Wisconsin football lands Tennessee transfer edge Jayden Loftin
Former Tennessee edge rusher Jayden Loftin has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers through the transfer portal.
The Wisconsin football program continued to invest in the future of its defensive front, landing a former blue-chip edge prospect who was already familiar with Madison long before entering the transfer portal.
Former Tennessee edge Jayden Loftin has committed to the Badgers, giving Wisconsin a young, high-upside defender with four years of eligibility remaining. Loftin announced his decision on social media, opting to continue his career in the Big Ten after a brief stint with the Volunteers.
“Bettin’ on me,” Loftin wrote.
Loftin stands at roughly 6-foot-4, 255 pounds and comes to Wisconsin from Somerville (NJ.), where he starred at Somerville High School and emerged as one of the top edge prospects in the 2025 recruiting class.
A composite four-star recruit, Loftin was ranked as the No. 30 edge defender nationally and held Power Four offers from programs across the country. Luke Fickell’s staff was heavily involved the first time around.
Loftin took an official visit to Madison during his high school recruitment and strongly considered the Badgers before ultimately choosing Tennessee. That familiarity matters now, as Wisconsin circled back to a player it evaluated early and long viewed as a developmental piece with significant untapped potential. He also fits what they want on defense.
His lone season at Tennessee was largely about recovery.
Loftin suffered a torn ACL late in the summer before his senior year of high school, an injury that limited his final prep season and carried over into his freshman year with the Vols. Much of his time in Knoxville was spent rehabbing and getting back to full strength. He returned to game action late in the season, appearing in Week 12 against New Mexico State and logging three defensive snaps, his only appearance of the season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Loftin finished the season with a 59.7 defensive grade, including a 60.0 mark as a run defender and a 59.2 pass-rushing grade. The sample size was small, but simply getting back on the field represented a significant step forward after a long recovery process.
Now comes the reset.
Loftin joins a Wisconsin outside linebacker room that is in the middle of both turnover and long-term development. The Badgers are set to lose significant production with the departures of Mason Reiger and Darryl Peterson, while returning Sebastian Cheeks and continuing to develop other options such as Tyreese Fearbry, Micheal Garner, Nicholas Clayton, and Jaylen Williams.
Wisconsin has also added Arkansas transfer Justus Boone as part of its efforts to bolster the outside linebacker/edge group.
Under outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell, the focus has been on adding players who can execute defined roles, create real competition, and give younger options a legitimate chance to push for snaps as the depth chart takes shape. Loftin fits squarely into that plan. He’s being brought in as a former four-star recruit who now gets a clean slate, time to develop, and a runway that aligns with Wisconsin’s long-term vision.
This is a forward-looking addition.
Wisconsin’s recruiting department is betting on Loftin’s high school evaluation, his physical traits, and the belief that a full offseason healthy will allow him to finally show what made him a coveted recruit in the first place. With four years to work with and a defensive line room actively being reshaped, Loftin gives the Badgers another young piece to mold as they continue building toward sustained depth and production up front.
It’s a low-risk, high-upside move for Wisconsin in the trenches.
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