Wisconsin Football Upperclassmen Chasing NIL Bag in Transfer Portal

The writing was on the wall for Gio Paez’s future with the Wisconsin Badgers football program when he posted a moneybag symbol and some highlights on social media a few weeks ago.

💰 pic.twitter.com/oml6ybLdR8

— Gio Paez (@Gio_paez7117) February 20, 2024

After five seasons with the Badgers, Paez has entered his name into the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility. Paez’s exit makes him the fifth player from Wisconsin’s defensive line room to leave this offseason.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, Paez appeared in 13 games, starting six for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2023. He registered 23 tackles, 10 pressures, and 0.5 TFLs, finishing with a 66.7 PFF grade in 385 snaps.

Wisconsin Football Defensive Line Room Continues Its Overhaul 

A lot has changed along the Wisconsin football team’s defensive line since the end of last season. Position coach Greg Scruggs is gone after taking a job at Michigan, and EJ Whitlow from the Air Force replaced him.

The defensive line room as a whole underperformed last season, producing just 59 pressures and 4.5 sacks. That made an influx of talent that better suited the desired schematic fit a must.

UW returns contributors such as James Thompson Jr., Curt Neal, Ben Barten, and Cade McDonald — who all saw the field in 2023. The Badgers also hope for a step forward from nose tackle Jamel Howard. 

The Wisconsin football coaches added Albany defensive end Elijah Hills from the transfer portal to offset the departures. He should provide a plug-and-play starting option. In addition, four-star freshmen Ernest Willor Jr. and Dillan Johnson will join the program along with Hank Weber. 

There will be plenty of young players asked to contribute in some capacity this fall. While it’s a young group overall, there is much more upside among the defensive linemen than a year ago.

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