Wisconsin Badgers’ transfer portal struggles get highlighted as WR CJ Williams finds a prestigious home

The Wisconsin Badgers have reportedly lost wide receiver C.J. Williams to the transfer portal. On3's Transfer Portal X account carried a post on Friday that relied on a Pete Nakos report to convey that Williams had signed with Stanford Cardinal. If true, the wide receiver joins several notable players who have transferred out of coach Luke Fickell's team.

Williams's departure would mark the second time he has transferred. He played for the USC Trojans in 2022 before joining Wisconsin the following year. This season, he had the fourth-most receiving yards, with 16 receptions for 248 yards and two touchdowns.

One of his best games this season was Wisconsin's (5-7, 3-6 Big Ten) 23-17 victory over the South Dakota Coyotes (11-3, 7-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) in Week 2 on Sep. 7. He led the team in receiving yards with two receptions for 53 yards and one touchdown. If he plays for the Cardinals, he will look to grab a central role in the team's offense.

Stanford (3-9, 2-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) ended the season as one of the worst second worst teams in their conference. The team will be without wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, who announced via X on Dec. 20 that he planned to enter the 2025 NFL draft.

Ayomanor led the Cardinals this season in receiving yards with 63 receptions for 831 yards and six touchdowns. The acquisition of Williams will allow Stanford to have an experienced wide receiver who can replace the NFL draft prospect.

For Wisconsin, letting their wide receiver transfer leave adds to the concerns about the team's status heading into next year.

Wisconsin loses ten players to the transfer portal

The Badgers are coming off their worst season since 2001, when they finished with a 5-7 record. Fickell's team ended the regular season on a five-game losing streak. Their last defeat was a blowout 24-7 loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) in Week 14 on Nov. 29.

Ten players have joined new teams after the transfer portal opened on Dec. 9. One of the significant departures was starting quarterback Braedyn Locke, who announced on X on Thursday that he would play for the Arizona Wildcats next season.

Other Wisconsin players, like quarterback Tyler Van Dyke have announced they are in the transfer portal but have yet to commit to a new program. Fickell's team has made efforts to sign players from other teams. So far, they have recruited 14 new members to the roster from the transfer portal and could sign more before it ends on Saturday.

The departure of key players could impact the team's chances of having a better record next year.