Wisconsin Football Addresses Critical Need With Transfer Portal Pickup

Luke Fickell and the University of Wisconsin football program addressed arguably their most prominent need in the transfer portal on Monday.

The Badgers landed a portal commitment from Vanderbilt offensive tackle Leyton Nelson, who played two seasons with the Commodores under current position coach AJ Blazek. 

COMMITTED‼️
🟥🦡⬜️#OnWisconsin #JumpAroundMadTown pic.twitter.com/zjm6GkV9lq

— Leyton Nelson (@LeytonNelson4) April 22, 2024

Nelson, a 6-foot-6, 308-pound offensive tackle, was considered a three-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, choosing Vandy over offers from Louisville, SMU, Florida State, Cincinnati, Miami, Rutgers, Penn State, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee, among others.

After redshirting in 2022, Nelson appeared in 11 games last season, totaling 60 snaps, 24 of which came at right or left tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, Nelson ended with a 66.3 overall offensive grade and a 71.9 finish as a run-blocker.

The newest Wisconsin football offensive lineman will have three years of eligibility remaining, providing the Badgers with some much-needed depth and another viable option to compete for the backup tackle role behind Riley Mahlman. 

Throughout spring practices, the Badgers have allocated second-team reps to two true freshmen early enrollees, Kevin Heywood and Colin Cubberly. However, redshirt sophomore Barrett Nelson has been absent from practices and could also factor into the two-deep this fall. 

Wisconsin football coaches have also been exploring potential interior options in the portal, reaching out to Arkansas transfer Paris Patterson while hosting Illinois guard Joey Okla, a potential walk-on target, on a visit this past weekend. 

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read our work at BadgerNotes.com. For more Wisconsin Badgers Athletics and Big Ten content, follow us on Twitter & Facebook. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, or to apply for a writing position, please email @DillonGraff at Dillon.T.Graff@gmail.com. 

Also, be sure to check out our shop, subscribe to our newsletter, and the BadgerNotes After Dark podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. Because of your support, we have become one of the fastest-growing independent media outlets focused on giving a voice to the fans!