Who's leaving, who's coming to Wisconsin football via the transfer portal?
College football doesn't sleep, and neither will Badgers staff in working to retain and recruit transfers to Madison. Here's what to know.
The business of college football never sleeps, and it’s about to be an even busier offseason for the University of Wisconsin football program.
Wisconsin just finished its 2025 season with a 4-8 record, a 2-7 mark in Big Ten play after its 17-7 road loss at Minnesota on Nov. 29. But along with the 2026 early signing period that ran from Dec. 3-5, where the Badgers only signed 13 scholarship players, the next couple of months will be crucial for coach Luke Fickell and his staff in the transfer portal.
The FBS and FCS transfer portal dates technically run Jan. 2-16, which is new for this offseason. Though those players won’t be in the portal until that timeframe, that doesn’t mean they can’t announce their intentions to do so. And there are also players from lower divisions and the junior college ranks who have already found new schools to call home.
Badger Observer has compiled this tracker to keep tabs on which players are incoming to Wisconsin, and who have announced their plans to depart from the program.
This will be continuously updated through the offseason, so stay tuned for all the latest updates.
Incoming transfers for Wisconsin football
Linebacker Taylor Schaefer
Schaefer’s originally a 2023 recruit who initially went to Division-II Minnesota-Duluth before heading to the JUCO ranks at Iowa Central Community College. He recorded 146 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks during his two seasons there, according to the program’s site, which included 97 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks this year.
The former in-state product from Sturgeon Bay played at Southern Door, and he visited Wisconsin during the week of Nov. 23. The Badgers have some of the pillars of the program’s future at the inside linebacker group with freshmen Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa, along with Christian Alliegro and Thomas Heiberger. But Schaefer has the measurables the program likes for that position.
“Physicality wise, he’s all 6-foot-3 ½,” director of recruiting Pat Lambert said last week. “He’s bulked up into 235 (pounds). He’s physically ready, with athleticism, and he just seems to have a grit to him that when we had him here, coach Fick was in love with.
“So that was another thing that, just like getting him here and getting a feel for, he fit this place and type of culture that we’re looking for.”
Departing transfers from Wisconsin football
Linebacker Tackett Curtis
Curtis was one of Wisconsin’s key 2023 recruiting targets under former coach Paul Chryst, and after heading to the Midwest from Southern Cal, he became one of the Badgers’ prized transfers of the 2024 winter offseason.
Now he’s looking for a new collegiate home after announcing his intentions Dec. 9 via On3.
Curtis played in all 24 games at Wisconsin during the last two years, compiling 56 tackles, 2½ tackles for loss, one sack and three passes defended. He started the first seven games of this season before the freshman duo of Catalano and Posa emerged the final five contests.
Wide receiver Joe Griffin Jr.
Griffin never got going in Madison after catching 43 passes for 579 yards receiving and six touchdowns at Boston College from 2022-23. He did not play in 2024, as according to a Wisconsin spokesperson, “he was deemed ineligible by the NCAA after not meeting transfer eligibility requirements.”
Griffin showed flashes during practices, catching red-zone throws in the end zone. But he played in only four games this season, finishing with one reception for 5 yards.
Running back Cade Yacamelli
Yacamelli announced Dec. 9 that he will head to the portal after four years in Madison, which was initially reported by ESPN.
The redshirt junior gained 571 yards rushing on 5.3 yards per carry and two touchdowns during his time in Madison. His best season came in 2024 when he accumulated 274 yards rushing on 8.3 yards per attempt, though he didn’t receive a carry during the Oct. 19 road win at Northwestern.
Wide receiver Kyan Berry-Johnson
Berry-Johnson was a four-star recruit by Rivals in the 2024 class that appeared to be a prototypical slot receiver within Wisconsin’s Air Raid passing scheme under former coordinator Phil Longo. He never recorded a reception played in three games last season, and according to Wisconsin’s participation logs, this year’s loss at Oregon was the only game he saw action in.
Punter Atticus Bertrams
Bertrams will head to the portal after three years in Madison. He’ll finish his time as a Badgers specialist with a 42.8 yards per punt average, which currently places him third all-time in school history. His best season came in 2024 where he averaged 45.3 yards per attempt (which ranks No. 2 all-time in program history for a single season).
Wisconsin began utilizing Sean West more throughout the 2025 season. The redshirt freshman became the first-team punter on the depth chart.
Defensive back Remington Moss
Moss, who’s related to former Wisconsin running back legend Brent Moss, was one of the Badgers’ early 2025 commits. He announced that decision in summer 2023.
Moss didn’t play this season, and he announced Dec. 4 his intentions of entering the transfer portal when it opens.
Outside linebacker Cody Raymond
Raymond was one of the walk-ons from Wisconsin’s 2024 class. He didn’t play a game during the two seasons he was in Madison.
An early case of the transfer portal giveth, the transfer portal taketh away
Defensive lineman Jibriel Conde
Conde was set to follow the route of two other D-II products — cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean and defensive lineman Jay’viar Suggs — to Madison from Grand Valley State. But he flipped and signed with Kansas during the early signing period.
Conde, listed at 6 foot 5 and 270 pounds on GVSU’s roster, finished with 30 tackles, 2½ sacks and 6½ tackles for loss this season. Wisconsin has to replace Suggs, along with other notable upperclassmen such as Ben Barten, Parker Petersen and Brandon Lane Jr. on the defensive line in 2026.