Wisconsin football lands Ole Miss transfer OL PJ Wilkins
Former Ole Miss offensive lineman PJ Wilkins has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers through the transfer portal.
The Wisconsin football program continues to lean hard into rebuilding its offensive line, and the latest addition adds size and experience to the interior.
Former Ole Miss offensive lineman Paris “PJ” Wilkins announced his commitment to Wisconsin out of the transfer portal, giving the Badgers a massive interior presence with two years of eligibility remaining and a frame that immediately alters the complexion of the offensive line room.
“Go Badgers!” Wilkins wrote.
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds, Wilkins is built for Big Ten trench work. He played his high school football at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore before beginning his college career with the Charlotte 49ers in 2023.
After redshirting, Wilkins appeared in 11 games (two starts) during the 2024 season, logging 142 offensive snaps and earning a 61.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, including a 63.5 run-blocking grade.
Wilkins transferred to Ole Miss ahead of the 2025 season and took on a rotational role along the interior. He appeared in nine games for the Rebels, playing 186 total snaps, all at left guard. According to PFF, Wilkins finished with a 60.9 overall offensive grade, a 67.1 mark as a pass blocker, and a 57.7 run-blocking grade. He allowed just three pressures and did not surrender a sack, showing improvement in pass protection against SEC competition. He also brings the ability to play either guard spot.
Context matters here.
Wisconsin has been aggressive in addressing the offensive line after losing left guard Joe Brunner to the transfer portal and continuing to search for better options up front. The Badgers have already added Austin Kawecki (Oklahoma State), Lucas Simmons (Florida State), and Blake Cherry (Arkansas), while returning young players like Kevin Heywood, Emerson Mandell, and Colin Cubberly. Wilkins fits into that picture as another experienced body who can compete immediately for a guard spot, while improving the overall size and depth of the interior.
This move is about adding experienced depth to a room that needed it.
Wilkins gives Wisconsin a physically mature offensive lineman who has played meaningful snaps across multiple levels and held up in a power conference at guard. As Eric Mateos and Casey Rabach continue to reshape the room, this is the type of addition that helps build a functional offensive line through competition and depth rather than quick fixes.
For Wisconsin, it’s another intentional step forward in an offseason that has made one thing clear: fixing the offensive line is not optional.
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So I have been hard on Fickel but seeing their haul so far from the transfer portal this year has ne cautiously optimistic.