Wisconsin Badgers Land Proven Defender With 2 Years Remaining

The Wisconsin Badgers have landed a highly coveted player from the transfer portal. With the ongoing debate of how best to build a roster, whether through mostly recruiting, or focusing on transfers, Wisconsin has elected to fill another roster spot with a transfer player from a power five school who had multiple offers.

Wisconsin Badgers Win Over Linebacker Recruit

The former Syracuse player, having recently entered the transfer portal with the firing of former head coach Dino Babers, did not take long to announce the Wisconsin Badgers as his new landing destination. Sunday evening, Leon Lowery Jr. announced his decision on X in a post.

Badgers fans stand up!!!!!!! #committed @BadgerFootball

This announcement came despite having interest and offers from an impressive list of schools. Some of the interested programs included; Oregon State, Baylor, California, Georgia Tech, and Houston. Despite having visits to other programs, after a weekend visit to Madison, the coaching staff had done enough for Lowery to be convinced to call Wisconsin home for the remainder of his college career.

The hard hitting, versatile defender, with a huge motor will be a nice asset for Luke Fickell to utilize on defense in the new Big Ten next year for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Prior To Joining The Wisconsin Badgers

From Elizabeth, New Jersey, Lowery has been a member of the Syracuse football program for four years. As a  true freshman, he played limited snaps during the Covid year. This followed with a second limited year that allowed him to redshirt, preserving a year of eligibility.

As a redshirt freshman, his third year, he played more. As a redshirt freshman he saw a significant uptick in snaps in a reserve roll. But it was during this offseason, prior to the 2023 season that he had showed great improvement and then played as the starting weakside linebacker for the Syracuse Orange defense. It is the time and dedication spent in the offseason that allowed Lowery to earn a starting position on a power five defense. This showing also enabled him to be as highly sought after as he was in the transfer portal.

Wisconsin Badgers Grit And Work Ethic

While not receiving as much playing time as he probably wanted to prior to his redshirt sophomore year he worked relentlessly with a renewed dedication. Arriving in camp with a noticeable improved physique he weighed in at 215 lbs in 2022, but in 2023 he bulked up to 239 lbs. His willingness to back up his desire with tangible action is what impressed the staff the most.

Dino Babers rewarded Lowery with a single digit jersey number midway through the season, an honor reserved normally just for hardworking starters in the program. With someone with Leroys’ skillset, approach, and attitude, it was a no brainer for the Wisconsin badgers to pursue him once he was made available in the transfer portal.

Frequently Asked Questions