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Two Wisconsin Badgers departures rank among ESPN's best 2025 transfer portal players

Two players who transferred away from the Wisconsin Badgers this offseason ranked among ESPN's Top 100 transfer portal players in 2025. None of Luke Fickell's additions made the list.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) is escorted by a member of the training staff during the fourth quarter of their game against South Dakota Saturday, September 7 , 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) is escorted by a member of the training staff during the fourth quarter of their game against South Dakota Saturday, September 7 , 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers brought in some talent in the transfer portal this offseason, but the players they lost may weigh more heavily.

ESPN ranked the Top 100 players who entered the transfer portal this offseason. None of Luke Fickell's additions made the cut, but two important departures stood out.

60. Xavier Lucas, CB

Transferring from: Wisconsin | Transferring to: Miami

Lucas, a three-star signee in the 2024 class, got on the field right away as a true freshman for the Badgers and made a solid first impression. He played 192 snaps on the year, grabbed an interception in Wisconsin's season opener and allowed just two catches against Nebraska in his first career start. After initially agreeing to return in 2025, Lucas made the surprising decision to transfer closer to home in January
Max Olson, ESPN

Lucas' departure sparked a controversy over transfer rules and enforcement, but it never developed into a full-blown lawsuit despite the involvement of attorneys.

The cornerback opted to unenroll from Wisconsin and then enroll as a student at Miami, after the Badgers refused to let him formally enter the transfer portal.

Fickell feels confident about the players he still has at the position, but teams can never have too many good players in coverage.

91. Tanner Koziol, TE

Transferring from: Wisconsin | Transferring to: Houston

Koziol, one of the most productive returning tight ends in the country, went back on the market after joining the Badgers ahead of 2024. Koziol caught 94 passes in 2023 (fourth in FBS) for Ball State and produced 839 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Max Olson, ESPN

Koziol was supposed to be Wisconsin's prized transfer portal addition of the offseason, but he lasted only a few months before reentering the portal and moving onto Houston.

Fickell was able to tap back into the portal market for a replacement tight end in Lance Mason from Missouri State, but the FCS pass catcher doesn't quite bring the same pedigree as what the Badgers lost in Koziol.

The two big losses haven't left Wisconsin with lingering holes to fill on their roster, but the success they have on their new teams will leave Badgers fans wondering what could have been in Madison.

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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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