Wisconsin Football DL Darian Varner Enters the Transfer Portal

Wisconsin football redshirt junior defensive end Darian Varner will enter the transfer portal after only one season with the Badgers.

Varner, a former Temple standout, joined the program last offseason as a member of Luke Fickell’s first transfer portal class — but will now look to find a new home to finish his career.

Wisconsin DE Darian Varner entered the portal as a grad transfer. He transferred to Wisconsin from Temple. pic.twitter.com/wTJh4vx1qh

— NCAA Transfer Portal (@RivalsPortal) December 20, 2023

The 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive lineman will re-enter the portal as a graduate transfer and have one year of eligibility remaining.

Wisconsin Football DL Darian Varner Enters the Transfer Portal 

During the Wisconsin football team’s season, Darian Varner was used sparingly as a rotational defensive lineman behind starters James Thompson Jr., Rodas Johnson, and Gio Paez. But he also fell behind players like Ben Barten and Curt Neal in the pecking order.

Varner appeared in 11 games during his one season with the Wisconsin Badgers, registering five tackles, two pressures, 1.5 TFLs, and a fumble recovery in 122 total snaps. Pro Football Focus gave Varner a 55.8 defensive grade — which is considered average by their metrics.

During his sophomore season at Temple, the Virginia native broke out, racking up 35 tackles, 24 pressures, 7.5 sacks, and a forced fumble en route to First-Team All-AAC honors.

Varner is now the 10th known Wisconsin football scholarship player to enter the transfer portal this offseason, making an already thin group of defensive linemen even thinner.

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