Report: Wisconsin Defensive Lineman Steps Away From Team Ahead of Fall Camp

Wisconsin's defensive line room just got thinner mere weeks out from fall camp.

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin football just lost a depth piece in its defensive line room with fall camp less than two weeks away.

According to a report from Colton Bartholomew of the BadgerExtra, defensive lineman Torin Pettaway is no longer with the football program, and though the reason for his departure remains unknown, it was his decision to leave Wisconsin football and not the staff's.

That leaves Wisconsin with nine scholarship defensive lineman heading into fall camp ahead of the 2026 campaign. Pettaway's departure doesn't impact the Badgers' projected starting rotation up front, and it likely doesn't impact their depth either; Pettaway wasn't expected to get involved this season.

The Middleton, Wisconsin native was relegated to third-team work in the spring and didn't appear primed to see the field anytime soon. Realistically, Pettaway was likely behind at least eight players in defensive line coach EJ Whitlow's pecking order.

Still, the 6-foot-5, 298 pound defensive lineman was a longer-term, developmental piece that Wisconsin appeared content to let marinate in its program, potentially one day emerging as a contributor up front. Regardless, Pettaway didn't see any action — defense, special teams or otherwise — in his first season in Madison, and that didn't look like it was going to change in 2026.

Pettaway's recruiting profile

Pettaway was a consensus three-star recruit coming out of high school. On3 had him as the No. 6 player in Wisconsin, while 247Sports had him at No. 8 in the state.

Though Pettaway wasn't exactly a big-time recruit by any means, he did end up racking up seven offers, all from Big Ten programs. He listed offers from USC, Washington, Nebraska, Illinois, Rutgers and Minnesota in addition to the Badgers. Pettaway initially committed to Minnesota before flipping to Wisconsin just over a week later in June of 2024.

Pettaway is the first departure from the Badgers' stacked 2025 recruiting class that also brought players like Mason Posa, Cooper Catalano, Eugene Hilton, Jai'mier Scott and Cairo Skanes to Madison, among many others.