Wisconsin football lands Buffalo transfer DL Junior Poyser
Former Buffalo defensive lineman Junior Poyser has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers through the transfer portal.
The Wisconsin football staff has added reinforcements to its defensive line, landing a productive interior presence through the transfer portal.
Buffalo defensive tackle Junior Poyser has committed to play for the Badgers following an official visit, giving Wisconsin a disruptive body up front at a time when rebuilding the defensive line has been a clear priority.
“I am excited to announce my commitment to Wisconsin,” Poyser wrote.
Poyser checks in at 6-foot-1, 310 pounds and arrives in Madison with two years of eligibility remaining. A native of Brampton, Ontario, he developed at the prep level in Massachusetts before beginning his college football career with Buffalo, where his trajectory steadily pointed upward.
After redshirting in 2023, Poyser appeared in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2024, logging 22 defensive snaps while acclimating to the college game. The real leap came last season. In 2025, he played in all 12 games and made seven starts at defensive tackle, finishing with 31 total tackles, 24 pressures, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and provided consistent interior push up front. Poyser was named third-team All-MAC by the media and handled a starter’s workload, logging 423 defensive snaps.
The underlying data helps explain the appeal. According to Pro Football Focus, Poyser finished the season with a 73.2 overall defensive grade, including a 63.8 mark against the run and an 83.0 grade as a pass rusher.
On paper, Poyser looks like the type of player who can affect the pocket from the inside rather than just occupy space and eat up blocks.
That skill set matters for Wisconsin.
The Badgers are replacing significant production along the defensive front after the departures of Jay’Viar Suggs, Ben Barten, Brandon Lane, and Parker Petersen, all of whom exhausted their eligibility. While Wisconsin is currently expected to return pieces like Dillan Johnson, Charles Perkins, and Nolan Vils, the rotation needed bodies capable of playing real snaps.
Under defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow, Wisconsin has emphasized size, depth, and rotation up front, typically leaning on five or six linemen to stay fresh and create penetration. Poyser fits that approach. His build and snap distribution at Buffalo suggest he can line up as a three-technique or slide inside if Wisconsin’s defense needs him as more of a nose tackle.
There’s also context worth remembering. The improvement along the defensive line last season played a meaningful role in the overall step forward the defense took under coordinator Mike Tressel. Continuing that momentum requires adding experienced players who can hold up physically while still creating negative plays. Poyser checks both boxes.
This is an important pickup. Wisconsin is betting on a player with proven MAC production translating to the Big Ten, and on Poyser’s interior pass-rush ability carrying over in a system that values player rotation.
As the Badgers continue reshaping the front seven, this is the type of transfer portal addition that helps give the coaching staff options and allows the defense to stay on schedule as the team’s offseason rebuild continues.
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@ Dillon, IMO Jay Suggs was an unsung hero of our D line in 2025. Hopefully Junior Poyser will fill his shoes. Being a Canadian maybe he can join the hockey team if our goalies go down.