Big Ten transfer running back on visit at Michigan State

Wisconsin Badgers running back Jalen Berger was at the Michigan State basketball game on Friday night. The freshman running back from Newark, New Jersey, posted on his social media account a picture of him at the Spartans game against Western Michigan. And if viewers could not tell by Michigan State insignia’s all around, Berger attached his location at the bottom. 

What makes this an interesting turn of events is the freshman running back entered the transfer portal earlier this season after being dismissed from Wisconsin. Berger was highly rated coming out of prestigious Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey) and ranked as a top 20 running back prospect in the nation. On3 ranked him as a high-tier 4-star prospect with a grade of 92.2 coming out of high school. His national ranking was 138, and he was the No. 16 running back in the country.

The puzzling absence of Jalen Berger

The former U.S. Army All-American was recently dismissed from the Badgers football program by Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst. The Badgers officially announced the move via social media and did not release further information on the freshman’s departure.

Berger played in just three of Wisconsin’s games — against Eastern Michigan, Notre Dame and Michigan. In those appearances, the running back totaled 24 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown.

All season long, Berger was waiting for an extended opportunity that never came. When asked about it publicly, he continually stated that he was simply waiting for his number to be called.

It wasn’t — and now it won’t be again for the Badgers. However, the reasons remain unclear, as Chryst elected to deflect instead of answering questions about Berger. The only thing that is certain is that the freshman won’t be playing for Wisconsin anymore. Berger is the third running back to leave Wisconsin since Aug. 31.