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Meet Leyton Nelson, the Badgers’ first spring transfer commit

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Meet Leyton Nelson, the Badgers’ first spring transfer commit


Leyton Nelson experienced the wide-ranging emotions of entering the transfer portal this month, but he quickly found relief in Madison.

Nelson, who played at Vanderbilt the past two seasons, made the decision to move on from the SEC program and look for a new collegiate home.

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“Definitely stressful prior to entering the portal, because a big thing is you don’t want to be the one to almost be like, I guess, selfish in that moment,” Nelson said. “But once you enter that portal and you get a lot of followers, you hear from directors of player personnel, all the scouting and coaches, it’s a little bit of a sigh of relief, I guess.

“But also at the same time in the moments, there’s a lot going on. Like who do I focus on? How would I be able to shorten this list down to be the most beneficial to myself?”

His stay in the transfer portal was relatively brief. Nelson announced his commitment to Wisconsin on Monday.

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Here are five things to know about him upon his impending arrival to Madison.

Nelson’s initial recruiting process took him to the SEC

Nelson was a high three-star recruit in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. 247Sports composite rankings, whose algorithm computes ratings from the four major recruitng outlets, lists him as the No. 45 offensive tackle during that cycle.

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As a high school recruit, Nelson announced notable offers from Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Penn State, South Carolina, Southern Cal and Tennessee, among others, before signing with Vanderbilt.

What led Nelson to move on from Vanderbilt

Nelson participated in 12 games for the Commodores with the Badgers’ new offensive line coach, A.J. Blazek, as his position coach. The vast majority of that playing time came last season (11), and Vanderbilt’s profile of the Orlando native states he played 60 snaps in 2023. 

Nelson said he told the Vanderbilt staff about his intentions the Friday before the opening of the spring transfer portal window, which runs from April 16 through April 30.

 

“The big thing was just a level of trust between coaching,” Nelson said. “It’s a whole new offensive staff, and I didn’t really get that relationship piece from all of them. And the OC, I didn’t really have that many words with. I think that’s a huge thing for me, is the idea of relationships.”

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Why he committed to Wisconsin

Wisconsin director of recruiting Pat Lambert reached out, according to Nelson. The two had a prior connection when Lambert was part of Cincinnati’s staff that offered Nelson under Fickell. Contact from Blazek, his former position coach, soon followed.

Nelson and his mother were quickly in Madison for an official visit that started last Wednesday. He watched the April 18 spring practice and left that evening. 

The offensive line room, unsurprisingly, stood out the most during his visit.

“They know that they need help in the O-line room, and I think that’s a big one for me,” Nelson said. “And just getting to hang out with all the guys, young and old, I think was a good part to it, to see there’s some gaps to be filled with age also in the O-line room.”

It took less than a week for Nelson to announce his intentions to transfer to Wisconsin.

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“Coming to a program that the expectation of more than just winning, getting to a bowl game and just getting to those championship games is huge for me,” Nelson said. “Also, where O-line is a priority for the whole program, not just the offense itself. Like that’s known there, it’s not just talked about. That’s two big things … and then also just knowing coach Blaz as a prior relationship.”

How he was used at Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt listed Nelson at 6-foot-6 and 308 pounds on last season’s roster. He played a unique role within the’ offense where PFF gave him a 71.9 grade in run blocking.

“I played strong tackle at Vandy,” Nelson said. “That’s where we go to the strength of the formation, so I played left and right basically. It’s like an average of 50% both ways.”

Where could Nelson fit within Wisconsin’s offensive line?

The Badgers’ offensive line received some hits in its depth during the offsesaon. Tanor Bortolini, who versatility shined at Wisconsin, moved on to professional aspirations and now awaits where he could land in the 2024 NFL Draft later this week. 

Three players — Trey Wedig (Indiana), Dylan Barrett (Iowa State) and Nolan Rucci (Penn State) — entered the transfer portal and found new homes at Power Four schools. Barrett Nelson has suited up but not participated in any of the 11 spring practices through Tuesday.

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The lack of depth in this position group has affected Wisconsin during the spring. Blazek has given second-team reps to true freshmen early enrollees Kevin Heywood and Colin Cubberly. Cubberly has needed to play both within the interior and out at right tackle.

Leyton Nelson, along with 2024 signees Ryan Cory, Derek Jensen and Emerson Mandell, should provide more scholarship bodies to the position group overall once they arrive later this year.

“And then over at Wisconsin, coach Blaz said, ‘You just got to come in and basically fight for any spot, whatever we’re going through, and I’m not gonna guarantee you anything,’” Nelson said. “And I said, ‘Just be upfront with me. I’m going to come in ready to work swinging basically,’ because I don’t want to settle for second string at all. That’s not me.

