Where Wisconsin Badgers departures landed in the transfer portal

The Wisconsin Badgers saw 22 players leave in the transfer portal and all but two of them have already found new homes.
Nov 15, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA;  Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs the ball toward Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Christian Alliegro (0) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Nov 15, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) runs the ball toward Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Christian Alliegro (0) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

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The Wisconsin Badgers' busy offseason is coming to a close. After another disappointing and injury-plagued campaign, the roster underwent major changes.

31 players transferred to Madison, and 22 departed for the portal, while many exhausted their college eligibility.

20 of Wisconsin's 22 outgoing transfers have already found new programs to call home. The exceptions are young edge rusher Ernest Willor, who had spent the past two seasons at Wisconsin, and veteran offensive lineman Leyton Nelson, who transferred from Vanderbilt to Wisconsin ahead of 2024.

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Here are where those 20 players ended up, beginning with the offense and special teams:

Billy Edwards (QB): North Carolina

Dilin Jones (RB): LSU

Cade Yacamelli (RB): Miami (OH)

Tucker Ashcraft (TE): USC

Kyan Berry-Johnson (WR): Sam Houston

Trech Kekahuna (WR): North Carolina

Joseph Griffin (WR): UMass

Joe Brunner (G): Indiana

Jake Renfro (C): Illinois

Atticus Bertrams (P): UCF

Of this bunch, few were considered surprise entries, or at least unexpected ones. Offensive linemen Jake Renfro and Joe Brunner were significant losses, but with the Badgers moving on from offensive line coach AJ Blazek, the departures made more sense.

Trech Kekahuna and Dilin Jones were possibly the two largest surprises. Kekahuna was slated to be Wisconsin's top returning receiver and possibly the focal point of the passing game. Instead, he opted to follow Billy Edwards to North Carolina to play under Bill Belichick.

Jones started 2025 as the Badgers No. 1 running back, but an injury ended his season early. Poor offensive line play didn't help his production either. Jones will now play for Lane Kiffin at LSU.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman ranks as Top 50 player who entered transfer portal

Defense

Omillio Agard (CB): Virginia

Geimere Latimer (CB): West Virginia

Jamel Howard (DL): UConn

Angel Toombs (EDGE): Jacksonville State

Christian Alliegro (LB): Ohio State

Tacket Curtis (LB): UCF

Antarron Turner (LB): Colorado State

Preston Zachman (S): Indiana

Remington Moss (S): Elon

Wisconsin's new cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples made waves by signing several impressive cornerbacks in the transfer portal. Those moves, however, pushed Wisconsin's most promising corner Omillio Agard into the portal just days before the end of the two-week entry period.

Agard and Preston Zachman stand out glaringly as the two largest surprises. Zachman spent six seasons in Madison, and it seemed as though he would play out the 2026 season with the Badgers if he were to pursue a medical redshirt. Instead, he'll join Joe Brunner at Indiana to aid in the Hoosiers' attempt to repeat as National Champions:

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Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

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