The Wisconsin Badgers continue to reshape their defensive front, landing a commitment from Appalachian State transfer DeNigel Cooper. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive lineman announced his decision Friday evening, adding another key piece to a position group undergoing a major overhaul.
Cooper, a three-star recruit in the Class of 2024, took a redshirt in his first year at App State but made his presence felt in 2025. He recorded 23 tackles, including one for loss, and notched half a sack in a rotational role. With three years of eligibility remaining, he brings both developmental upside and immediate depth to a Wisconsin defensive line that’s been gutted by offseason departures.
The Badgers lost their top four rotational linemen - Ben Barten, Parker Petersen, Jay’Viar Suggs, and Brandon Lane Jr. - all of whom exhausted their eligibility. That kind of turnover demands not just replacements, but reinforcements. Wisconsin has responded aggressively in the portal, adding West Virginia’s Hammond Russell, Buffalo’s Junior Poyser, and Illinois State’s Jake Anderson to the mix.
They also managed to keep Charles Perkins in the fold after a brief stint in the transfer portal, and now with Cooper’s arrival, the defensive line room is starting to take shape. The goal is clear: build a six-man rotation capable of staying fresh deep into games and deeper into the season.
Cooper fits the mold of what Wisconsin has been targeting - young, athletic linemen with multiple years of eligibility who can grow into bigger roles. He’ll join a group that’s likely to include rising junior Dillan Johnson, who’s expected to take on more responsibility this offseason.
For a program that prides itself on physicality and defensive consistency, rebuilding the trenches was priority No. 1. With Cooper now in the fold, the Badgers are one step closer to reloading their defensive front with the kind of depth and versatility needed to compete in the Big Ten.