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Wisconsin Football Offers FCS Defensive Lineman in Transfer Portal

Wisconsin football has broadened its search for defensive line help.

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Wisconsin Badgers defensive line coach Greg Scruggs
Wisconsin defensive line coach Greg Scruggs watches his players go through drills during practice on Sunday Aug. 6, 2023 at Pioneer Stadium in Platteville, Wis.

Improving the quality and depth of the Badgers defensive line will be paramount for the Wisconsin football program in order to take the next step as a defense in 2024.

The Badgers have already been connected to a handful of defensive linemen since the transfer portal officially opened, and now Wisconsin has a new scholarship offer out to Youngstown State DT Anthony Johnson.

Standing at 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, Johnson is a grad transfer with one year of eligibility and has already picked up offers from UAB, UMASS, Michigan State, and now the University of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Football Offers Youngstown State Defensive Lineman in Transfer Portal 

The Wisconsin football team’s defensive line play this past season was “meh” at best in Luke Fickell’s first year as head coach. In the spirit of fairness, it was a personnel grouping with skill sets that differed from what he’s traditionally asked his d-lineman to do (rush the passer).

With James Thompson Jr, Ben Barten, Darian Varner, and Cade McDonald as the only known Badgers contributors returning next season, adding multiple experienced bodies in Coach Greg Scruggs’ DL room is a must.

Anthony Johnson redshirted at Bowling Green his freshman year, then transferred to Youngstown State, where he appeared in 36 games across the next four seasons. He finished his career with the Penguins totaling 45 tackles, 38 pressures, 9.0 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, and a fumble recovery.

Wisconsin football coaches have been selective about their offers thus far, but Johnson is a name worth monitoring because the Badgers have a clear need on the interior defensive line.



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Dillon Graff is a Substack newsletter best-selling author, publisher of AllBadgers, and the owner of BadgerNotes.com, your go-to source for in-depth coverage of the Wisconsin Badgers. His work has been featured in top media publications like USA Today's BadgersWire, Athlon Sports, Bleacher Report, Verbal Commits, Bucky's 5th Quarter, and FanSided.

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