Wisconsin Badgers Bringing in Stephen F. Austin Transfer for Visit

Wisconsin Badgers head football coach Luke Fickell intends to bring in another defensive lineman from the transfer portal for a visit. 

Stephen F. Austin defensive tackle Brandon Lane will make an official visit to Madison and meet with the Badgers staff, in addition to Louisville and the Michigan Wolverines, before making a decision. 

Spoke with @Brandonlane_88 this morning about his transfer recruitment.

Visits to #Louisville, #Wisconsin & #Michigan are lined up and hopes to make a decision by Wednesday.

Lane had 44 tackles and 6.5 TFLs this past season. pic.twitter.com/Ty5v6DWnRd

— The Collective (@247_Collective) May 17, 2024

Lane played three games at South Dakota State in 2021 before entering the transfer portal and playing the last two years at Stephen F. Austin.

The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder from Kansas City, Missouri, had 44 tackles, 11 pressures, and 6.5 TFLs this past season in the FCS. According to Pro Football Focus, Lane earned a 74.6 defensive grade and was considered a plus run defender by their advanced metrics — finishing with a 79.9.

The newest Wisconsin Badgers transfer portal target will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Wisconsin Badgers Kicking the Tires on Brandon Lane

At this point, the Wisconsin Badgers, much like every other school in the country, wish they had more defensive line depth. 

E.J. Whitlow needs another body in his room following the losses of depth pieces T.J. Bollers and Mike Jarvis during the spring transfer window. In a perfect world, whoever you bring in should be at least on a similar level as Ben Barten and Elijah Hills talent-wise for that depth to be meaningful. 

With the Wisconsin Badgers football team expected to play with a lot of two down linemen on defense this fall, adding another nose tackle who can rotate with Curt Neal makes a lot of sense. 

Mike Tressel’s defense has improved talent and depth at almost every other position group relative to last season. How well the defensive line performs could dictate the size of the leap the Badgers’ defense takes in 2024. 

The Wisconsin Badgers are also involved with Wyoming transfer and former in-state product Gavin Meyer. It’s clear that this staff intends to use its final scholarship spots on a defensive lineman.

During the spring window, UW added offensive tackle Leyton Nelson, guard Joey Okla, and Boston College wideout Joseph Griffin Jr. 

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