In the era of NIL and player empowerment, the transfer portal has become overwhelmed with players at season’s end. The Wisconsin football program is no exception, with one of their longtime starters entering the portal on Monday. Per The Athletic’s Jesse Temple, Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Chimere Dike will enter the transfer portal. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
#Badgers wide receiver Chimere Dike will enter the transfer portal and play elsewhere for his final year of eligibility.https://t.co/KoMTroZTnm pic.twitter.com/efZSdejXlm
— Badger247 (@Badger247) December 4, 2023
Dike will join a flooded transfer portal flush with high-end receiver talent. Former Vanderbilt star Will Sheppard, freshman Rico Flores Jr., and Purdue grad transfer TJ Sheffield, among others, headline the wideout talent via the transfer portal.
WR Chimere Dike: Tenure with Wisconsin Football
Dike joined the Wisconsin Badgers as a four-star prospect in 2020. He recorded 12 receptions, 189 yards, and one touchdown as a true freshman during the COVID-19-shortened season. Dike played in all 13 games as a sophomore, snagging 19 passes for 272 yards and a score. He also rushed three times for 19 yards. The six-foot-one wideout had a breakout campaign in 2022, catching a team-high 47 passes for 689 yards and six touchdowns.
His best performance came on the road in early October, tallying ten receptions for 185 yards and three scores in a road win over the Northwestern Wildcats. However, his numbers dipped in 2023, his first, and presumably last, under new head coach Luke Fickell. The Waukesha, Wisconsin native collected only 19 receptions for 328 yards and one score this season.
Wisconsin Football: Poor Inaugural Campaign for Luke Fickell
The Wisconsin Badgers finished the regular season at 7-5 while failing to place inside the College Football Playoff rankings at any point during the season for a second straight year. Additionally, the Badgers have just one double-digit winning season since 2018, a milestone they hit seven out of nine times from 2009-2017. Wisconsin brought in former Cincinnati Bearcats bench boss Luke Fickell and SMU gunslinger Tanner Mordecai for the 2023 season, but an injury to Mordecai quickly derailed their year. Wisco went 6-2 when Mordecai started and finished games, compared to 1-3 with him on the mend.
In early January, the Badgers will face the high-powered LSU Tigers in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Wisconsin currently sits as a double-digit underdog per Vegas. However, LSU’s Heisman-caliber quarterback status is worth monitoring, as Jayden Daniels could skip the game and prepare for the 2024 NFL draft.
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