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Luke Fickell sees SEC transfer safety as key to boosting Wisconsin Badgers secondary

One of the most important transfer portal additions for the Wisconsin Badgers will be former Missouri safety Marvin Burks, who Luke Fickell thinks will be critical to their success.
Lorin Cox|
Missouri Tigers safety Marvin Burks Jr. (1) transferred to the Wisconsin Badgers in the portal.
Missouri Tigers safety Marvin Burks Jr. (1) transferred to the Wisconsin Badgers in the portal. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

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With the Wisconsin Badgers bringing in over 30 new players in the transfer portal, it was the skill position players and the big linemen that got a lot of attention.

But one of the most important pieces will be in the secondary, where Luke Fickell brought in a new veteran for the back end of his defense.

The addition of safety Marvin Burks Jr. from Missouri could take this group to the next level.

In a sit down interview with team general manager Marcus Sedberry, Fickell said Burks can step in and be a leader at a position that went through a lot of turnover this winter.

"I think that's one of those big pieces for us," Fickell said. "I think Marvin (Burks) was as key for what we're trying to do as anything, trying to couple with some other guys with some experience."

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He envisions Burks plugging in as a starter next to Matthew Jung at safety.

Jung was thrust into the starting lineup last year after transferring in from Division-III Bethel University.

Starter Preston Zachman was injured in Week 3 and never returned to action. He got a medical redshirt and transferred to Indiana last month.

Related: Promising young Wisconsin Badgers defensive back changing positions for 2026 season

Along with senior Austin Brown graduating, that leaves Wisconsin wtih a need for two new Week 1 starters this fall.

Fickell is confident in Burks and Jung locking it down.

"I really believe we’ve got a one-two punch right there that can really feed off of each other," Fickell said. "(Burks) is a proven starter, has done it at the SEC level. I'm excited to get him in the mix with our guys and even to be a leader in what we're doing.”

That one-two punch will be critical for bringing some juice back to a Badgers secondary that struggled to make big plays in 2025.

Zachman had two interceptions in the first three games but no other safety recorded a pick all season. The cornerbacks combined for only three interceptions and one forced fumble.

The group will look a lot different in 2026, and Wisconsin is hoping the results are too.

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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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