Wisconsin Football Loses Battle for Top Transfer Portal Target to SEC Program

The Wisconsin football program missed out on a top transfer portal target to an SEC program. 

Grand Valley State transfer DL Jay’Viar Suggs took to social media to announce his commitment to LSU on Wednesday night. 

The Michigan native will have two seasons of eligibility remaining with the Tigers. 

Suggs listed Wisconsin football in his top six a little over a week ago, alongside Michigan, Florida State, USC, Kentucky, and Arkansas. A few days later, after receiving an offer from LSU, he cut his list down to four and listed the Tigers with UW, Michigan, and Kentucky.

UW had a lot going for them in this recruitment. Suggs has a connection with Badgers cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean from their time together at Grand Valley State from 2021-2022. He also had a connection to outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell, who was the head coach at GVSU before joining Luke Fickell in Madison.

In his junior season at GVSU, Suggs posted 21 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, four pass deflections, and a forced fumble. He was rated as the No. 72 defensive lineman available in the transfer portal. 

Wisconsin is still in search of some defensive line help in the transfer portal as they look to fill out a room that lost Rodas Johnson, Gio Paez, and Darian Varner to the portal after the 2023 season.

A name to monitor going forward is Wyoming transfer Gavin Meyer, a Franklin, Wisconsin native whom the Badgers have been competing for alongside Illinois, USC, and Cal. 

The Wisconsin football program has landed three commitments in the spring transfer window from Leyton Nelson, Joey Okla, and Joseph Griffin Jr.