Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman enters transfer portal hours before it closes

With only hours before the transfer portal window closed, one more Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman decided to leave the program to pursue other opportunities.

Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Leyton Nelson (66) entered the transfer portal on the last day he could. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The window for players to enter the transfer portal closes Friday night. Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Leyton Nelson decided to put in his name in with just hours to spare.

He made the announcement on social media just after 4:00 p.m. CT. The deadline to enter is at 11:00 p.m. CT.

Entering Transfer Portal:

- Graduate in Spring pic.twitter.com/l6tCnMWwQA

— Leyton Nelson (@LeytonNelson4) January 16, 2026

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He originally came to Wisconsin through the transfer portal from Vanderbilt in 2024. He followed offensive line coach A.J. Blazek when he made the same change that winter.

The Badgers fired Blazek this winter, and he was hired at UCF. It would not be a surprise to see Nelson follow him once again.

The timing is a surprise given that Blazek was fired on December 10 and hired to his new school on December 30.

The transfer portal window opened January 2. He waited almost the full two weeks to decide to leave.

New competition on the offensive line

It's a late change-of-heart for Nelson, who was going to have an opportunity to compete for a starting job on the Badgers offensive line but will have a lot more competition this offseason.

Related: Badgers starting offensive lineman transfers to Indiana to reunite with former Wisconsin OL coach

Wisconsin has added four new players through the portal this winter, in addition to a large group of rising sophomores who will be eager to earn playing time.

Nelson played in 10 offensive snaps this past season, appearing in the first two games at both left and right tackle. He did not see the field in 2024 and barely played in 2023.

New offensive line coach Eric Mateos has promised to create a competitive environment at spring and fall camp, but now that won't include Nelson.

The Badgers have been looking around at additional offensive linemen in the portal, and this last-minute departure could prompt them to bring in one more replacement.

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