Wisconsin Football in Contact With New FCS CB in Transfer Portal

As the Wisconsin football program continues to rebuild the Badgers cornerback room in Luke Fickell’s vision, it’s become clear that the recruiting department isn’t taking its foot off the pedal this offseason.

Already having sent out a few offers to defensive backs in the portal, a new name has emerged on the radar of the Wisconsin Badgers’ recruiting department. Duquesne cornerback Ayden Garnes confirmed to BadgerNotes.com that UW has contacted him and expressed interest.

The 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback was a First team All NEC defensive back this past season for the Dukes and has picked up offers from Western Michigan, UCONN, Tulane, Liberty, UMASS, Indiana, West Virginia, Cincinnati, and several other programs. Garnes has two years of eligibility remaining.

Wisconsin Football Expressing Interest in FCS Transfer Portal CB

Wisconsin football has some questions at cornerback right now, with starting nickel cornerback Jason Maitre graduating and Ricardo Hallman potentially testing the NFL Draft waters after a strong season.

Nyzier Fourqurean showed strong flashes late in the season, eventually overtaking Alexander Smith as the starting boundary corner. But other than Mike Mack II from Air Force, it is unclear if the Badgers have confidence in the young players behind them to play meaningful snaps in 2024.

Ayden Garnes has played in 22 career games and has registered 84 tackles, 17 pass deflections, 7.0 TFLs, four interceptions, and a sack. According to Pro Football Focus, Garnes finished with an 87.7 grade (elite), the 3rd best among FCS cornerbacks.

We’ll see if things between Garnes and the Wisconsin football program progress in the coming days, considering he’s a pretty sought-after commodity, but the Badgers like him as a potential Maitre replacement.

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 our Publisher @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!