Wisconsin Prep Transfer Report
As I’m sure many of our subscribers who college football already know, transfers and the transfer portal have been thrust into the spotlight of the recruiting landscape. Although much of the attention revolves around high-profile transfers in the P5 sphere…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs I’m sure many of our subscribers who college football already know, transfers and the transfer portal have been thrust into the spotlight of the recruiting landscape. Although much of the attention revolves around high-profile transfers in the P5 sphere of college football, I love to also track and record Wisconsin boys who transfer from FBS to FCS, FCS level to DII, DII to DIII, JUCO signings, the occasional transfer up a level, and everything in between. Now that we’re getting deeper into the summer and college rosters have to start filling out for the upcoming ’21 season I thought it was as good of a time as any to bring to our awesome readers some of my favorite transfers I’ve seen from the great state of Wisconsin lately. Thanks for reading!
Reis Jesko (Menomonee Falls) DL. 6′, 310 lbs. Transferred from Bemidji State to UW-La Crosse
Senior season film shows a NT that possesses a quick first step who can get hip to hip with ball-carriers if unblocked in a hurry and overwhelming strength for smaller blockers in 1 on 1 situations. His quickness also presented blockers with trouble and combined with his senior production of 50 tackles, 17 TFLs, and 8 sacks as a senior in 2019-20 he was a really promising DL prospect for the NSIC’s Bemidji State. However, after the fall season of 2020 was canceled Jesko elected to move closer to home and transferred to WIAC power UW-La Crosse. He’ll have four seasons of eligibility remaining, and I’m pumped to see the All-Conference and All-Region selection at the DIII level.
Joshua Kren (Wisconsin Lutheran) RB. 6′, 195 lbs. Transferred from St. Cloud State (rip) to Martin Luther College
Although this transfer happened a little bit ago, I only became aware of it thanks to the odd 2021 spring season for DIII athletics. With a lot of teams wanting to play and get some competition in this spring DIII, NAIA, and some DII programs traveled far and wide to play some untraditional opponents to make up for a canceled 2020-21 season, and I got to watch the Martin Luther Knights of the UMAC take on the Augsburg Auggies of the MIAC only a few months ago. My college team used to scrimmage Martin Luther in the preseason so this wasn’t my first introduction to the team, but it was definitely my first time seeing their RB Joshua Kren in action. I was kicking myself, however, as I spent a lot of time covering and trying to find homes for the St. Cloud State Huskies bouncebacks after the school cut its football team back in December of 2019, but it turns out he transferred to the UMAC heavyweight before the Huskies cut their team. No matter, as Kren made a great choice in continuing his football with the Knights, as he followed up a redshirt season in 2016 with SCSU by contributing in 11 games in 2017 at the DII level as a DB for SCSU before landing with Martin Luther, and in 2018 he rushed 97 times for 511 yards and 3 TDs. In 2019 he recorded 135 rushes for 1,077 yards and 14 TDs, and in this shortened spring season of 2021 he rushed 40 times for 301 yards and a TD. I hope he plays again in the fall of 2021 and uses that last year of eligibility, as the former All-Conference, All-Region, and All-State HM state champion brings a balanced skill-set to the position for the Knights.
Devon Krzanowski (Fond Du Lac) LB. 6’2, 235 lbs. Transferred up from St. Cloud State (rip) to North Dakota
Krzanowski is one of the rare instances of a college football athlete successfully transferring up a division, but when you really look into things there is actually somewhat of a pipeline of former NSIC athletes transferring up and going onto productive careers at the D1 level and the former Fondy standout and All-NSIC Second Team linebacker is an excellent example of that. The North Dakota Fighting Hawks were lethal in their recruitment of St. Cloud State’s finest once the program was cut and quickly swooped up the Wisconsin native along with his teammate and fellow Wisconsin native Adam Stage, and this spring we finally got to see those two in action at the D1 level. Krzanowski started at LB for the Hawks and quickly showed he fit in as he returned a fumble 36 yards in the opening game against SIU to go along with 5 tackles and a TFL. In 7 games during the 2021 spring season for UND, he totaled 51 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and an interception. He’ll be poised to only build on that this upcoming fall as well. Keep it up, stud!
Adam Stage (Kimberly) K. 5’9, 185 lbs. Transferred up from St. Cloud State (rip) to North Dakota
A former All-NSIC First Team as well as honorable mention pick as a kicker for the Huskies at the DII level, Stage joined fellow Wisconsinite Krzanowski in Grand Forks once SCSU cut its football team and took over as the starting kicker this spring for the FCS season. The Kimberly Papermaker ended up going 3-4 on FGs with a long of 46 and also handled kickoff duties for the Fighting Hawks for four of the seven contests this season. He was also the PAT kicker for all seven games and went 26-29.
