Ranking Wisconsin football's offseason transfer portal departures by significance
Ranking all 23 offseason transfer portal entries for the Wisconsin Badgers by significance and classifying them into tiers.
After an absolute whirlwind of a stretch in which the NCAA transfer portal opened on Jan. 2 and closed on Jan. 16, the dust has somewhat settled. It was a period so hectic that Wisconsin football head coach Luke Fickell compared it to the drug and debauchery-fueled illicit stockbroking depicted in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street.
At the time of writing, 23 players have departed from the program. With the portal officially closing on Jan. 16, that should be the extent of the attrition that the Badgers suffer. Of course, given the state of college sports right now, I wouldn’t rule anything out.
Still, we’ve got a good handle on who Wisconsin has lost to the portal at this point. Below, BadgerNotes.com ranks each departure from one (most significant) to 23 (least significant), also classifying them into tiers:
The Ones Who Got Away
Players I view as significant and/or damaging losses for Wisconsin.
OL Joe Brunner: Retaining top offensive line talents Brunner and Kevin Heywood was a high priority for the Badgers, but ultimately, they only managed to keep one of the two. Had he skipped town, Heywood would also be in the top tier of damaging losses, but with his experience, leadership, and rock-solid play up front, losing Brunner is the biggest blow Wisconsin took this portal season.
WR Trech Kekahuna: I understand that I’m higher on Kekahuna than most. His production across three years in Madison — 65 catches for 614 yards and two touchdowns, with 140 rushing yards and a score — doesn’t scream top retention priority. And yet, despite his modest statistical output, the shifty Hawaii native was one of the most dangerous eligibles Wisconsin had when he actually touched the ball. But underutilized yet again, he’ll transfer to North Carolina, where he’ll hope the Tar Heels take advantage of his unique twitch better than the Badgers.
LB Christian Alliegro: The blow of Alliegro’s departure is significantly softened by the emergence of true freshmen inside backers Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano, who each appeared poised to hold down a starting role in 2026 even before Alliegro announced his entry into the portal. Still, you can’t have enough freaky athletes in your front seven, and that’s exactly what Alliegro was. His blend of speed and physicality will make Ohio State fans very happy.
S Preston Zachman: Zachman was lost for the season after Week 3, so it’s easy to forget the kind of impact he can have. The safety had two interceptions in the opener, and was a highly versatile player in the secondary, nearly splitting his time between the box (48 snaps) and the back end (45 snaps), per Pro Football Focus. With Wisconsin’s secondary needing an extreme makeover, Zachman would’ve been an experienced centerpiece to build around.
You’ll Be Missed
Players that would’ve been nice to keep in Madison, but ultimately aren’t a huge loss.
RB Dilin Jones: Wisconsin loaded up at running back in the portal and once again appears to have plenty of promise in that room. And again, Jones’ stats — 409 total yards, two touchdowns over two seasons and a meager 3.9 yards per carry in 2025 — won’t raise many eyebrows. But don’t let the Badgers’ putrid offense this past season cloud your view of Jones as a player; I still love his chances to produce at a high level in the Power Four. Apparently, so does LSU and Jones’ new head coach, Lane Kiffin.
C Jake Renfro: With Renfro, the Badgers lose a starter along a much-maligned offensive line. There are positives and negatives to that, hence his inclusion in the second tier. Losing a starter with his experience hurts, but Wisconsin really needed a fresh start at center, especially considering Renfro’s injury history and the fact that he only played in four games in 2025. Banking on him for 2026 instead of actively trying to improve the position would be irresponsible — this is one of those rare portal entries that’s a win-win for both sides.
CB Omillio Agard: Agard was set to be Wisconsin’s most-experienced returning cornerback after he logged 304 snaps in 2025, totaling 22 tackles, two pass-breakups, one interception, and one sack. He also allowed the lowest reception percentage (62.5%) out of any Badgers cornerback. Wisconsin reloaded to the tune of four incoming transfers at cornerback, but Agard — though a bit undersized — appeared to have a bright future ahead of him.Needs a Fresh Start
The writing was on the wall for these players…
