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Wisconsin transfer defensive lineman Jamel Howard is withdrawing his name from the transfer portal and will return to the Badgers, according to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer.
Howard is the second Wisconsin scholarship player to do so, joining WR Trech Kekahuna. His return drops the number of Wisconsin transfer departures to 23 players (that including Xavier Lucas, who technically never entered the portal).
Related: Recapping Wisconsin football’s winter transfer portal movement
Howard rejoins Wisconsin with three years of eligibility remaining. He originally signed on with the program as a three-star recruit in the class of 2023, ranked as the No. 1,213 player in the class, No. 130 defensive lineman and No. 26 recruit from Illinois. He was one of the several Paul Chryst commits (June 2022) to recommit to the class after Luke Fickell’s hire.
His return is significant news for a defensive line position that saw significant transfer movement this offseason, both in and out. James Thompson Jr. and Curt Neal both transferred to Illinois, while the room added experienced transfers Parker Petersen (Tulane), Corey Walker (Western Michigan), Charles Perkins (UT-Martin) and Jay’Viar Suggs (LSU).
Howard slots back in as a depth option in the room, with a chance to win significant snaps after those veteran transfers graduate. He did not see the field on defense during his first two years with the program.
His return is also big news for Luke Fickell’s class of 2023, which had previously seen 12 of its 15 signees depart via the portal. Howard and Kekahuna’s respective returns drop that number down to 10. Those two are among five that remain, joined by linebackers Christian Alliegro and Tyler Jansey, and tight end Tucker Ashcraft.
For more on Wisconsin’s full transfer class and high-profile departures, check out our recap of…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/wisconsin-transfer-defensive-lineman-exit-171636437.html
Author : Badgers Wire
Publish date : 2025-01-23 17:16:00
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