Jim Leonhard: Badgers 'need to know who is in/out' regarding transfer status moving forward
Jim Leonhard wants his players to be fully committed to Wisconsin or go ahead and make a move.
On Monday afternoon, Leonhard addressed the growing concern of players leaving and going into the NCAA transfer portal since Paul Chryst was fired recently.
Leonhard wants the team to want to be there for the Badgers and if they don’t then they probably will transfer.
#Badgers Jim Leonhard told team last week: "We need to know who is in/out. Make it clear." You will see guys who aren't in deciding to transfer out. Talked to some players today about that message. Will write about it later in the week.
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) October 17, 2022
The Badgers have lost a group of players to the transfer portal in the past two weeks. Two of those players have come from the wide receiver room.
Wide receiver Markus Allen announced his decision to leave the program on Sunday night, Oct. 16. Allen, a redshirt freshman, was a prospect in Wisconsin’s 2021 recruiting class.
Quarterback Deacon Hill made the announcement to transfer on Oct. 9 and offensive lineman Logan Brown on Oct. 12, before being dismissed from the team.
As one player put it, the Badgers are “still going to love you” regardless of the decision. But right now, it’s important that Wisconsin has players that are 100% bought into the direction of the program.
One #Badgers player, sympathetic to anyone who opts to hit the portal: “My message is: If you’re in, you’re in. If you’re out, get out and then move forward. Still going to love you. Still going to care for you. But what this team needs right now is 100% buy-in.” https://t.co/bsMWgjAVGY
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) October 17, 2022
For Wisconsin, there have been updated transfer rules after Paul Cryst was fired, allowing players to enter the portal through Nov. 1.
So, we will see how well this UW team does moving forward despite the transfer hiccups.