Wisconsin Football Transfer Portal Wish-List
Here is a look at three position groups that Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers should consider bolstering via the transfer portal.
Madison, Wis. -- It's not uncommon for a new head coach to come in and clean house so they can get their own players and build the program back in their vision. Look no further than Deon Sanders at Colorado – who happily showed his new players the door.
However, Luke Fickell took a much different approach when he became the head coach of the Wisconsin football program. Priority number one was keeping the current roster intact – and building from there.
UW, like every school, had multiple players enter their names into the portal. The most notable departures were starting quarterback Graham Mertz, running back Isaac Guerendo, and cornerback Semar Melvin. Despite a few key losses, coach Fickell managed to keep their core group of players intact.
Now that Luke Fickell has a better idea of the players returning – he'll turn to the transfer portal to fill the gaps on the roster. Here are three position groups I'd love to see addressed before spring football practice.
Quarterback
Luke Fickell already made the splash addition of the offseason when he added former four-star quarterback Nick Evers – who has four years of eligibility remaining. His addition is undoubtedly exciting – but Wisconsin has only three scholarship quarterbacks heading into 2022.
Between Evers, Myles Burkett, and Cole LaCrue, there are only three games worth of in-game experience. Making it all the more important, UW adds another signal caller in the portal to push the young QBs in camp – ideally acting as a bridge to whichever young prospect rises to the top.
Suppose Evers or Burkett come into camp and are ready to lead the team – great. If not, UW must add a QB, preferably an upperclassman with experience, through the transfer portal. No Power 5 program should have less than four scholarship QBs, so I doubt they'll stop looking.