Wisconsin football losing starting inside linebacker to the NCAA transfer portal
Wisconsin Badgers starting inside linebacker Christian Alliegro is entering the transfer portal after three seasons in Madison.
A key piece of the Wisconsin football program’s defense is preparing to move on, with a multi-year contributor headed to the transfer portal.
Veteran inside linebacker Christian Alliegro plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2, a move first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
After three seasons in Madison, Alliegro’s decision to finish his career elsewhere represents one of the more consequential roster shifts of the Badgers’ offseason, not just because of what he produced statistically, but because of how central he became to Wisconsin’s defensive identity.
Alliegro appeared in 35 games for the Badgers and carved out a reputation as a physical, athletic, and instinctive linebacker who consistently found his way to the football. Over his career, the 6-foot-4 linebacker recorded 124 total tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three pass deflections, and 18 pressures. This past season, Alliegro earned unanimous All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition, a nod to both his production and the respect he carried within the conference.
“Christian Alliegro reminds me a lot of the Joker in the way he plays football,” senior cornerback Ricardo Hallman said. “Just a sick and twisted guy who plays super hard. He’s going to give you a relentless effort.”
His path to that point was not immediate. After spending a year in prep school at Avon Old Farms before arriving at Wisconsin, Alliegro worked his way onto the field early as a special teams contributor and situational defender as a true freshman, playing 53 snaps.
By 2024, Alliegro’s role expanded significantly, and he became a fixture in the rotation. As a sophomore, he appeared in all 12 games for the Badgers, starting three, and finished second on the team with 66 tackles (44 solo), 29 stops, seven pressures, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a pass breakup.
That late-season breakout set the stage for what followed.
Entering 2025, Alliegro was viewed as a cornerstone of the defense until an injury altered the trajectory. Against Ohio State, the Connecticut native suffered a broken bone in his forearm, an injury that would have sidelined most players for quite some time. Instead, Alliegro returned to finish the game with his arm in a cast and played 62 snaps, a moment that showed both his toughness and how much being on the field with his teammates mattered to him. He didn’t start the next two games, opening the door for underclassmen Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa to take on larger roles.
Even with the missed time, Alliegro still finished the season as one of Wisconsin’s most productive defenders. He posted 53 total tackles, nine pressures, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks across 10 games, ranking third on the team in tackles, second in TFLs, and tied for third in sacks.
From an analytical standpoint, Pro Football Focus graded Alliegro at 60.1 overall, including a 65.7 run defense grade and a 79.4 mark as a pass rusher. His tackling grade came in at 57.5, while his coverage grade sat at 48.4, which paints the picture of where his strengths were most evident.
Alliegro’s departure from the program carries some added weight within the broader context of Wisconsin’s inside linebacker room.
Wisconsin was expecting turnover at the position with former starter Tackett Curtis headed to the portal after being benched midseason, along with depth linebacker Antarron Turner. Even so, Alliegro’s exit only adds to the overhaul of a room that will play a significant role in executing Mike Tressel’s defensive vision for 2026, where the staff envisioned a rotation featuring Alliegro alongside Catalano, Posa, and Thomas Heiberger.
The silver lining, if there is one, is that Wisconsin is not starting from scratch at the position. Catalano and Posa showed real growth late in the season and are positioned to form the core of the room moving forward. Even so, Alliegro’s departure is not something you solve by simply elevating the next name on the depth chart. His experience, leadership, edge, and willingness to play through pain are difficult traits to replace.
Alliegro will have one year of collegiate eligibility remaining at his next stop. He leaves Wisconsin as one of the more talented defenders that Luke Fickell and his coaching staff recruited out of high school, a profile likely to draw significant Power Four interest once the portal opens.
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Dillon, are you going to follow up in January by interviewing the transfer portal loses of our depth chart 1s and 2s ? This one hurts. Was it that the money promised didn't show up ? playing time ? coaching ? etc ?
Since everything is now about money and "investment", I'm guessing he wanted starter money while now being a backup to Posa and Catalano. Sad to see him go. He was really fun to watch.