Wisconsin Badgers football could have fewer opportunities to add transfer portal players in 2026

This would create one action-packed stretch of college football transactions, and then rosters would be set for the rest of year except for high school recruiting.

For Wisconsin, this means they wouldn't have the opportunity to add a tight end like Lance Mason or an offensive tackle like Davis Heinzen to fill key holes at the end of spring.

It also means they woudn't lose a star tight end like Tanner Koziol, who had transfered to the Badgers in the winter but then changed his mind and re-entered the portal in the spring.

Every player would have one chance to decide whether they want to stay or go, and then they'll be forced to stick with whatever decision they make.

One concern is that it could lead to more situations like the Badgers experienced with cornerback Xavier Lucas.

He subverted the transfer portal by unenrolling from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and enrolling as a student at the University of Miami to join the Hurricanes football program.

Wisconsin is suing Miami over the move, alleging direct tampering from the Hurricanes that facilitated the move.

Lucas had requested the Badgers entering him into the transfer portal, but they denied his request because of a multi-year revenue-sharing contract he had signed with the team.

Lucas' attorney argued that the contract did not bind him to the university and that the program was violating NCAA rules by not allowing it.

If the cornerback didn't have to use the transfer portal to switch schools, other players could try something similar, especially if they don't have a second transfer window to change schools.

It will make that initial portal recruiting push that much more important for Fickell and his staff to retain their top talent and attract the best available players from other programs.

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