New need emerges on Wisconsin Badgers defense after departures in transfer portal

The Wisconsin Badgers are seeing multiple players at the same position all departing via the transfer portal, creating a need where the roster previously looked set.

Nov 15, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) is sacked by Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Cooper Catalano (44) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The Wisconsin Badgers entered the offseason well situated with a deep group of talented linebackers.

Now, two weeks before the transfer portal opens, that same position group looks thin after three key players announced their intentions to leave.

It started with junior linebacker Tackett Curtis, whose departure wasn't a huge surprise after he lost his starting job this season to two freshmen standouts in Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano.

The Badgers could withstand the loss of Curtis, but then two more linebackers left in quick succession on Monday.

Wisconsin could have some transfer portal work to do at inside linebacker with Christian Alliegro, Antarron Turner and Tackett Curtis all set to enter the portal.

Badgers hoped to keep Alliegro to form a trio with Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano but were unable to do so.

— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) December 15, 2025

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The real surprise was junior Christian Alliegro. He played in each of the last three seasons for Wisconsin and emerged as a quality starter this season from the beginning.

He broke a bone in his forearm and continued to play through it with a club wrapped around his hand.

That type of motivation and dedication seemed to signal that he would stick around with the program, but that didn't prove to be the case.

On top of those, redshirt junior Antarron Turner also said he's leaving, and all of a sudden, the position group lost its depth.

Those three were Wisconsin's most experienced inside linebackers.

“Me and Cooper, we’re going to be here for awhile. I’m excited for this journey. It’s going to be awesome.”

Mason Posa after a huge game for him and Cooper Catalano. pic.twitter.com/hMxTWuTBfL

— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) November 9, 2025

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

The roster for next fall will be left now with no seniors, and the only rising junior is Taylor Schaefer, who just transferred in from the JUCO level this winter.

In terms of on-field snaps at the Division-I level, Posa is the team's most experienced linebacker left.

Luke Fickell and his staff might not need to go out and add any bonafide starting LBs in the transfer portal, but this defense needs more experience and more depth in the middle.

They thought they would have at least one veteran left to pair with their young linebackers, but it turns out, the future is now for defensive coordinator Mike Tressel.

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