Wisconsin Football Misses on Defensive Lineman in Transfer Portal

Defensive line help is at the top of the Wisconsin Badgers football team’s offseason wishlist. Unfortunately, the recruiting department will need to continue its search after falling short on a transfer portal target. 

Florida State defensive tackle transfer Ayobami Tifase, whom the Badgers hosted on an official visit, committed to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Friday evening despite holding an offer from Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Charlotte, and Coastal Carolina.

Former #FSU defensive tackle Ayobami Tifase has committed to Georgia Tech after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Tifase’s first game with the Yellow Jackets will be against the Seminoles in Ireland. #Noles pic.twitter.com/7mw6zfbycI

— Dustin Lewis (@DustinLewisNG) December 30, 2023

Tifase was rated as the No. 677 player in the nation coming out of high school and the No. 95 DL, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining. 

Wisconsin Football Still Searching for Defensive Line Help in Portal

The Wisconsin football team lost multi-year starting defensive lineman Rodas Johnson to the transfer portal earlier this offseason. After playing sparingly in his only season at UW, Darian Varner wasn’t far behind him. 

Greg Scruggs had a handful of big wins on the recruiting trail in the 2024 class in Ernest Willor and Dillan Johnson, but you can’t assume freshmen will be ready and able to fill roles next season. 

So, adding a few experienced bodies who better fit Mike Tressel’s system is still a considerable need. James Thompson Jr., Curt Neal, Ben Barten, Cade McDonald, and Jamel Howard will all be in the mix for the Badgers next season, but Wisconsin football needs to improve their talent level to compete in the Big Ten next season. 

Plenty of other defensive lineman are in the transfer portal, and the Wisconsin Badgers football team will land a few, but this felt like a target well within their grasp. 

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