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Former Badgers CB back in the transfer portal after one year away from Wisconsin

One of the cornerbacks who transferred away from the Wisconsin Badgers last year is back in the portal after spending a year away, closer to home.
Lorin Cox|
Former Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Jonas Duclona (21) is back in the transfer portal after spending last season at USF.
Former Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Jonas Duclona (21) is back in the transfer portal after spending last season at USF. | Gabi Broekema/USA TODAY NETWORK- Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Wisconsin Badgers' cornerback position is short on experienced depth as the transfer portal is about to open.

Luke Fickell will have the opportunity to bring back one of his former defensive backs this winter after one year away with a different school.

This week, Jonas Duclona announced his intention to re-enter the transfer portal after spending last season at South Florida.

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He was originally a three-star recruit for the Badgers in the 2023 recruiting class, coming out of Naples, Florida.

He ended up going back a lot closer to home at USF this past fall.

At Wisconsin, Duclona played his full true freshman season, primarily on special teams. He saw even less playing time during his sophomore season in 2024, promting his departure through the portal.

For the Bulls, he was a rotational player at outside cornerback and took over a starter for the final four games of this season.

He gave up 11 catches on 20 targets, allowing just 97 yards and one touchdown while recording an interception and two pass breakups.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers defense has underrated problem Luke Fickell must address in transfer portal

Duclona allowed a passer rating of only 64.0 when targeted, good for the seventh-best mark in the American Conference.

Now he's looking for his next opportunity at a time when the Badgers again have a need at the position.

Wisconsin's most experienced cornerbacks currently left on the roster are sophomores Omillio Agard and Cairo Skanes.

If both sides are open for a reunion, Declona could provide the Badgers with some needed experience at that position, and he could have an opportunity to compete to start at a bigger program than South Florida.

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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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