Why Wisconsin football passed on the transfer portal to keep its RB room intact
Wisconsin football didn't go to the transfer portal for RB help, trusting its homegrown talent and culture to restore the rushing attack in 2025.
It’s been more than two decades since Wisconsin football went back-to-back seasons without a 1,000-yard rusher — at least, that was true until Luke Fickell became head coach. The last time it happened before Fickell's arrival, Barry Alvarez was still pacing the sidelines in 2003–2004. Around here, that’s not just unusual, it’s a flashing red light. This is Running Back U after all, and in Madison, the bar is set much higher than what we’ve seen lately.
The 2024 numbers don’t sugarcoat anything. According to Game on Paper, Wisconsin’s rushing attack posted a total Expected Points Added (EPA) of -12.73, which ranked 101st in the country. Translation: the run game sputtered for much of last season and wasn't nearly good enough.
The Badgers staff could’ve easily justified adding another back to stir up some competition. Anyone looking at last year’s production might’ve expected it. But they didn’t go hunting for fixes in the transfer portal. No Power Four castoffs, no one-year mercenaries. Wisconsin didn’t add a single scholarship running back to the room this offseason. Not one.
Why? Because they believed in the group that was already in the building.
It’s not about ignoring flaws. It’s about culture. It’s about retention. And it’s about the long-term health of a room that, according to running backs coach Devon Spalding, has the right blend of hunger and accountability to carry Wisconsin's new-look offense forward.
“We know we have a lot of young talent. There are a lot of guys that are really hungry, that play with chips on their shoulder, that know they have a lot to prove,” Spalding said. “Not to anybody outside the program, but really to themselves and this team.”
A calculated decision, not a lack of options
In today’s college football world, depth concerns usually mean one thing: a portal search to help fill gaps. Running backs transfer more than almost any other position outside of quarterback, and supply is rarely the issue.
But Luke Fickell and company looked at their depth chart and saw enough in-house options worth retaining to stand pat. Four scholarship backs. No outsiders brought in. In 2025, that’s borderline unheard of.
And yet, Spalding says it’s by design.
“In our program, we talk about iron sharpens iron, and they are really good kids," Spalding said. "They're really tough. They're very competitive. They push each other every day. They hold each other accountable to what the standard of our program is. And to see the room flourish the way that it has and the camaraderie that's been built is really cool.”
That’s not coach-speak for “we couldn’t land anyone.” It’s an endorsement of what Wisconsin already has at tailback and a bet that internal growth is worth more than a quick portal plug-in could give this football team.
The headliners in this room are Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree, but in some ways, Wisconsin’s approach will still be by committee.
"As a running back coach, you want to play everybody, right? It's a difficult position because more often than not, you're going to have one guy on the field," Spalding admitted. "But those guys have made my job a lot easier. Getting up out of bed is really easy to go to that room with all those guys that are very competitive and play hard. And I know for an absolute fact, whoever's on the field, that every everybody on the offense is going to be behind that tailback that's in the game."
Let’s break down the room.
Dilin Jones — The redshirt freshman from Laurel, Maryland, played in just three games last year (21 snaps), but his flashes were hard to miss. He totaled 16 carries for 88 yards, with 80 of those yards coming after contact, including a 47-yard run against Purdue. Jones came in as a four-star recruit, and while his opportunities were limited in 2024, the path to carries and potentially a featured role for the Badgers is now wide open.
“He's done a really nice job when he's got the ball in his hands," Spalding said. "He's grown his entire knowledge of the offense. He's starting to really understand defensive structure. Really good communication with the offensive line, his physicality. He's grown with his pass protection. I think that he's improved in every area of his game, and I'm really pleased with where he's at.”
With Jeff Grimes’ wide-zone scheme now in place, Jones’ skill set pops even more. The system gives him a myriad of reads depending on how the blocks develop, whether it's inside, outside, or cutbacks. It rewards patience, vision, and the ability to plant and explode. And Jones has the physical profile to thrive at Wisconsin, and the staff knows it.
Retaining Jones was high on the priority list for this staff, and for good reason. He checks both the physical and mental boxes they want at the position, and now he’ll have every opportunity to prove it. If fall camp trends hold, he’ll enter 2025 as the likely No. 1 back, with a real chance to show just how much he can be the engine of this rushing attack.
Darrion Dupree — Of the returning backs, Dupree has the most experience from 2024. He carried 79 times for 317 yards and a touchdown, often spelling Tawee Walker when needed. He also added 12 receptions for 110 yards out of the backfield.