Tawee Walker’s Departure Sparks Chaos for the Badgers—Can They Recover?
The Badgers of Wisconsin are going through a tough time as are most teams currently but they are challenged on and off the pitch. After a rather poor 5-7 season that put an end to the best consecutive bowl participation record at 22 years, the program situation is worsened by a real talent deficit.
Despite the successes in recruiting transfers such as Neema Gordwin and now Dom Bragg, the list of the players who are leaving the team keeps growing. Up to the moment, minimum 23 players have withdrawn from the program, and some of them belong to high flyers.
Star running back Tawee walker puts his name forward for transfer portal.
The latest hit was the loss of its starting running back Tawee Walker as reported by On3 . In the 2024 season, Walker was involved in the Badgers scoring 10 touchdowns and proving to be an important part of Wisconsin rushing attack. This comes after the team was previously dealt a major blow by star cornerback Xavier Lucas and quarterback prospect Mabrey Mettauer.
Walker’s gone, and with him, young talent, Darrion Dupree is projected as a rookie running back. Although at the end of his last season, Dupree could only gain 317 rushing yards with one rushing touchdown this coming season will no doubt be the hardest for the team in terms of their running game without Walker. In 2024, overall, Wisconsin had only nineteen rushing touchdowns, and Walker contributed over fifty percent of that total.
Recent events paint a troubling picture for the Badgers:
Former Player Drops Hints: A previous team member raised prospects of possible open questions inside the program.
Key Losses Continue: Since then, the Badgers also lost Xavier Lucas and Mabrey Mettauer to injury.
Uncertainty Around Transfers: During his first year with the team Billy Edwards can hardly be considered as significant addition.
Wide Receiver Departures: Is Pauling and CJ Williams who are two of its important receivers, truly transfer gone?
Coaching Controversy: Supporters have complained about the team’s decision to give Jeff Grimes the position of the new offensive coordinator.
What’s Next for the Badgers?
The loyal fans of Wisconsin have started to be anxious given the movements the team had to make to reload while trying to repair the tarnished image. The pressure is now on head coach Luke Fickell. Of course, if he cannot do it in the near future, his position might become rather volatile.
Tawee Walker has left the show, and it is quite a blow and the show has met a crossroad. It is obvious that fans crave an England win, but with the overwhelming majority of fans waiting for the proof on the pitch. For now, Wisconsin football’s future remains up in the air and rebuilding will not simply be based on the promise of better days ahead, but on the ability to make tangible change.