“It could be anywhere. I can play interior, exterior (offensive line). Doesn’t matter to me.” 



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What time, TV channel is Johns Hopkins vs Wisconsin-River Falls game on today? Live stream, preview

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What time, TV channel is Johns Hopkins vs Wisconsin-River Falls game on today? Live stream, preview


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The Division III Championship Semifinals feature the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (12-1) facing off with the Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons (12-1) as they look for a chance to play for a title. Kickoff takes place on Saturday, December 20, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET (11 a.m. MST) with a live TV broadcast only with ESPN Plus.

You can watch Johns Hopkins vs. Wisconsin-River Falls football streaming live on ESPN+ (now called ESPN Select) today.

Is Johns Hopkins vs. Wisconsin-River Falls on TV today, or streaming only?

When: Saturday, December 20, at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET (11 a.m. MST).

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Where: David Smith Stadium at Ramer Field | River Falls, WI

TV channel: This game is not available on traditional broadcast TV, and is only streaming on ESPN’s live sports streaming platforms available on the ESPN App with one of the “ESPN Select” or “ESPN Unlimited” subscription plans. (This is the streaming service formerly known as ESPN Plus. Here’s a look at the breakdown of ESPN streaming plans, what they cost and include.)

Where to watch streaming live on TV, or online: You can watch a live stream of this game for less than $12 on ESPN Select (It’s just $11.99/month or $119.99/full year subscription, and you can cancel anytime. Just choose the “ESPN Select” plan in the drop down to sign up for the cheapest version of the service.).

  • The best deal: If you sign up for ESPN Unlimited ($29.99/month), you will get all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN+, ESPN on ABC, SEC Network+, ACC Network Now and ESPN3.
  • Get promo codes, signup deals, and free bets from our Oregon Betting News home page.



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Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, wildlife advocates react to delisting of the gray wolf

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Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, wildlife advocates react to delisting of the gray wolf


GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – The Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association is speaking out about the U.S. House passing the “Pet and Livestock Protection Act”.

“I’ll be honest, our cattlemen are pretty fed up. I mean, they have been dealing with this issue for a long time, so. I mean just really felt like we are finally making progress here. And that’s really exciting that we can help our producers deal with this issue,” says Brady Zuck, a cow-calf producer and the past president of the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association.

Brady Zuck, one of many livestock producers in Wisconsin, is responding to the U.S. House passing a bill to delist the gray wolf from the “Endangered Species Act”.

The population of gray wolves is increasing, and according to the Wisconsin DNR, from April 2024 to April 2025, there were 70 verified wolf conflicts with livestock.

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“That’s what’s been the most frustrating, is that we have producers locally here in northwest Wisconsin or your area by Green Bay that are dealing with this issue, and it’s all controlled in Washington, and we have people in our state that could make those management decisions, but their hands are tied,” says Zuck.

Supporters of the bill say non-lethal methods used to keep gray wolves away, such as strobe lights and music, are only short-term solutions.

“We’re asking, saying hey, if we’re having problems with wolves on farms, we need ways to effectively deal with that, that work,” says Zuck.

The Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance shared a statement from Thursday about the delisting, saying: “We are disgusted by this reckless abandonment of science-based wildlife management. However, our advocates showed up in extraordinary numbers against overwhelming odds, and their voices were heard. This organization and our supporters are not defeated.”

“As cattlemen, we never said we want to eliminate all wolves, we don’t want any wolves, we never said that. But we just need to make sure we have the tools in place that we can, you know, if we have wolves killing calves, we need a way to deal with it, right?” Zuck says.

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The bill still has to pass the Senate and reach the president’s desk before changes are made.



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Watch Live: Demolition of bridge between Iowa, Wisconsin

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Watch Live: Demolition of bridge between Iowa, Wisconsin


LANSING, Iowa (KCRG) – The Black Hawk Bridge, connecting Iowa and Wisconsin over the Mississippi River will come down Friday morning.

The Iowa DOT and Wisconsin DOT are partnering on the demolition, which is set for 9:30 am on Friday. You can watch the demolition live in this article when it happens.

The bridge has been closed since October with plans to construct a new bridge, planned to open in 2027.

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The Iowa DOT laid out safety plans for the demolition:

  • A zone around the bridge will be blocked off to protect people from debris.
  • The Lansing Ferry service will not run from 6:00 p.m. on December 18 to the morning of December 22.
  • Highway 26 will be closed from around 8:45 a.m. on December 19 and reopen around 30 minutes after the implosion. Detour signs will be posted.
  • The demolition zone will be closed to recreational boat traffic on December 18 and expected to reopen during the night of December 19.
  • No trains will run through Lansing for four hours on the morning of December 19.



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