All Badgers

Badgers top young wide receiver will return to Wisconsin after testing out transfer portal

The Wisconsin Badgers thought they were losing their best young wide receiver to the transfer portal, but he decided to return to the school after testing his options.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. (13) will return to Madison after initially entering the transfer portal.
Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. (13) will return to Madison after initially entering the transfer portal. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers thought they were going to lose wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. when he decided to enter the transfer portal late last month.

After less than a week of testing out the waters in the portal, the true freshman changed his mind and announced his return to Madison Thursday.

Sign Up For the Wisconsin Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Wisconsin Badgers Newsletter

Hilton would have represented a significant loss for the Badgers' wide receiver group as one of their most promising young players.

He was ranked as a Top 70 wide receiver in the country in the 2025 recruiting class, rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.

He showed a lot of promise throughout fall camp as a player who could be a real contributor for Wisconsin in his first year.

The problem was, the offense as a whole sputtered, leaving limited opportunities for Hilton and the rest of the wide receivers.

He finished the year with eight catches for 91 yards, which was part of why it wasn't shocking when he decided to seek other opportunities in the transfer portal.

Evidently, he didn't love his alternative options as he returns to the Badgers for a second season.

Related: Wisconsin linebacker Mason Posa sees Badgers as College Football Playoff team in 2026

Wisconsin wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. (13) makes a catch during the third quarter of their game against Miami (Ohio)
Wisconsin wide receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. (13) makes a catch during the third quarter of their game against Miami (Ohio) Thursday, August 28, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Perhaps some of Luke Fickell's other transfer portal additions proved to be an encouraging enough for him to come back. Or maybe Wisconsin made a better financial offer than other schools were willing to provide.

Either way, he represents a key piece for the long-term future of the receiver position in Madison.

Joining him this year will be transfer portal additions Shamar Rigby from Oklahoma State and Jaylon Domingeaux from Southeastern Louisiana, along with returning veterans Tyrell Henry and Chris Brooks, plus three true freshmen in the 2026 recruiting class.

Hilton doesn't seem to be shying away from the competition as he looks to take a bigger role in the offense this fall.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published | Modified
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