The Wisconsin Badgers are seeing more movement in their linebacker room, with Antarron Turner becoming the latest to enter the transfer portal after just one season in Madison.
Turner, a redshirt junior this past year, didn’t see the field in 2025 after transferring in from Western Carolina. While he was initially expected to provide depth at inside linebacker, he ended up getting passed on the depth chart by a pair of freshmen-Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa-before the season even kicked off.
It’s a quick exit for Turner, who had a productive 2024 campaign at Western Carolina. He appeared in 12 games, racking up 61 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two pass breakups. Those numbers show a player who can make an impact when given the opportunity, and now he’ll look to do just that elsewhere with one year of eligibility remaining.
For Wisconsin, though, this is now part of a bigger picture. Turner joins Christian Alliegro and Tackett Curtis as scholarship linebackers heading for the portal. That’s three departures from a single position group, and while none were starters, it does raise the question: How much depth is too little?
The Badgers aren't without options. They’re projected to return six scholarship linebackers next season: Mason Posa, Cooper Catalano, Thomas Heiberger, Landon Gauthier, Tyler Jansey, and Ben Wenzel.
That’s a young group, but it’s also a group that’s been getting real reps and experience. Catalano and Posa already leapfrogged older players to earn their spots, and Heiberger is a name that’s expected to be in the mix in 2025.
So while the depth chart may be getting thinner on paper, Wisconsin has clearly made a conscious decision to lean into youth at the position. The coaching staff seems committed to developing their young core rather than relying on short-term fixes.
Still, with the transfer portal officially opening on January 2nd, the Badgers will have to weigh their options. Do they dip back into the portal to add a veteran presence? Or do they stay the course with a young, homegrown linebacker group that’s already shown some promise?
It’s a balancing act. Wisconsin has other needs to address across the roster, and linebacker might not be the top priority. But with three scholarship players gone, it’s a position that can’t be ignored either.
The decisions made in the coming weeks will say a lot about how the Badgers view their linebacker room-and how much faith they’re putting in the next generation.