How Wisconsin Transfers Fared During the 2025 Season
How did Wisconsin players who transferred out of the program fare with their new teams during the 2025 season? Badger Blitz takes a look at how the former Badgers performed this past fall…
Xavier Lucas – Miami (FL)
Lucas was a tough loss for Wisconsin. After just one season with the Badgers, Lucas returned home to Miami, who UW had beaten the first time around in a heated recruiting battle. Lucas had 35.0 tackles and an interception during his sophomore season with the Hurricanes.
Drew Evans – Indiana
A former walk-on at Wisconsin, Evans followed Bob Bostad to Indiana. Evans is now a starter for the top-ranked Hoosiers. The Fort Atkinson native tallied nearly 600 total snaps this season. Per Pro Football Focus, Evans earned a 74.1 overall grade, including a stellar 84.5 pass blocking mark.
Tanner Koziol – Houston
Koziol never even made it through a spring at Wisconsin before bolting to Houston. As a senior, Koziol had a huge season for the Cougars, catching 65 passes for 651 yards and five touchdowns. Koziol had a season-high seven receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown against Arizona State.
C.J. Williams – Stanford
Williams didn’t do much for Wisconsin in two seasons, but found his groove with Stanford as a senior. The former five-star recruit had a career year, going for 59 receptions for 749 yards and six touchdowns. Williams had four 100-yard receiving efforts with the Cardinal. In a win over San Jose State, Williams had 11 receptions for 130 yards.
TJ Bollers – California
Bollers just wrapped up his second season with California. The former four-star prospect had his best season yet, recording 40.0 tackles at defensive end. Bollers appeared in 24 games for the Bears over the last two seasons, finishing with 63.0 stops, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and two pass breakups.
Skyler Bell – UConn
Bell had a monster year for the Huskies. As a senior, Bell caught 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns. Since leaving Wisconsin, Bell has racked up 152 receptions for over 2,000 yards and 18 scores. Bell had seven 100-yard receiving efforts in 2025 and a three-touchdown performance against UAB.
Dylan Barrett – Iowa State
Barrett was a reserve during his time for Wisconsin, but emerged as a starter for Iowa State. Barrett started all 12 games for the Cyclones at guard this season. He also started eight games during the 2024 campaign.
Julius Davis – Montana State
Davis and Montana State are still in the FCS playoffs. To this point, Davis has run for 1,044 yards and eight touchdowns on 151 carries. In three seasons with the Bobcats, Davis has rushed for over 2,000 yards with 17 scores on the ground.
Jalen Berger – UCLA
Berger bounced around the Big Ten. After just two years at Wisconsin, Berger transferred to Michigan State. He’s spent the last two seasons with UCLA. In his senior season with the Bruins, Berger tallied 364 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Nolan Rucci – Penn State
Rucci started all 12 games for the Nittany Lions as a senior. According to Pro Football Focus, Rucci earned a 73.5 overall grade in 2025.
Others
Anelu Lafaele (Michigan State) – Had 7.0 tackles and 2.0 sacks in five games for the Spartans.
Jonas Duclona (South Florida) – Posted 33.0 tackles, 3.0 for loss, one interception, and four pass breakups in 12 games as a junior.
Derek Jensen (Iowa State) – Did not appear in any games for the Cyclones in 2025
Tawee Walker (Cincinnati) – Ran for 709 yards and four touchdowns on 120 carries for the Bearcats.
Braedyn Locke (Arizona) – Appeared in three games for the Wildcats as a reserve. Threw for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Jay Harper (Louisiana-Monroe) – Saw action in eight games. Finished with 4.0 tackles in reserve duty.
Justin Taylor (Wyoming) – Had 19.0 tackles and an interception for the Cowboys.
Quincy Burroughs (Western Kentucky) – Recorded eight receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown as a junior.
Mark Hamper (California) – Caught 17 passes for 202 yards as a sophomore.
Tyler Van Dyke (SMU) – Did not see action for the Mustangs in 2025.
Braedyn Moore (Toledo) – Had 6.0 tackles in 12 games for the Rockets.
Tommy McIntosh (Central Michigan) – Caught 27 passes for 401 yards and three touchdowns as a junior.
Nick Evers (UConn) – Played in just two games for the Huskies. Threw for 105 yards and a touchdown in reserve duty.
AJ Tisdell (Incarnat Ward) – Had 5.0 tackles during the 2025 season as a reserve.
Mike Jarvis (Liberty) – Posted 25.0 tackles, including 3.0 for loss as a senior.
Aidan Vaughan (Liberty) – Had 16.0 tackles for the Flames as a junior.
Keontez Lewis (Oklahoma) – Suffered a season-ending injury in October. Prior to that, Lewis had 20 catches for 238 yards and two scores.
Myles Burkett (Eastern Kentucky) – Burkett completed 54.5 percent of his passes for 1,473 yards and eight touchdowns to nine interceptions.
A’Khoury Lyde (Delaware) – Lyde had 14.0 tackles for the Blue Hens in 2025.
Avyonne Jones (Coastal Carolina) – Posted 45.0 tackles and an interception during his junior season.
Antwan Roberts (Marshall) – Roberts went for 512 yards and four touchdowns on 90 carries in 2025. He has since entered the transfer portal.
Riley Nowakowski (Indiana) – Nowakowski was an unsung hero for the Hoosiers en route to their Big Ten Championship. In addition to his blocking, Nowakowski caught 25 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns
