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Wisconsin Badgers sign 4th transfer portal wide receiver to retool weapons for Colton Joseph

New Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph is going to have a whole new set of weapons to throw to after Luke Fickell overhauled the wide receiver position in the transfer portal.
Lorin Cox|
Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Zion Kearney (7) committed to the Wisconsin Badgers in the transfer portal.
Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Zion Kearney (7) committed to the Wisconsin Badgers in the transfer portal. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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New Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph is going to have a whole new set of weapons to throw to after Luke Fickell overhauled the wide receiver position in the transfer portal.

The program finished the retooling process on Sunday, landing a commitment from a fourth new receiver in the transfer portal in former Oklahoma Sooners four-star recruit Zion Kearney.

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Kearney was in Madison over the weekend for an official visit, and he didn't leave without signing a deal.

He had been working to set up visits with Washington and North Texas after visiting Toledo earlier in the week.

A four-star recruit in the 2024 class, he ranked as a Top 150 player and Top 25 wide receiver coming out of high school in Texas.

Kearney caught eight passes for 128 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman, but his season ended with an injury, and he wasn't able to make much of an impact as a sophomore.

He appeared in five games this fall on offense and special teams, so he was unable to redshirt and has two years of eligibility remaining.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers bringing back only two offensive starters from start of 2025 season

He is the fourth wide receiver the Badgers added through the transfer portal this winter along with Malachi Coleman (Minnesota), Shamar Rigby (Oklahoma State) and Jaylon Domingeaux (Southeastern Louisiana).

Fickell also signed three true freshmen receivers in the 2026 recruiting class and found a way to retain rising sophomore Eugene Hilton after he entered the portal and returned to the school.

Wisconsin lost three other wide outs to the transfer portal while graduating three more.

That created a major need that UW tackled head-on this winter, completing the overhaul with Kearney.

Now the hard work begins for WR coach Jordan Reid to mold this group into a consistent set of weapons for Joseph.

They have plenty of talent but plenty to prove, too. The starting jobs will be up for grabs, setting up a competitive spring and fall camp ahead.

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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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