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Wisconsin Badgers Under-The-Radar Transfer Already Reportedly Bulking Up Quickly for 2026 Season

The Wisconsin Badgers may have a steal in a small-school transfer with elite speed who is already adding major bulk to earn playing time at the Big Ten level.
Lorin Cox|
Hope College edge rusher Liam Danitz (0) transferred to the Wisconsin Badgers from the Division-III level.
Hope College edge rusher Liam Danitz (0) transferred to the Wisconsin Badgers from the Division-III level. | Adam Vander Kooy/Holland Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers are taking a chance on a small-school transfer with elite physical traits, and Liam Danitz is already reportedly trending in the right direction.

The edge rusher from Hope College came to the Badgers in the transfer portal this winter, looking to make the jump from Division-III football to the Big Ten.

In addition to producing 15 sacks and 21 tackles for loss this season, Danitz also ran track at Hope College and recorded a blazing 10.55-second 100-meter dash at 230 pounds.

He is one of the fastest players on the field, but the bigger question is whether he has the bulk and the strength to hold up against Division-I linemen.

According to Rivals recruiting analyst Allen Trieu, Danitz has already added 10 pounds since he transferred to Wisconsin in January.

A big part of that, Triue pointed out, is that Danitz never had a full offseason to focus on football and the weight room because he was running track at Hope College.

Now with the Badgers, he can put all of his effort toward becoming the most well-rounded football player he can be.

2026 will be his last season of eligibility, so he won't have time to sit and develop while he adjusts to Big Ten football.

This is his only chance to make an impact at Wisconsin, and it's clear that he's dedicated to doing whatever it takes to see the field.

If he can maintain most of his speed while adding some needed bulk, he has a real path toward being a part of the outside linebacker rotation and giving the Badgers a real weapon off the edge.

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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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