Wisconsin Football Goes Portaling, Adds Arkansas LB Jaheim Thomas

Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers continued their success in the transfer portal this offseason by making another impactful addition to the football program’s defense.

On Thursday, the Badgers received a verbal commitment from former Arkansas Razorback’s linebacker Jaheim Thomas.

Let’s do it ! pic.twitter.com/4Z96Yf5hmF

— Jaheim Thomas (@JaheimThomas454) January 4, 2024

Measuring an impressive 6-foot-4 and weighing 240 pounds, Thomas was a focal point of Arkansas’ defense last season, leading the team with 90 tackles, including 17 pressures, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

His familiarity with Coach Fickell and several Wisconsin football defensive staff members helped this come to fruition. It stems from Thomas’s time as a standout linebacker under Fickell while they were both at Cincinnati before transferring to Arkansas this season.

During his stint with the Bearcats in 2022, Thomas notched 70 tackles, ranking third on the team. A former four-star recruit and a top-five player in Ohio, as per 247 Sports, his transition to the Wisconsin Badgers helps solidify their re-tooled linebacking core.

Thomas will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Wisconsin Football Adds LB Jaheim Thomas From the Transfer Portal

The Wisconsin football coaching staff wasn’t playing around with this one. Jaheim Thomas is the arguably biggest transfer portal addition of the offseason.

Thomas finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 68.9, which is considered above average, while playing in the SEC in 2024.

There’s no doubt about it; he’s being brought in to slot into a starting role.

When this regime sees a problem, they sure as hell don’t waste a lot of time fixing it. The inherited group of linebackers was better suited to play a very different style of defense, and the Badgers have worked around the clock since the transfer portal opened to reshape this group entirely.

The Wisconsin football team’s new-look linebacker room now comprises Jaheim Thomas, Jake Chaney, Christian Alliegro, Sebastian Cheeks, Jahsiah Galvan, Bryan Sanborn, Tyler Jansey, and Aidan Vaughan.

Some movement here could be on the horizon.

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