Wisconsin football lands TCU transfer RB Nate Palmer
Former TCU running back Nate Palmer has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers through the transfer portal.
The Wisconsin football program continued to reshape its running back room through the transfer portal, adding another young option with traits that fit where this offense is headed.
Former TCU running back Nate Palmer has committed to the Badgers, giving Wisconsin its third portal addition at tailback this offseason as they restock the position with depth pieces, competition, and upside.
Palmer checks in at 6-foot, 195 pounds and hails from Decatur (TX.), where he starred at Decatur High School. A former three-star recruit, he originally signed with TCU over an impressive offer list that included USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Miami (FL), Tennessee, Penn State, and Ole Miss.
He’s a work in progress, but the flashes are worth noting.
Palmer saw limited action as a true freshman in 2024, appearing in two games and logging 23 offensive snaps. He finished the season with 11 carries for 25 yards, including some work in the team’s New Mexico Bowl win, before redshirting. His role expanded in 2025 as a redshirt freshman, when he appeared in 10 games and earned a spot start against Colorado.
That season provided a better snapshot of what he brings.
Palmer carried the ball 30 times for 139 yards. For his career, he totaled 41 carries for 164 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, Palmer logged 58 total offensive snaps in 2025 and finished with a 69.4 overall offensive grade, including a strong 73.6 mark as a runner. The production came with an edge. Of Palmer’s 139 rushing yards, 107 came after contact. He forced nine missed tackles and recorded four carries of 10-plus yards for TCU.
That profile fits the broader trend Wisconsin is leaning into.
The Badgers have now added Palmer, Iowa State transfer Abu Sama III, and USC transfer Bryan Jackson this offseason, signaling a clear desire to rebuild the room through volume and competition.
That need was amplified by the departures of Dilin Jones and Cade Yacamelli to the transfer portal, leaving Wisconsin’s staff with plenty of snaps to replace and room for new contributors to emerge. They’re expected to return Darrion Dupree and, potentially, Gideon Ituka, giving running backs coach Jayden Everett a deep and varied group to evaluate as roles take shape.
Palmer enters that mix as a developmental piece with physical traits and efficiency in limited touches. He’s not coming to Madison with a locked-in role. He’s coming with three years of eligibility remaining and an opportunity to grow in a backfield that is being rebuilt from the ground up.
For Wisconsin’s coaching staff, this is about stacking talented options and letting competition in practice sort out the pecking order. For Palmer, it’s a chance to take the flashes he showed at TCU and see if they can translate into a larger role in a system that wants to lean on the run game.
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