Wisconsin football hosting West Georgia transfer WR Karmello English on visit
Wisconsin football will host West Georgia transfer WR Karmello English as the Badgers look to add depth and experience to the room before fall camp.
The University of Wisconsin football program is actively pursuing ways to add bodies to its wide receiver room, and the Badgers' latest target is former Michigan Wolverine and West Georgia standout Karmello English.
The 6-foot, 182-pound receiver is scheduled to visit Madison on Monday and Tuesday, April 21–22, as reported by his agency.
English began his collegiate career at Michigan as a four-star recruit, ranked No. 188 nationally and No. 26 among wide receivers in the 2023 class. He initially chose the Wolverines over scholarship offers from Alabama, Kentucky, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Florida, and Colorado.
However, after limited playing time—recording just one catch for a four-yard touchdown in six games—he transferred to West Georgia.
At West Georgia, English showcased his talent, finishing the 2024 season with 49 receptions for 704 yards and two touchdowns in nine games.
He posted at least seven catches in four of those appearances and topped the 100-yard mark in four different games—including a season-high 132 yards in back-to-back outings against Austin Peay and Central Arkansas. He also contributed as a punt returner, amassing 130 yards on 18 returns (7.2 YPA).
According to Pro Football Focus, English earned a 70.3 offensive grade and a 70.3 receiving grade across 545 snaps last season.
Wisconsin's interest in English comes after the departures of pass-catchers Tanner Koziol, Mark Hamper, and Quincy Burroughs to the transfer portal. The Badgers are exploring options to add depth and experience to Jordan Reid's room—and English checks a lot of boxes.
“This isn’t for everybody, right?” Fickell told reporters. “This is a grown-ass man’s league, and this is a grown man’s game. If guys don’t understand that and this isn’t the right thing for them, it is what it is.
“I think that's what's a little bit harder on some. Sometimes, having options isn't always the best thing for guys to grow. And whatever we kind of come across here, we're going to continue to practice. We're going to continue to push—we're to continue to develop the guys within here and the guys that understand what it takes to climb this mountain and play in this league.”
To this point, Wisconsin is the only known school hosting English for an official visit—which ought to tell you just how serious the Badgers are.
Other programs reportedly pursuing him include Toledo, Coastal Carolina, Austin Peay, North Alabama, Jacksonville State, Temple, Buffalo, Ball State, Baylor, Missouri State, Appalachian State, and Florida Atlantic.
With two years of eligibility left, English steps into a Wisconsin wide receiver room that already has a top layer of talent locked in. Vinny Anthony and Ohio State transfer Jayden Ballard project as the starters on the outside, and Trech Kekahuna has the slot position on lockdown.
So, what does that mean for English?
Well, it means he’d be entering fall camp as part of that next wave—the cluster of wideouts fighting for meaningful snaps behind the starters who want to position themselves as the next in line for the future.
He’s got the tools, no doubt. Proven production at West Georgia, Power Five pedigree from his time at Michigan. But now it’s about whether he can carve out a role in a group that’s already seen Tyrell Henry flash in an expanded role, Kyan Berry-Johnson show he’s got the talent to contribute, and Chris Brooks Jr. benefit from the extra reps he's gotten this Spring.
And let’s not forget Boston College transfer Joseph Griffin Jr. and true freshman Eugene Hilton Jr., who are both firmly in the mix.
This is one of those position battles where depth meets opportunity. And while we’ll have to see how his visit goes, it’s not hard to see why the Wisconsin coaching staff is interested. If they can lock him down, there’s enough there to believe English could come in and push for time this fall.
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