Wisconsin football adds transfer defensive lineman from Grand Valley State
Grand Valley State defensive lineman Jibriel Conde has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers as a transfer portal addition.
The Wisconsin football program has made its first addition from the transfer portal, marking the start of what should be a busy offseason.
Grand Valley State defensive lineman Jibriel Conde announced his commitment to the Badgers, giving Wisconsin an early win in the portal, even before the Division I window formally opens in January, thanks to his eligibility to enter under the Division II timeline.
“I want to start by first thanking Jesus,” Conde wrote. “Then I want to thank every person who has helped me reach this moment. Every sacrifice, every late night, every early morning, and every push along the way have shaped me into who I am.
“To my parents, thank you for your love, support, and the discipline you instilled in me. To my coaches, mentors, and everyone who believed in me, your guidance has meant everything. To the Grand Valley coaches and staff, thank you for helping me grow on and off the field.
“With that being said, I am excited to announce that I will be committing to the University of Wisconsin.”
Conde entered the portal on Nov. 19 and immediately earned Power Four offers from West Virginia, Kansas, Auburn, Michigan State, and TCU. But after an official visit to Madison, it became clear that Wisconsin had positioned itself as the frontrunner, and this commitment locks that in.
It also continues a pipeline that has quietly become one of Wisconsin’s most reliable talent sources. Anyone familiar with how the Badgers operate under Luke Fickell knew exactly why they pushed so hard here.
Their ties to Grand Valley State run deep. Matt Mitchell spent years running that program as its head coach, and defensive line coach EJ Whitlow was on staff there from 2014-17. Wisconsin has already turned former Lakers Nyzier Fourqurean and Jay’Viar Suggs into Big Ten contributors.
Conde now becomes the next piece in that lineage, stepping into a program where the path from Division II to Madison has already been proven.
His profile fits what Wisconsin has been targeting. At 6-foot-5 and around 290 pounds, Conde brings the rare combination of size, reach, mobility, and disruptive strength that Big Ten defensive lines are built on. This past season at Grand Valley State, Conde posted 30 total tackles, had 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pair of pass breakups.
That’s the kind of stat line that makes portal evaluators take notice, especially when you remember Conde’s played just 14 collegiate games. He redshirted in 2023 and then worked his way onto the field in limited action the following year, recording two tackles and a TFL in four games.
The tools are there, the frame is there, and with two years of eligibility left coming off a strong season at Grand Valley State, he looks like the kind of upside swing this staff should be betting on as they rebuild this roster.
But more than that, Conde projects cleanly into Wisconsin’s defensive structure: long enough to hold up against the run, athletic enough to shed and chase, versatile enough to rotate between the interior spots.
The visit to Wisconsin ended up being the deciding factor. Conde spent time with the staff, walked through the facilities, sat in meeting rooms, and got a feel for the operation up close. Conde has seen the program’s competitive culture first-hand and knows there will be an opportunity to compete for snaps.
And with several notable teams in the mix for his services, Wisconsin ultimately did enough to close the deal. It probably helped that the Wisconsin Badgers are set to lose most of their top defensive linemen: Jay’Viar Suggs, Ben Barten, Brandon Lane, and Parker Petersen, due to exhausted eligibility, leaving only Charles Perkins and Dillan Johnson as established rotational players who could return.
That reality made Conde’s potential opportunity too good to pass up.
From a roster-building standpoint, this is a nice piece for Fickell and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. Wisconsin rebuilt the entire defensive line last offseason and finally saw that unit deliver some promising results after adding the size and physicality needed to compete in the Big Ten.
But many of those key contributors and depth pieces won’t be on the team in 2026, which means the Badgers need to restock the room with both immediate contributors and multi-year developmental pieces. Conde could give them both. He arrives with two years of eligibility, allowing this staff time to mix him into the rotation now but also develop him long-term.
This is a pivotal offseason for the Fickell regime. Wisconsin’s ability to attack the transfer portal and find players who can realistically help right away has never mattered more, especially after the program promised increased investment in NIL and other resources. Conde fits the profile of a player worth taking a swing on. The Badgers staff leveraged its ties, made a strong impression during his visit, and beat out multiple Power Conference programs to land him.
Nothing is guaranteed with any portal addition, but this is the kind of move that begins to round out a thin position group at a moment when the Badgers need to keep stacking talented pieces.
Bottom line: Wisconsin still needs more help up front, but landing Conde gives them a needed piece to start rebuilding the 2026 defensive line.
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