Nathan Seward (Madison LaFolette/North Dakota State College of Science) DB. Transferred from Minnesota to Arkansas-Pine Bluff
A Madison native and former #JUCOPRODUCT who played two years of ball in Whapeton, ND for NDSCS – where he totaled 7 interceptions and 12 PBUs to go along with 3 tackles a game as a sophomore DB to earn NJCAA All-American HM status. This success led to him signing with the University of Minnesota as a PWO and played with the Gophers this past fall but did not see any game action, which most likely led to him entering his name in the transfer portal and eventually signing with the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff at the FCS level. In some of the high school film I found of the La Folette graduate he looked long and physical, with the ability to play press-man on the outside as CB or play in the box as a safety. He also was strong in run support and could beat up WRs at the LOS in coverage or when defeating blocks. His JUCO film is even better, as he is once again tough to beat when jamming receivers and can operate in a zone coverage scheme. I think he has the physical abilities to succeed at the FCS level and I’m excited to follow how he performs in Arkansas.
Connor Grohman (Muskego) QB. 6’1, 199 lbs. Put his name in the transfer portal from Ball State and remains unsigned
The Muskego product brought a prestigious resume to Munchie, Indiana and the defending MAC champs Ball State, as he helped the Warriors to a 28-0 record over his junior and senior seasons and two state championships on the gridiron not to mention a state baseball title as a junior and earned All-Conference HM and Team MVP selections as a senior after throwing for 10 TDs, rushing for 4, and leading the conference in completion percentage. He accepted a PWO to play at Ball State but entered his name in the transfer portal this May and hasn’t reported any interest or offers since then and remains unsigned. His high school senior film displays a poised and mobile QB prospect who made a majority of his throws on the run and out to his left but showed some good touch on his deep balls. I liked his accuracy as well from what I saw and it isn’t a surprise to hear he led his conference in completion percentage. I hope he finds a new home soon!
Caleb Wright (Brookfield East) DE. 6’3, 255 lbs. Transferred from Northern Illinois to Northern Michigan
A 2x All-Conference and All-Area selection as a prep who was also named All-State HM as a senior in 2017, Wright was a 3-year starter and helped the Spartans to a conference championship as well as two third-round state playoff appearances. He totaled 63 tackles, two FF, and two PBUs as a sophomore, 88 tackles as a junior, and 51 tackles with a forced fumble and two PBUs as a senior and signed with the FBS Huskies over offers from South Dakota State, South Dakota, and Western Illinois. On tape as a senior he looks like a really strong edge defender with solid bend, quickness, and the strength to blow up blockers when in a 1 on 1 situation. Also showed the athleticism to contribute as a RB and looked like a force as a ball-carrier and not a fun RB to tackle. He also used his hands well and forcefully and has some good film that backed up his awards list as a prep, and after entering his name in the transfer portal in January he signed with DII Northern Michigan and makes for a really exciting commit for the ‘Cats who has three years of eligibility remaining. Keep an eye out for him in Marquette, Michigan!
Calvin Knapp (Germantown) OL. 6’4, 265 lbs. Transferred from Southwest MN State to Iowa Western and signed with Utah State
Another former NSIC product who is now set to play D1 football, Knapp was a 2018 graduate of Germantown who led the conference in sacks as a senior with 8.5 and was named Second Team All-Conference for his efforts. He signed with Southwest Minnesota State as a DL and redshirted 2018 before playing in 9 games in 2019 and recording 17 tackles and 1.5 TFLs, while also representing the Mustangs Track and Field team. With the 2020 season being canceled for the Northern Sun he transferred to JUCO powerhouse Iowa Western where he eventually earned offers from Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Western Carolina, Abilene Christian, Missouri State, Wofford, Southeast Missouri, Louisiana-Monroe, Western Illinois, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Tennessee-Martin, and Utah State – who he ultimately signed with to play FBS football. What a ride for Mr. Knapp! His senior year of high school film shows a standup OLB who also plays DE with his hand in the dirt who moves really well in space and plays with good instincts and a good first step off the football. He also plays with great balance, and after watching his prep tape it’s no wonder why a couple of FBS schools thought he had the athleticism to play OL for their teams.
Jager Clark (Racine Horlick) DB. 5’10, 195 lbs. Entered his name in the transfer portal from Minnesota State University-Moorhead
The all-time leading tackler in Horlick history with 359 tackles (!) was a 2x All-Region, 3x All-Conference, 3x All-County, Team MVP, and team captain as a LB in high school and signed with DII NSIC competitor MSU-Moorhead after his prolific prep career concluded in 2018-19. On tape, he was all over the field as a RB and LB and made plays no matter what position he was in. With a strong lower body and some good instincts, he was consistently able to either shed tackles as a RB or meet ball-carriers/run them down on defense for minimal games. He was very strong in the hole at the point of contact and tackles with good technique and uses that strong lower body to run through block attempts and maintain his balance. He was moved to DB with the Dragons and contributed on special teams and depth in the DB room for MSUM, but entered his name in the transfer portal on May 15th and hasn’t reported any interest or offers since then. I hope WIAC schools are in contact with the former Wisconsin prep standout and he finds a home to play football at next season.
