Wisconsin senior OL Michael Furtney returning to UW in 2023

Senior offensive lineman Michael Furtney has removed his name from the transfer portal and will return for a sixth season with the Badgers.

Author:
Matt Belz
Publish date:
Dec 12, 2022 3:20 PM EST

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Wisconsin Badgers

The past couple of weeks have been rather hectic for players and coaches across college football. With several players exploring new opportunities in the transfer portal and multiple upperclassmen opting to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft, the Badgers will have a different-looking roster come spring practice.

However, the Badgers and new head coach Luke Fickell received some positive news on Monday, as fifth-year senior Michael Furtney has decided to come back to Wisconsin for a sixth season after previously entering the transfer portal.

Furtney is the second Wisconsin player to remove themselves from the transfer portal, as Markus Allen made the same decision last week after exploring the transfer market and actually committing to Minnesota for a brief time.

The senior out of Michigan took to Twitter to announce his decision, saying:

"After great talks with Coach Fickell, Coach Longo, and Coach Bicknell I have removed my name from the transfer portal. Great things are happening here, I believe int he vision my coaches have for this team. I am excited to get back on the field with my brothers. UW is my home!"

The decision by Furtney comes just days after news broke that the Badgers will hire Jack Bicknell Jr. to oversee the offensive line and Phil Longo as offensive coordinator. Furtney's vote of confidence in the new staff should also send a positive message to the other current players, as Furtney is one of Wisconsin's most experienced offensive linemen, having played in 43 career games with the Badgers.

A former three-star recruit out of Michigan in the 2018 recruiting class, Furtney signed with the Badgers over scholarship offers from Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Purdue, Syracuse, UCF, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Western Michigan, and others.

After redshirting and not seeing the field during his first two seasons in Madison, Furtney would go on to become a valuable backup as a sophomore and junior before earning the open-game nod at right guard this year.

Wisconsin offensive lineman Michael Furtney (No. 74) blocking against Penn State (Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports) — Wisconsin offensive lineman Michael Furtney blocking in front of Graham Mertz.
Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

A multi-year contributor, Furtney started eight games during the regular season and he has experience at both guard positions along the line. With Joe Tippmann and Tyler Beach each off to pursue their dreams in the NFL, Wisconsin will have playing time up for grabs, and Furtney should help provide greater depth to the offensive line in 2023.

With Furtney back in the fold, one interesting nuance to this story is what it means for his brother, Evan Furtney. The younger Furtney is in the transfer portal after beginning his career at Eastern Michigan, and the assumption was that they were looking to play together next season. Potentially, Evan could join his brother in Madison as a walk-on tight end.

The Badgers now have six former players in the transfer portal that have not yet found a new home, and three that have already decided on their next college of choice. Here is a breakdown of which players remain and where they are headed next season.