The water is rising fast around Luke Fickell. Wisconsin stumbled to 5-7 in 2024, then sank further to 4-8 last season. Right now, Fickell’s only lifeline is winning the program’s trust. The Badgers’ head coach went on a desperate search this transfer portal window to build a strong roster.
“I don’t know if they spent the most, but certainly Wisconsin surprised some people,” the ACC source told On3. “They told at least four or five kids we were involved with that, ‘Just give us a chance, we will be your highest number.”
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On3’s Pete Nakos identified the top spenders in the transfer portal. While the LSU Tigers’ new head coach, Lane Kiffin, went full throttle, Fickell, too, earned the spotlight with his efforts. As per On3’s 2026 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings, Fickell’s program stands at No.15, above programs like Ole Miss and Tennessee. Unlike most of the programs on the list, the Badgers have landed more players from the portal than they have lost.
Fickell’s desperate move helped them land 33 players, while 23 from Wisconsin chose to test the waters elsewhere. Executing this plan required a massive behind-the-scenes effort, wooing almost three dozen players from different teams to Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Badgers Vs Purdue BoilermakersWisconsin Badgers cornerback Xavier Lucas #6 sends Purdue running back Devin Mockobee #45 airborne at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, on October 5, 2024. (Photo by Ross Harried/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The director of football administration for Fickell’s program, Monique Felix, laid out the multi-layered, behind-the-scenes process. During the January grind, counting hours no longer made sense to her. The work ran until it was done.
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“But I think this kind of a job in a season where even if you’re not in the office, or I have a workstation at home, it’s kind of 24/7 being on call,” Felix said. “I got texts (at) 9, 10, even 11 o’clock at night about different transfers who are coming in the next morning as they were finalizing schedules.”
While the transfer portal window is crucial, the actual work starts way before it. Before Fickell green-lighted an official visit, transcripts had to clear the desk. Felix said those came from staff, from the Wisconsin director of on-campus recruiting, Taylor Ewald, or straight from the NCAA Eligibility Center. Fickell emphasized that this collective effort was crucial for success.
“If you can’t find a way to come together as a team, then you’re going to struggle, no matter how much talent you have,” said Fickell. “And so that kind of was the start of Tuesday, of saying, ‘Hey, everybody had a choice. Everybody chose to be here, to be Wisconsin Badgers.’”
QB Tyler Van Dyke, RB Chez Mellusi, and LB Jake Chaney suffered injuries, which didn’t bode well either. The teamwork paid off as Fickell and his team signed six players who were consensus four-star recruits coming out of high school. Some of them are wide receiver Malachi Coleman, offensive lineman Lucas Simmons, and cornerback Bryce West, among others.
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Fickell’s move is reminiscent of Scott Frost’s desperate final seasons at Nebraska back in 2022. He was standing on slippery ground, 15-29 in four years. However, the move did not save Frost’s job, as Nebraska fired him in September of the same year. The move echoes Scott Frost’s failed attempt to save his job at Nebraska, raising the stakes for Fickell’s own future.
Luke Fickell invites a pressure situation for himself
Extensions rolled in across college football as Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti extended their contracts. However, Fickell took a different route. The Wisconsin head coach asked not to receive the standard one-year bump from the athletic board. Instead, he let improved results in 2026 do the talking.
Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh told ESPN that Fickell personally asked that an extension be kept off the table. Fickell already picked up one-year add-ons in 2023 and 2024, with his deal now locked in through March 2032. If the college tries a different approach, the buyout clause would be massive.
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“I respect his request and remain determined that the current terms of Luke’s contract will be maintained,” McIntosh said in the statement. “Luke is completely focused on a successful 2026 campaign. There is no one more competitive than Luke, and he holds himself to the highest standards.”
As Fickell chooses the prove-it path, he brought in a solid player to fix the porous run defense. He got Javan Robinson, a workhorse in the secondary who earned an elite 84.4 tackling grade from PFF. The dual-threat quarterback proved to be a rushing weapon, totaling 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Will this transfer haul be enough to keep Luke Fickell afloat, or did he bite off more than he can chew?
