This time of the year, plenty of college football players across the country are getting ready for the end of the season, while others are already looking ahead to 2025. We’re of course referencing the transfer portal, with things set to officially open up next month.

Wisconsin, just like every season, is expected to lose some players who will be looking for playing time elsewhere. Such will be the case for redshirt-freshman quarterback Cole LaCrue. A former 3-star signee from the 2023 class, LaCrue is buried on the depth chart. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, LaCrue will enter the portal. He has four years of eligibility left available to him:

LaCrue deciding to head elsewhere isn’t a stunner whatsoever. When QB Tyler Van Dike went down with his torn ACL, Braedyn Locke stepped in as the team’s new starting quarterback. Behind him is freshman Mabrey Mettauer, a four-star signee from last year’s recruiting class.

LaCrue was never going to see playing time for the Badgers this season. Not only that, but Wisconsin is among the finalists for four-star 2025 quarterback Carter Smith, an elite signal-caller who recently backed off his pledge from Michigan.

According to 247’s Evan Flood, Smith is down to Wisconsin and Florida State. He’s taking an official visit to Tallahassee later this month, with a decision coming leading up to the Early Signing Period, which starts on Dec. 4. The Badgers appear to be in a great spot to potentially land Smith’s services.

Should he end up signing to play for Fickell and Co., it’s only going to make the QBs room even more crowded in Wisconsin and LaCrue will fall down further on the depth chart. Once the portal opens up, he’ll start looking for a new place to call home for next season. When he signed with Wisconsin, he did so over other offers from Colorado, Central Michigan, Northern Colorado, South Dakota and Tulane.