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4 things to know about transfer portal and Wisconsin Football

By Brian Sampson

Dec 27, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second half of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second half of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Wisconsin Football team is reloading under new head coach Luke Fickell. And although Fickell doesn’t love using the transfer portal, it’s a necessary tool this offseason as he works to keep his team competitive next season.

The transfer portal can be a complicated beast. It began in 2018 and has quickly evolved as a popular way for teams to add players in addition to recruitment. It’s not a free-for-all, however, as there are restrictions and rules about how it works.

I’ll walk you through exactly what it looks like and who is coming and going from Wisconsin Football this year.

With the Wisconsin Football team active in the transfer portal, here’s everything you need to know about how it works and who is coming and going.

How it works

Before 2021, players had to sit out a year when they transferred. That’s no longer the case. Players now have a one-time waiver to transfer to a new school and play immediately. There are certain dates a player has to transfer in, and we’ll get to those shortly.

If a player decides he wants to transfer, he informs his school and they enter his name into an online database. This database is accessed by all universities and gives them the green light to talk legally with an athlete. Once a player enters his name into the transfer portal, they are not obligated to transfer. They can decide to stay at their school if they would like.

Dates

It’s not a free for all where players can transfer whenever they want. The NCAA has placed restrictions on the timing, and there are now two periods when the transfer portal is open. A player can enter his name into the transfer portal between December 5th, 2022 and January 18th, 2023 (45 days) or from May 1st to May 15th, 2023 (15 days).

Once a player’s name is in the transfer portal, they can transfer whenever they want. If someone doesn’t have their name in the portal during those dates, they can’t switch schools.

Wisconsin Football players who entered transfer portal

All of this has led to more player movement in college football. The empowerment has ensured coaches tailor to their players more than ever before. With the coaching change happening in Madison, more players are pursuing other opportunities. Here’s who has entered the transfer portal so far and if they’ve committed elsewhere:

  • Isaac Guerendo, RB (no commitment yet)
  • Graham Mertz, QB (Florida)
  • Semar Melvin, CB (Michigan State)
  • Jaylan Franklin, TE (no commitment yet)
  • Titus Toler, S (no commitment yet)
  • Tristan Monday, DL (Arizona State)
  • Stephan Bracey, WR (Central Michigan)
  • Deacon Hill, QB (Iowa)
  • Logan Brown, OL (Kansas)

Wisconsin Football players arriving from transfer portal

Despite losing some key players, Fickell has attracted new talent to Wisconsin. Talent that better fits the schemes he’ll employ on both sides of the ball. Here are four transfers who have committed to Wisconsin Football so far:

  • Tanner Mordecai, QB (From SMU)
  • Nick Evers, QB (From Oklahoma)
  • Jason Maitre, DB (From Boston College)
  • Darien Varner, DL (From Temple)

C.J. Williams, one of the best remaining wide receivers in the transfer portal, also announced he will visit Madison on Friday. He was the no. 10 wide receiver in the 2022 class and played for USC last year. He would be a huge addition to this offense.

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