The 2026 Wisconsin Badgers are going to look different, and the biggest reason is sitting right there in the portal: a 33-man incoming transfer class.
That kind of volume doesn’t mean much on its own, and Luke Fickell knows that. Wisconsin has to land on the right transfers and turn them into real production, or the renewed push to acquire players won’t matter much. Still, this group looks promising enough that several newcomers seem ready to step in right away.
At quarterback, Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph stands out as the only true immediate-impact addition in my eyes. Former Louisville quarterback Deuce Adams could get on the field quickly if he wins the QB2 job and is needed early, possibly in the fourth quarter of Wisconsin’s games against Eastern Michigan and/or Western Illinois. But I fully expect freshman Ryan Hopkins to earn the backup job, which leaves Joseph as the transfer most likely to matter immediately.
Running back should also feature a couple of newcomers with real chances to contribute. The Iowa State transfer Sama is expected to be the starter, while Jackson should open as RB3 behind Darrion Dupree.
That still gives the former USC recruit plenty of room to touch the ball, and at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, he’s the clear power option in the room. Palmer, meanwhile, may end up as RB4 or even RB5 behind JUCO transfer Julius Pope, but the position is almost certain to deal with attrition.
Fickell made that point this spring when he said Wisconsin needs "at least four guys in that room who have some experience and could be the guy".
Wide receiver is where the transfer class gets a little more complicated. Wisconsin brought in five portal wideouts, but only one has really convinced me he’s ready to make an immediate impact in 2026: Jaylon Domingeaux.
Malachi Coleman, Shamar Rigby and Zion Kearney showed flashes in the spring, but I’m not ready to call any of them instant-impact players. A lot of the production at the position is still expected to come from returners Chris Brooks Jr., Eugene Hilton Jr. and Tyrell Henry.
The tight end room, though, looks like a place where both portal additions can help. Bowling Green transfer Jacob Harris, listed at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, brings soft hands and surprisingly fluid hips, and he looks like the top player in the room as a proven receiving threat. Southern Illinois transfer Schwendeman may sit behind Grant Stec and maybe even Emmett Bork, but Wisconsin leans heavily on 12 personnel, so he should still see plenty of snaps.
Up front, Wisconsin appears to have immediate answers at center and left tackle. Kawecki is lined up to start at center, and Wilkins currently looks like the starting left tackle.
Florida State transfer Simmons-Johansson started pushing Wilkins for the blindside job late in spring ball, though, and he’s already had a strong summer in the weight room. Both should be on the field at some point this fall.
Arkansas transfer Blake Cherry could be the top backup guard, but Wisconsin would prefer not to need him, since that would likely mean an injury to either Colin Cubberly or Emerson Mandell.
The other two offensive line transfers are more of a wait-and-see situation. Wisconsin added FCS transfer Jake Anderson and Appalachian State transfer DeNigel Cooper, but neither looks locked into one of the top four spots right now.
That group appears to be Russell, Poyser, Charles Perkins and Dillan Johnson. Anderson, in particular, will be worth watching in fall camp after a full summer of conditioning.
On defense, Boone should help Wisconsin set the edge and stay sturdy against the run. He’s a jumbo outside backer, and while his pass-rush impact is less certain, the Badgers have other outside linebackers built for that job. DIII transfer Liam Danitz was an intriguing pickup when he signed, but there hasn’t been much buzz about him since.
Kansas transfer Kamara looks like the most important newcomer in the linebacker group. He’s set to handle the third inside linebacker spot, or the "STAR" role in Mike Tressel’s defense.
This spring, he drew praise for his athleticism and his ability to play in space, and he gives Wisconsin another package to lean on. At times, he’ll be on the field with Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano.
Cornerback is another spot where the transfers could matter quickly, even if one or two of them end up falling short of true instant-impact status by season’s end. Bates and Fletcher are both in the mix for the CB2 job, though redshirt freshman Jai'mier Scott appears to have the edge right now. New corners coach Robert Steeples also said this spring that he expects plenty of in-game rotation at the position, which only keeps the door open for both newcomers.
At safety, Carson Van Dinter is a transfer I like a lot as a player, but the path to major snaps looks crowded. Burks brings experience, Matt Jung returns as a starter, and the staff is high on sophomore Cairo Skanes. With that group ahead of him, Van Dinter doesn’t look like someone who will play a ton in 2026 at this point.
In Other News...
Former Badgers Coaches Are Surfacing Together Again In A Familiar Twist
Phil Longo is putting another familiar piece in place at Sam Houston, adding a coach he knows well from two different stops along the way. Longo and Jack Bicknell Jr. worked together at North Carolina in 2022 and later crossed paths again at Wisconsin under Luke Fickell, a coaching overlap that has now carried into Longos latest job with the Bearkats.
Bicknell arrives after his most recent stint at West Virginia, while Longo also brings previous Bearkats experience from his earlier run as offensive coordinator. For Wisconsin fans, it is another reminder of how quickly coaching trees keep branching and reconnecting, especially when former assistants keep finding their way back into the same circles. [Read more 🡒]
Greg Gard Is Sending A Clear Message About Wisconsins Biggest Problem
Wisconsins offseason has made the defensive side of the ball the clear priority after a year in which the Badgers slipped to 56th in KenPom defensively, their lowest mark since 2018. Greg Gard and his staff responded by leaning into players who can help on that end and by putting a heavier emphasis on defensive work early in summer workouts, a sign the reset is being treated as more than a talking point.
Gard has been direct about what the Badgers need if they want to belong in the national conversation again. The standard, as he sees it, has to rise well beyond simply protecting the rim, and the early summer approach suggests Wisconsin is trying to build that habit before the season even starts. [Read more 🡒]
Greg Gard Sends Badgers Fans A Needed Update On Key Big Man
Summer workouts have begun for Wisconsin with a roster mix that includes eight newcomers and six returning players, and the early attention has naturally landed on the frontcourt. Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp are both working back from offseason procedures, giving the Badgers a little extra to monitor as they start laying the groundwork for the 2026 season.
Greg Gards update was encouraging, with the medical staff viewing both forwards as progressing as expected and on pace with the teams timeline. That matters because Wisconsin is counting on them to be part of the answer inside this season, and any early uncertainty in the frontcourt tends to linger longer than anyone wants in July. [Read more 🡒]