Wisconsin football lands Minnesota transfer WR Malachi Coleman
Former Minnesota wide receiver Malachi Coleman has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers through the transfer portal.
The Wisconsin football program is taking a swing at a transfer wide receiver whose addition is rooted more in projection than production.
Former Minnesota wide receiver Malachi Coleman has committed to the Badgers out of the transfer portal, giving Wisconsin a big-bodied pass catcher who began his career with a high-end recruiting pedigree and still has two years of eligibility left. It’s a move that reflects both where the room stands right now and how the staff wants it to look moving forward.
Coleman is 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, and brings a profile that still turns heads, even if the on-field output hasn’t caught up yet. A former composite four-star recruit and top-100 national prospect, Coleman came out of Lincoln East High School in Nebraska with offers from Georgia, Florida State, Penn State, USC, Oklahoma, Oregon, and several others.
His college path, however, has been more winding than most expected.
He began his career at Nebraska, where he appeared in 12 games across two seasons. As a true freshman, Coleman logged 335 offensive snaps and finished with eight receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown in 11 games (six starts), showing flashes but never carving out a consistent role. He appeared in just one game the following season before entering the transfer portal and landing at Minnesota for the 2025 campaign.
That stop offered limited opportunity.
In 2025, Coleman appeared in eight games for the Gophers and finished with five receptions for 83 yards, playing 174 offensive snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished the season with a 54.3 overall offensive grade, a 52.6 mark as a pass catcher, and a 65.9 grade as a run blocker.
Nearly half of Coleman’s snaps (86) came as a run blocker, a key detail given the way Wisconsin evaluates receivers in Jeff Grimes’ offense.
That part matters.
Wisconsin’s staff is building a receiver room that values size, physicality, and the ability to contribute without the ball in their hands. Coleman’s willingness and effectiveness as a blocker give him a practical path to earn snaps, even as he continues developing as a downfield threat. The tools are there. The frame is there. But consistency hasn’t shown up yet.
That’s the bet Wisconsin is making.
Coleman joins a receiver room led by Jordan Reid that is finally starting to take shape after significant turnover. Chris Brooks Jr. is expected back, and Eugene Hilton Jr. withdrew from the transfer portal to return to the program. Wisconsin has also added Oklahoma State transfer Shamar Rigby and Southeastern Louisiana standout Jaylon Domingeaux, giving the room a blend of size and experience. Tyrell Henry is also expected to return, adding another familiar player into the mix.
In that context, Coleman doesn’t need to be the guy. He needs to be functional. He needs to block, compete, and push for a role while the staff figures out who can consistently help the offense stay on schedule.
This is a low-risk portal addition by the staff on a physically gifted player who was highly coveted by Power Four programs coming out of high school. But at some point, the conversation needs to move beyond recruiting rankings and into what a player can actually do on the field.
Wisconsin is betting that a fresh environment, a chance to compete, and an offense that values physical wide receivers can unlock more from a player whose recruiting profile once suggested much more. If that happens, the Badgers could get a useful piece with untapped potential.
Either way, it’s another signal of how Wisconsin is approaching the portal at receiver: add big-bodied wideouts, prioritize traits that fit Grimes’ system, and let competition determine who sticks in the receiver rotation.
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