Wisconsin football banking on 'a lot of snaps' from transfer DL Charles Perkins
Charles Perkins is turning heads for Wisconsin football this Spring, bringing size, energy, and the right mindset to a retooled Badgers defensive line.
Something had to change up front for the Wisconsin football program.
The 2024 season was marred by inconsistency in the trenches for the Badgers, especially on the interior of the defensive line—a unit that too often got pushed around and wore down late into close games due to lack of quality depth.
Wisconsin's defense surrendered 40-plus points three times last fall—something that hadn’t happened since the program last missed a bowl game in 2001. The Badgers allowed 165 rushing yards per game, their worst mark in nearly two decades, and were flat-out outclassed in rivalry games—outscored 110–42 by Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota.
That reality wasn’t lost on head coach Luke Fickell. And by the time the offseason rolled around, the task at hand was clear: get bigger up front, get stronger, and add competition to E.J. Whitlow's room.
Enter Charles Perkins.
The 6-foot-2, 316-pound defensive lineman from UT Martin officially committed to Wisconsin out of the transfer portal this offseason, bringing with him a resume that made the redshirt junior an intriguing pickup.
Perkins was a Freshman All-American at the FCS level in 2023, and in 2024, he racked up 40 tackles, 19 pressures, 9.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 11 quarterback hurries en route to First Team All-Big South-OVC honors.
Across 23 career appearances, Perkins logged 64 total tackles, 29 pressures, 13.0 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, and enough quality film in his 656 defensive snaps to get the attention of the Badgers coaching staff in the transfer portal this offseason.
But the numbers only tell part of the story.
“Perk's got a great attitude,” Fickell said. “Just his humility, his—not just his love for the game, but his true want to be a part of something bigger than himself—that was pretty evident in the short amount of time that he was here on a visit. And since he's been here… he's appreciative of everything that we're doing. When we push him hard, he's appreciative; when we provide things for him, he's appreciative. More guys around us need to recognize that. Then that starts to show on the football field. He's continuing to grow."
In short, Perkins is the kind of guy you want in your foxhole. This is a Wisconsin d-line that ranked among the worst in the Big Ten in run defense last season and gave up chunk plays far too often.
Bringing a little more twitch to the three-tech spot than Wisconsin’s had, Perkins pairs his physicality with the kind of short-area quickness that jumps out on tape. His ability to take on blockers and still create pressure fits the exact identity this staff is trying to reestablish up front.
According to Pro Football Focus, Perkins posted an overall defensive grade of 76.7 and an elite 86.4 mark as a run defender. Albeit at the FCS level, the Memphis (TN.) native's run stop percentage ranked in the 86th percentile nationally, and his performance in the trenches showed he has the kind of motor to be disruptive in a bigger, more physical league.
And the attitude? It’s contagious.
"Their mentality [Perkins and Jay'viar Suggs] is exciting everyone on the defense, everyone on the team, to be honest with you," defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said. “Perkins, in particular, is a guy—it doesn't matter what the last three plays look like, he is going to bring energy—he’s going to lift people up.
“He comes in the huddle when I'm as angry as I could possibly be and gets me excited for the next rep because he says something wacko. I mean, he is what he is—he just lifts everybody up.”
That mentality, Tressel said, is something this program has been missing.
Last fall, Wisconsin’s front wasn’t disruptive enough. Negative plays were rare, interior pressure was inconsistent, and too often, the linebackers were left trying to clean up what should’ve been stopped at the line. That’s how you end up with just 13 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks from the entire unit—and a havoc rate that ranked 128th out of 134 FBS teams.
The team finished 110th in the FBS in turnovers forced and lacked a tone-setting presence at the point of attack. With pieces like James Thompson Jr. and Curt Neal departing via the portal and Elijah Hills graduating, Perkins’ arrival fills a massive need—and his fit in the locker room might be just as valuable as his potential on-field production in 2025.
“Where we have improved, and we must continue to improve, is not allowing one negative play to affect us,” Tressel added. “Right? You can't allow an eight-yard—who cares… As long as we create negatives and takeaways and don't give up explosives, play the next play, and he naturally does that. That’s rubbing off on all of us—including me.”
Perkins joins fellow portal additions Corey Walker (Western Michigan), Jay'Viar Suggs (LSU), Micheal Garner (Grambling State), and Parker Petersen (Tulane) as part of a new-look defensive line group.
The Badgers will also return pieces like Dillan Johnson, Brandon Lane, and Jamel Howard while adding freshmen Torin Pettaway, Drayden Pavey, and Xavier Ukponu into the mix from the 2025 class.
There’s still work to do. Fickell and his staff are working to implement a slightly different approach schematically this offseason—one that leans more on heavier personnel up front and on the edges. But Perkins represents more than just an able body to rotate in—he’s an emotional leader, a tone-setter, and someone who fits the culture being rebuilt in Madison.
“He’s getting himself into better shape where he can play a little bit longer,” Fickell explained. “Especially at the size he is now. We’re still trying to figure out what’s best for him because there’s an expectation that he’s not just going to play three, four, five, six snaps. He’s a guy that’s got to help us with a lot of snaps this year.”
That’s the plan. Now it’s time to see if the new-look front can do what last year’s group couldn’t. Stand their ground—and move the line of scrimmage. Time will tell, but based on the staff’s early impressions, Perkins looks like a nice find for Wisconsin in the portal with the mindset, motor, and maturity to slot into a meaningful role.
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