The Wisconsin Badgers football team has lost a veteran defensive leader both on the field and in the locker room to the transfer portal.
Defensive end Curtis Neal has announced that he will place his name in the transfer portal for his remaining eligibility in college football. Neal did not necessarily have the greatest career with the Wisconsin Badgers, but he was remembered as both a fan favorite and also somebody who consistently gave his all both on and off the field for the team.
The Wisconsin staff might not lose a ton of production on the field with the transfer, but they will certainly lose a presence in the locker room along with somebody who is a leader to many of the other players on the team. The defensive end finished the season with 29 total tackles and just half of a sack which was overall and underwhelming season for the player.
Neal finished his career with the Wisconsin Badgers with an underwhelming total of just 45 tackles which consisted of 21 solo tackles, and 24 assisted tackles along with a half a sack for his entire career. While Neal had an underwhelming career with Wisconsin, the defensive end was a part of a defense that as a whole also struggled with creating pressure upfront.
Neal is certainly one of the players responsible for struggling to create pressure upfront on the Wisconsin defense, however, it is also a team sport. When other players create pressure, in turn it becomes makes easier for Neal to do so. The defensive end could very well thrive in a different defensive scheme or unit moving forward.
Wisconsin Badgers Reach Six Players Inside of the Transfer Portal After Curtis Neal Enters
On the field, Neal might not be the biggest loss due to his statistics, however, the defensive end is a tough loss in both the locker room, and also on the sideline as many players looked up to Neal, and he was also a fan, favorite.
The defensive end is now the six transfer portal entry for the Wisconsin Badgers. Neal will join Cole Lacrue, Leon Lowry, Jonas Duclona, Amare Snowden, and Justin Taylor in the transfer portal for the Badgers. However, the additions to the transfer portal will likely continue throughout the week as this is seemingly just the tip of the iceberg for Wisconsin moving forward.
On the bright side, though, Wisconsin is also likely going to add more players during this time as players are exiting the program. Among the positions in the transfer portal that Wisconsin is going to take a serious look at are quarterback, defensive end and tackle, cornerback, safety, and potentially the linebacker room as well.
Realistically, every position is up for grabs for Wisconsin as the team, and to become a better unit overall not just in one specific area of play.
The real question moving forward for the Wisconsin Badgers is not going to be how many players leave, but which players leave as new and exciting NIL opportunities continue to open up outside of Madison for some players.
The college football transfer portal officially opens on December 9 which means on that date many players will begin to commit to new programs out of the portal and also many players will begin to visit other programs. The portal window will close on December 28 but technically will remain open for players with special waivers and also players who are on teams that made it into bowl games or the playoff.
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