Jaylen Carter (Germantown) RB. 6′, 210 lbs. Entered his name in the transfer portal from Southwest Minnesota State
A three-sport standout at Germantown who competed in football, basketball, and track and was named a First Team All-Conference honoree on the gridiron after rushing for 1,210 yards and 14 TDs as a senior and ranking himself second in the conference in both yards and TDs. He also was named All-State honorable mention for his efforts and committed to Southwest Minnesota State in 2018. After a redshirt season in ’18 and a 2019 season that saw no game action, he entered his name in the transfer portal on May 10th and hasn’t reported any ensuing interest or offers. He’s another recruit that WIAC schools should be in contact with, as his senior film displays a good combination of speed and size who returned kicks and made a difference in the passing game out of the backfield as well. He was able to run through weaker tackle attempts and could capitalize when he sees daylight. Someone hit him up!
Logan Graetz (River Falls) QB. 6’4, 213 lbs. Transferred from North Dakota State to Minnesota-Duluth
A 2019 graduate of River Falls High School, Graetz was one of the most prolific passers his senior year in Wisconsin and went 126-181 passing for 2,129 yards and 32 TDs compared to just four interceptions which led him to being named the conference offensive player of the year and setting school records for passing yards and touchdowns. He also helped lead the Wildcats to a 9-2 record and the program’s first conference title in 12 years to go along with All-Region and WI All-Star game selections. The 6’4 stud was also a standout hockey and track & field participant and earned offers from UMD, MSU-Mankato, Minnesota (PWO), North Dakota, and NDSU, where he eventually signed. He redshirted in 2019 and put his name in the transfer portal on May 3rd and announced he was signing with Minnesota-Duluth on June 8th, who was his first college football offer as a prep. His senior year highlights are exciting, as his high release point and quick release overall threw a really pretty ball that accuracy and touch on deeper and intermediate throws. He also showed good footwork in the pocket who looked like he had great command of the offense and could read and react to defenses and coverage schemes. The UMD QB room is now loaded with Wisconsin talent and he’ll be competing for snaps on day one.
Brett Boram (Menomonee Falls) LB. Transferred from Northwest Missouri State to Winona State
A 2x All-Conference selection and First Team All-Region and All-State HM pick as a senior who was named a finalist for the top LB in Wisconsin, Boram was also a standout fullback and was a three-year starter who finished his prep career with 22 sacks and 50 TFLs and helped lead the Indians to the third round of the 2019 state playoffs. He signed with DII perennial contender Northwest Missouri State as a senior but did not see any action in 2020 and announced his transfer back closer to home to NSIC power Winona State University. His senior highlights show off a two-way standout who played with a ton of physicality and was especially dangerous as a LB, where he could play sideline-to-sideline and showed a ton of twitch beating blockers and shooting gaps at the LOS. He mauled attempted blockers and was very impressive at the point of contact and also displayed the ability to blitz as a LB, as well as level defenders and bust out some long runs from the FB position. His senior tape is a great watch and I think he’s going to find some on-field success sooner rather than later for the Warriors.
Nate Valcarcel (Whitnall) S. 6’1, 190 lbs. Transferred from South Dakota to Northern Illinois
I heard on some good authority that Valcarcel was a definite Wisconsin FBS talent out of high school who was named First Team All-State, All-Region, and a two-way All-Conference honoree who rushed for 1,784 yards and 28 TDs and tallied 64 tackles on defense as a senior. He signed with South Dakota and after playing the 2020 season with the ‘Yotes he entered his name in the transfer portal on April 12th and signed with NIU on April 20th. This kid is an explosive playmaker on both sides of the football who showed great range in the defensive backfield and some impressive open-field tackling ability from the safety position who could lay the boom when given the opportunity. There’s a lot of athleticism on tape and I think he’ll fit in just fine at the FBS level.
Keonte Schad (Madison East/Ellsworth CC) DT. 6’3, 295 lbs. Transferred from Minnesota to Oregon State
The Madison native has now made a few stops in his college football career after transferring from the B1G to the Pac12 seeking more playing time and will finish his career out with the Beavers of Oregon State. He concluded his prep career with 46 tackles, 12 TFLs, 3 sacks, 2 FRs, 1 FF, and a rushing TD while also playing some QB for the Purgolders. He was named to the Wisconsin Large School All-Star game, was named All-Region, All-Conference, and All-City as well as the team Defensive Player of the Year. He signed to become a #JUCOPROUDCT at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa and as a sophomore was named an ICCAC All-Region and All-Conference teams after recording 23 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, and 2 FRs. As a freshman at Ellsworth he tallied 48 tackles, 12 TFLs, one sack, and 2 FRs and was rated a Top-20 JUCO player before signing to play P5 football for Minnesota. He recorded 29 tackles and 2.5 TFLs in two seasons with the Golden Gophers and has one year of eligibility remaining for Oregon State.