Wisconsin football evaluating transfer Geimere Latimer at nickel corner

Wisconsin football is exploring options at nickel corner, and spring reps suggest transfer Geimere Latimer is emerging as a serious contender.

There’s been plenty of mix-and-matching in the Wisconsin football team's secondary during spring practice, and one storyline worth keeping an eye on is the developing plan at nickel corner.

A new name that’s starting to surface at a position with some questions around it? Geimere Latimer.

Latimer, a transfer portal addition to the Badgers cornerback room this offseason, arrived in Madison after a productive 2024 campaign at Jacksonville State. The Fairburn, Georgia native recorded 46 total tackles, eight pass breakups, and three interceptions for the Gamecocks.

Thus far, Latimer's primarily worked with the second-team defense on the outside. But after the team returned from spring break, his role started to shift. Latimer was moved inside and began taking reps as the first-team nickel corner, a sign that Wisconsin’s coaching staff is giving him a serious look at one of the defense’s most underrated and unsettled positions.

"We just moved him into the nickel," Luke Fickell told reporters. "So, he had some more opportunities to be closer to the football. That was the thing we noticed. A very competitive guy that’s played the game and played it at a pretty good level.”

Though Latimer was primarily an outside cornerback at Jacksonville State, he logged 96 snaps in the slot last season, including 48 snaps in the Cure Bowl against Ohio.

It’s becoming clear that Wisconsin’s staff values Latimer’s experience playing in different spots, and the coaches believes he has the traits that are needed to handle the demands of the nickel position.

In total, Latimer played 670 snaps a year ago, with 344 of those coming in coverage and 129 in a press look. According to Pro Football Focus data, he earned a 73.2 defensive grade and a 73.0 mark in coverage—ranking in the 75th percentile nationally among outside cornerbacks.

Latimer allowed just a 61.5 passer rating against (81st percentile) and didn’t give up a single touchdown in coverage despite being targeted 53 times and allowing 32 receptions (60.4%). His tackling was also a bright spot. Latimer posted a 74.4 tackling grade and had a missed tackle rate of just 7.7%, showing that he can be trusted in both run support and open-field situations—another key trait for a nickel.

On a more critical note, though, Latimer’s slot coverage performance last season left something to be desired. Per PFF, he earned a slot coverage grade of just 48.1—ranking 183rd out of 184 qualifying cornerbacks. While it came from a relatively small sample size, that number illustrates the learning curve he may still face if the staff ultimately asks him to take on full-time nickel duties.

That said, Fickell’s looking for more than just a coverage specialist in that role.

“It’s a guy that’s got a little more balance,” Fickell explained. "I’ve had it in the past where our nickel was a corner, our nickel was a cover guy. We want a guy that’s got a little bit more versatility, a guy we can put into blitzes, a guy we can put into some run fit situations. But also a guy that can play in space and cover.”

Latimer seems to check a lot of those boxes. At 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, he brings physicality and quickness to the middle of the field. More importantly, he’s shown the competitive edge and maturity that Wisconsin coaches crave in players expected to make an immediate impact.

“In some ways, I don’t want to say he was dying to be here. Obviously, we had to recruit him, but he came from his bowl game straight here,” Fickell noted.

“In my eyes, this guy is not messing around. He’s got the intensity, some of the humble and hungry we were looking for."

That type of mindset matters in a position group undergoing transition.

Wisconsin's cornerback room is replacing Xavier Lucas, who "transferred" to Miami, as well as Max Lofy, RJ Delancy, and several other young players who left the program—leaving the Badgers with several moving pieces in the secondary.

Senior Austin Brown has seen time in the nickel, but it makes more sense for him to be paired alongside Preston Zachman at safety. Senior Owen Arnett earned some early nickel snaps but has since worked with the second-team defense.

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Even standout corner Ricardo Hallman—who has appeared in 37 games during his career at Wisconsin and started every game over the last two seasons, could be in the mix for reps at the nickel.

“Rico’s gonna play some in there as well, more so on some third down packages or dime packages,” Fickell said, adding that the staff wants to keep Hallman closer to the ball in key passing situations.

The reality is this: the nickel spot might be handled by committee.

Latimer’s move to the first team is a notable step, but it doesn’t mean the job is locked down. It’s still very early in spring practice, with fall camp yet to come, and things are far from settled. That said, he’s clearly someone the staff sees enough potential in to give an extended look as they continue rotating players through the position—whether that’s a quick-twitch cover man, a downhill blitzer, or someone who can do a bit of everything.

Based on the early returns, Latimer is putting himself firmly in the conversation—if not for a meaningful role, then at least for a spot in Wisconsin’s two-deep.

He’s shown at a lower level he can mirror in space and isn’t afraid to mix it up against the run, and his clear buy-in to the program’s culture has made him someone to watch as spring practice continues.

“I think we’re fortunate to have him and be able to get him,” Fickell said. “And I think we’re going to see a lot more of him.”

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