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How Wisconsin Badgers football has fared during spring transfer portal window
Missouri State Bears tight end Lance Mason (85) (center) is hoisted by teammates after scoring the game winning touchdown on the Youngstown State Penguins at Plaster Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Wisconsin Badgers football has fared during spring transfer portal window

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Jake Kocorowski  |  Last updated Apr 30, 2025 6:30 AM ET

Some of the new faces for the University of Wisconsin football program have panned out early for coach Luke Fickell. Some, on the other hand, haven’t.

Wisconsin welcomed 19 transfers into the program to participate in winter conditioning and spring practices. Defensive lineman Charles Perkins and wide receiver Jayden Ballard have been among the key names not just receiving first-team reps through the 15 spring practices, but excelling. 


But other winter transfers such as tight end Tanner Koziol and wide receiver Mark Hamper ultimately lasted a brief time in Madison. There’s also been other departures from the program during the spring transfer window that opened between April 16-25.

“You've gotta trust. You're gonna have to take some shots and some chances, to be quite honest,” Fickell said April 24. “We got to be honest with some guys, too. Some of the guys that are going to move on, maybe they want to play. They want to play now. And so it's probably good for everybody in the long run, because we’re still out there working to figure out what we need to make sure that we're able to go through this grind of the season and understand what that looks like. 

“And so for us right now, there's some things you're doing your best to work on. You're gonna have to have some blind faith in those things and know what it is that you're looking for if you’re gonna take some.”

Wisconsin Badgers on SI has compiled a list of incoming and departing transfers during the spring transfer window and will continue to update this article as new information comes in.

Who’s committed to Wisconsin football during spring transfer portal window

QB Hunter Simmons

Simmons announced April 17 his commitment to Wisconsin. The former Southern Illinois signal caller completed 73 of 128 throws for 852 yards and three touchdowns last season. The redshirt senior from Marion, Illinois, played under former Southern Illinois offensive coordinator and current Wisconsin assistant wide receivers coach Blake Rolan.

LS Nick Levy

This’ll be the third collegiate team for Levy, who announced April 20 his commitment to Wisconsin after starting his career at FCS William & Mary before moving on to Purdue last season. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention last season by conference coaches and appears in line to be the No. 1 long snapper after the recent departure of Eli Stein.

TE Lance Mason

The Tanner Koziol experiment lasted less than a full spring’s worth of practices, but Wisconsin found a possible replacement in one the FCS’ most productive tight ends. Mason – a Rockwall, Texas, native – caught 34 passes for 590 yards receiving and a team-leading six touchdowns on way to Associated Press All-America honorable mention in 2024.

Mason's commitment was initially reported by On3 on April 25.

OL Davis Heinzen 

A former 2020 in-state product from Manitowoc Lincoln, Heinzen tweeted April 26 that he committed to Wisconsin . He started 36 consecutive games on Central Michigan’s offensive line, with experience at tackle and guard. According to a source, he’s a candidate to play left tackle with projected starter Kevin Heywood out due to an ACL injury.

Who’s transferred out from Wisconsin during spring transfer portal

OL Derek Jensen

Jensen, a former four-star recruit, was one of three in-state 2024 signees for Fickell’s first full recruiting class at Wisconsin. He didn’t play last season, and though he was on the spring roster, did not appear at practices. He announced April 23 that he committed to Iowa State.

TE Tanner Koziol

Koziol was one of Wisconsin’s most-praised portal pickups in the winter after reeling in 163 receptions for 1,507 yards and 18 touchdowns at Ball State between 2022-24. He didn’t last the full spring in Madison, as On3 reported April 17 his commitment to Houston, and the Big 12 program announced his signing six days later.

WR Mark Hamper

Hamper was another intriguing pickup during the winter transfer portal window after recording 49 receptions for 961 yards and six touchdowns in 2024. But like Koziol, he didn’t stay with Wisconsin through all of the spring practices. Hamper’s intentions to hit the transfer portal again were first reported April 15 by 247Sports.

WR Quincy Burroughs

Burroughs came to Wisconsin from Cincinnati during Fickell’s first offseason in Madison, but he never emerged to be a consistent receiving threat. He caught only five passes for 43 yards in two seasons with the Badgers, and he announced his intentions to hit the transfer portal in a now-deleted tweet April 15.

CB Jay Harper 

Harper will enter his redshirt freshman season looking for a new home, which was first reported by On3 on April 23. The former three-star recruit from the 2024 class did not play last season. 

LS Eli Stein

Stein, a Cambridge native who previously played at Arkansas, announced April 22 that he re-entered the portal. He quickly resurfaced with a Power Four program, tweeting this commitment to Cincinnati on April 26.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:


This article first appeared on Wisconsin Badgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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