All Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers WR corps left barren after key playmaker announces plan to transfer

The Wisconsin Badgers have now lost three wide receivers to the transfer portal, and the latest name is the biggest blow yet.
Cam Wilhorn|
Oct 18, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Trech Kekahuna (2) prior to the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Trech Kekahuna (2) prior to the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

The offseason is in full swing for the Wisconsin Badgers and the rest of college football, and so far, it felt like the Badgers had avoided big losses to the transfer portal.

The players who had already announced their intent to enter the portal had either lost their starting gig or were buried on the depth chart.

That changed Wednesday.

Trech Kekahuna enters transfer portal

Kekahuna has been an explosive offensive weapon for Wisconsin the past two seasons. A shifty slot receiver standing at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, he proved to be a big-play threat, no matter where he got the football.

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

The redshirt sophomore stepped into a larger role in 2025 under Jeff Grimes, taking ample jet sweeps, reverses and screens. The increased workload yielded 26 receptions for 211 yards and 14 rushes for 129 yards. Kekahuna's lone touchdown came in Week 2, when he scored on a 61-yard end around.

While he took a step up from 2024, it wasn't quite the third-year leap Kekahuna anticipated.

The Hawaii native entered his name into the transfer portal last year following the departure of former offensive coordinator Phil Longo.

Longo's replacement, Jeff Grimes, convinced Kekahuna to stay. The new coach called Kekahuna the first player he recruited for the Badgers, quickly bringing the wideout back after watching his film.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers WR Trech Kekahuna poised to be 'multi-dimensional playmaker' on offense

And while Grimes' offense was supposed to be a strong fit schematically, injuries to the quarterback position and an emphasis on the run game left Kekahuna in a similar spot statistically as the previous campaign.

Luke Fickell acknowledged that the 2025 season wasn't what Kekahuna or the rest of the wide receivers may have expected. Still, he made a pitch for him to stay.

"I hope that Trech understands and recognizes how much trust and faith we have in him," Fickell said in late November. "There's going to be more opportunities for you as we move forward. And I don't know how many catches he had, but anytime we can get the ball in his hands, he can make some things happen."

But lightning may not strike twice for the Badgers, because this time, it looks like Kekahuna is gone.

Kekahuna's absence adds to an already lengthy list of departures in the Badgers wide receiver room. Players like Vinny Anthony, Jayden Ballard and Dekel Crowdus exhausted their eligibility, while Joseph Griffin and Kyan Berry-Johnson have also gone portaling.

That gives Jeff Grimes and wide receivers coach Jordan Reid plenty of work to do this offseason. At this point, they have only three wideouts on the roster who caught a pass in 2024: Chris Brooks, Tyrell Henry and Eugene Hilton.

Freshmen Keeyshawn Tabuteau and Zion Legree will bolster the room once they arrive on campus.

But losing a player like Kekahuna stings. Despite his meager statistical output, his absence could be felt in 2026 and beyond.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published
Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

Share on XFollow CamWilhorn
Home/Football