Wisconsin’s offseason makeover is showing up in places that matter, and Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” gave it another spotlight.
The Badgers placed three players on Feldman’s top 100, and every one of them arrived via the transfer portal. That fits the broader picture around Luke Fickell’s program: instead of tearing it down and starting over with a new coach, Wisconsin put resources into upgrading the roster. On paper, it looks nothing like the group from last season or the year before.
Junior Poyser is the first Wisconsin name on the list, checking in at No. 46.
The defensive lineman transferred in from Buffalo, and his 4.55 shuttle time is the kind of number that jumps off the page. Feldman noted, "He also vertical jumped 31 inches, broad jumped 9-0 and did 30 reps on the bench with 225, which would’ve tied for second at the combine among DTs."
At No. 53 is Abu Sama III, the transfer running back from Iowa State, and his testing numbers are exactly why he landed there. Feldman wrote, "Benched 225 pounds 25 times.
He’s topped 23 mph on the Catapult. He also broad jumped 10-7, ran a 4.44 40-yard dash and was electronically timed at 1.45 seconds in his 10-yard split."
That kind of explosiveness stands in sharp contrast to what Wisconsin had in the backfield a year ago. But Sama wasn’t the only addition.
Fickell also brought in Nate Palmer from TCU, Bryan Jackson II from USC and JuJu Pope, who was the top JUCO running back last season. Each of them, as the source material puts it, could have been the top runner for the Badgers last season.
Now they’re all in the same room.
The third Wisconsin player on Feldman’s list is cornerback Javan Robinson, the Arizona State transfer who landed at No. 77.
His speed is the calling card. Feldman wrote, "clocking a 4.32 40, hitting over 23 mph on the GPS and broad jumping 10-11.
He did 14 reps on the bench with 225 pounds and also did pull-ups for reps lugging an extra 100 pounds up."
Feldman also pointed out that Wisconsin linebackers Mason Posa, Cooper Catalano and Jon Jon Kamara could have made the list based on their test scores, and Nicholas Clayton got a mention as well. That means the Badgers had three returners in the conversation, with Kamara effectively making it four, but the official nods went to the transfers.
That’s the larger story here. Wisconsin needed a reset in the portal, and it got one.
The roster looks better, the athletic profile looks better, and Feldman’s list only reinforces how much different this team looks. The real answer will come on the field, but 2026 is shaping up as a major test of the decision to keep Fickell and invest in the roster instead of making a coaching change.
In Other News...
Joe Brunner Is Becoming A Frustrating What-If For Wisconsin
Joe Brunners departure from Wisconsin this offseason fits the kind of move that can linger a little longer than a normal transfer. After a down year for the Badgers, the former Wisconsin offensive lineman landed at Indiana and quickly found a different kind of footing, taking on a more vocal leadership role up front. It is the sort of development that naturally invites a second look back in Madison, especially when a player settles in elsewhere in a way that never quite happened before.
Curt Cignetti has made a point of pushing older transfers to lead, and Brunner appears to have responded to that approach. For Wisconsin, the frustration is in the possibility that a lineman with that profile was available all along, but did not fully embrace that responsibility in his previous stop. In a season where the Badgers are already searching for answers, Brunners new role only sharpens the sense of what might have been. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Already Has A Response To Dilin Jones Rising At LSU
Wisconsins offseason turnover was significant, and the running back room was part of that shuffle after Dilin Jones left for LSU through the transfer portal. The former Badgers back has reportedly made an early push in fall camp with the Tigers, a reminder of how quickly a portal departure can turn into a new opportunity elsewhere. Wisconsin, meanwhile, has spent the past several months reinforcing that position group with a mix of transfers and recruits, making it clear the staff did not intend to leave the room thin after losing so much roster depth.
Jones rise at LSU adds a little extra intrigue to Wisconsins side of the story, because it puts a spotlight on what the Badgers gave up and what they think they gained in return. The confidence in Madison is that the room now has more options and more stability than it did a year ago, even if one of the names that left is already turning heads in Baton Rouge. For Wisconsin, the larger question is not just how Jones performs out there, but whether the group it rebuilt can answer on the field when the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Mateos Is Setting A Tone Wisconsin Fans Have Been Missing
Eric Mateos has quickly given Wisconsins offensive line a very different feel, bringing the kind of relentless attention to detail that can change the standard in a room. As the Badgers new offensive line coach, he has made it clear that the goal is not just competence, but a tougher, more aggressive unit that keeps pushing its own ceiling higher.
For a program that has long built its identity in the trenches, that matters. Mateos is described as obsessive about continuous improvement, and that mindset could be exactly what Wisconsin needs as it tries to get its line playing to a higher bar. The intent is obvious, even if the proof will have to come on the field. [Read more 🡒]