form a dynamic, veteran linebacker duo this year with Christian Alliegro in the middle of the Badgers defense.

He looked ready to take the next step after filling in regularly in 2024, now with a clear spot in the lineup.

But midway through the season, he lost his starting spot to true freshman Mason Posa, and the Badgers never looked back.

With a new face set to lead the future of the Wisconsin defense, Curtis announced his intention to enter the transfer portal Tuesday night.

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He finished the season with 29 tackles, one sack and one pass breakup in seven starts, and he graded out well in run defense by PFF.

Curtis was originally a four-star recruit coming out of high school when he signed with USC. He started eight games as a true freshman in 2023, showing some shades of Posa perhaps, but he never quite took the next step.

Curtis transferred to Wisconsin for his sophomore season, and now he's back in the portal with one year of eligibility.

His departure will clear the way for Posa to be the unquestioned starter next to Alliegro for next season, assuming neither one of them enters the portal this winter.

True freshman Cooper Catalano will figure into the mix rotationally, with long-term plans to replace Alliegro in the future and take over as Posa's running mate down the line.

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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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