More NIL investment won't fix Badgers football if transfer portal recruiting doesn't improve

Chris McIntosh's public letter to Wisconsin Badgers' fans Monday morning was met with plenty of criticism.

Despite the 2-5 Badgers failing to score points in back-to-back games, Luke Fickell received McIntosh's backing and a promise of more resources invested into the program.

"[Wisconsin] Athletics is committed to elevating the investment into our program to position us to compete at the highest level." McIntosh wrote. "As a department, we must provide our coaches the tools neccessary to succed."

McIntosh pointed at the retention and acquisition of players as one of those neccessary tools.

But the Badgers have struck out plenty in the transfer portal under Luke Fickell. A boost in NIL money might not be enough to turn around the Wisconsin football program.

Through three seasons, Fickell and his staff has brought 39 transfers to the Badgers. The list of misses have been longer than the hits, especially when you exclude players he brought over with him from Cincinnati.

The Hits

Mason Reiger

Reiger had an impressive 2023 season before missing the full 2024 campaign due to a leg injury that kept him out of spring camp wit Wisconsin.

He's taken another step forward with the Badgers, emerging as one of the premiere pass-rushing threats in the Big Ten, even if he's struggled to turn his pressures into sacks.

Elijah Hills

Hills came over from Albany for the 2024 campaign and went from a rotational piece to the Badgers' top interior defensive lineman.

The position group was weak in total, but HIlls' production as an FCS transfer makes him a clear hit.

Tawee Walker

Walker's efficiency took a step back at Wisconsin compared to his 2023 season at Oklahoma, but he stepped up once Chez Mellusi stepped away from the team to focus on his physical health.

With Braedyn Locke under center for most of the year, Walker shouldered most of the offensive load and put up solid numbers against defenses that were daring Wisconsin to throw.

Sebastian Cheeks

Cheeks played 18 snaps in his first two seasons at UNC. He then became a quality rotational player in 2024 before emerging as one of Wisconsin's top edge rushers in 2025. He's averaging nearly 30 snaps per game this season.

Nyzier Fourqurean

Fourqurean could have had a chance to become an even larger hit this season, if it weren't for an eligibility dispute with the NCAA.

Still, He has made a huge impact. Coming from Division II Grand Valley State, Fourqurean started in 17 of 25 games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

The Whiffs

Davis Heinzen

Heinzen was called upon to replace Kevin Heywood as the Badgers starting left tackle. He lasted one week at the position.

Heinzen drew a start later in the season at center, and his newfound positional versatility makes him less of a miss, but still, he hasn't lived up to expectations.

Danny O'Neil

A sophomore with a full season as a starter under his belt, O'Neil was likely brought in to sit behind Edwards in 2025 and compete for the starting job in 2026.

He was forced into playing time early and wound up getting benched for Southern Illinois transfer Hunter Simmons.

Leon Lowery

An impact player in 2023 at Syracuse, Lowery was at the forefront of Wisconsin's underwhelming defensive line in 2024 before transferring to Illinois ahead of the 2025 season.

RJ Delancy

Delancy had an outstanding junior season at Toledo, breaking up six passes and allowing nine receptions on 24 targets. He served as a reserve option for Wisconsin and didn't make any splash plays when on the field.

Nick Evers

A talented high school recruit, Evers was brought in to compete for a backup role, with the eventual chance at the starting job. He spent one season in Madison and never saw the field before transferring to Connecticut.

Braedyn Locke

Locke was a redshirt freshman when he transferred to Wisconsin. He served as the backup for two seasons and really struggled in 2024 before transferring out after Phil Longo's firing. Considered a potential future starter, Locke never panned out.

Darian Varner

Varner had a monster 2022 season at Temple, notching eight sacks and 24 pressures. He never saw more than 17 snaps in a game with Wisconsin in 2023 before transferring out the following offseason.

Jeff Pietrowski

After logging six sacks with Michigan State in 2021, Pietrowski's 2022 season was cut short due to injury. He joined the Badgers ahead of the 2023 campaign but went without a sack despite appearing in all 13 games.

Unclear

Tanner Koziol and Mark Hamper

Koziol was arguably the crown jewel in Wisconsin's 2025 transfer class. The talented tight end from Ball State caught 94 passes for 839 passes and eight touchdowns in 2024, but he reentered the portal during the Spring window.

Hamper followed a similar path, departing just months after committing out of the winter portal. He logged 966 passing yards in 2024 with FCS Idaho.

Starting quarterbacks

The Badgers went 6-3 in 2023 when Tanner Mordecai led the team in passing attempts. In 2024, they started 2-0 before Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL. Billy Edwards hasn't finished a game in 2025.

It's a massive what-if for Wisconsin, and a significant reason why Fickell's seat is as warm as it is at this point.

While hypotheticals are merely that, the Badgers did seemingly choose Edwards over Penn State-turned-Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula this offseason. Pribula has Missouri ranked 15th in the country with a 6-1 record.

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