Connect with us

Wisconsin

Meet Leyton Nelson, the Badgers’ first spring transfer commit

Published

2 years ago

on

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.

Advertisement

“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.

People are also reading…

Advertisement

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

4 observations from Wisconsin football’s 11th spring practice

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.

Advertisement

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.”

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

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.” 



Source link

Advertisement
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Wisconsin

School debt repayment should be a priority, not deferred | Opinion

Published

3 hours ago

on

February 21, 2026

By

School debt repayment should be a priority, not deferred | Opinion


Debt is not inherently irresponsible. Schools need safe, functional facilities. But when debt becomes permanent, it stops being a tool and starts being a constraint.

Will Flanders
 |  Special to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Advertisement
play

Each year, Wisconsin property taxpayers contribute more than $6.5 billion in local school levies. Those dollars are commonly understood to support classrooms, teachers and student services. In reality, a large — and growing — portion is diverted to debt service, a non-negotiable financial obligation before a single classroom dollar is spent.

In fact, the debt-service share of the local levy continues to grow, not because students are receiving more, but because past borrowing decisions increasingly dictate today’s budgets. Fortunately, at least one school district is showing that a debt free future is possible.

Statewide, nearly 18% of all local school levies — about $1.18 billion each year — are used to service debt. In practical terms, almost one out of every five local school tax dollars is unavailable for instruction or student support because it has already been committed elsewhere. Unfortunately, long-term debt has become a routine feature of school finance rather than an exception.

Advertisement

Looking at debt on a per-student basis makes the impact clearer. Across Wisconsin, districts levy an average of $1,483 per student each year simply to service existing debt. In districts that carry any debt at all — roughly 85% of districts statewide —that figure rises to $1,550 per student, before any money is spent in a classroom.

Opinion: It’s time MPS stops funding buildings instead of children

At the same time, Wisconsin is experiencing sustained enrollment decline, and while per-pupil revenue limits may decline with enrollment, existing district debt does not shrink when enrollment falls. The obligation stays fixed, and the burden shifts. Even if no new debt is added, fewer students are left to carry the same costs.

Over a ten-year period, a 1.5% statewide enrollment decline — far slower than the actual current rate of decline — would result in a 16% increase in per-student burden without a single new referendum, project, or improvement.

Advertisement

Debt-free school districts are rare

Against that backdrop, debt-free districts have become rare — especially among larger systems. Among the 100 largest school districts in Wisconsin, only four operate without any debt service levies. When the Waukesha School District retires its final obligations on April 1, 2026, it will be the largest debt-free school district in the state — by a lot.

Serving 10,600 students, Waukesha will be more than 6,000 students larger than the next-largest debt-free district. The next few —Tomah (67th), followed by Merrill Area (92nd) and Arrowhead (98th) — sit near the bottom of the top-100 by enrollment or just beyond it. No other district operating at Waukesha’s scale is debt-free.

That matters. It shows that operating without long-term debt is not a function of being small or rural. It is a function of choices: how projects are scoped, how debt is structured and whether repayment is treated as a priority rather than deferred indefinitely.

Homeowners shocked by schools’ part of tax bills

While many homeowners have been shocked to see the school portions of their property tax bills increase exponentially in recent years, Waukesha’s has declined, on average, with fluctuations that reflect the year-to-year complexity of the funding formula.

Advertisement

The school tax levy increased by 2.25% this past year because of shifts in state aid allocation beyond the district’s control, including millions more going to Milwaukee for passing it’s own massive referendum. While the board could have taken steps to keep the levy flat, instead, they followed through to retire debt and recognized a 26% savings on total borrowing costs ($1.5M less than the anticipated $6 million 10-year repayment).

Meanwhile, referenda themselves have become routine. Last year, dozens of operating and capital referenda passed across Wisconsin. This spring’s ballot again includes districts seeking additional authority — often not for discrete, time-limited projects, but to cover ongoing maintenance, capital costs, or basic operations. Increasingly, districts are asking voters for more money simply to operate. Over the past three election cycles (spring 2024-spring 2025), Wisconsin districts have placed $3.8 billion in operating and capital borrowing referendum requests on local ballots.

Opinion: Many MPS families suffer in silence. We’re here to help.

There are consequences to this approach. When districts rely on recurring referenda and long-term debt to sustain basic functions, strategic consolidation and shared-service models become far more difficult. Few communities are willing to absorb another district’s long-term debt, particularly when those obligations were incurred under different assumptions and governance.

Debt is not inherently irresponsible. Schools need safe, functional facilities. But when debt becomes permanent, it stops being a tool and starts being a constraint. And when nearly one-fifth of all local school taxes are treated as a non-negotiable obligation before student and classroom needs are even considered, flexibility disappears.

Advertisement

Fiscal discipline is not measured by how easily costs are added. It is measured by whether leaders are willing — and able — to start paying them off.

Will Flanders is the Research Director for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.



Source link

Continue Reading

Wisconsin

Ski trails for Birkebeiner in Wisconsin ready to go, organizers say

Published

15 hours ago

on

February 20, 2026

By

Ski trails for Birkebeiner in Wisconsin ready to go, organizers say


The weather is looking a bit more cooperative for Saturday’s American Birkebeiner ski race in northern Wisconsin. Officials earlier this week had to change the date and location of a few events due to the unusual warmth. NEXT Weather meteorologist Adam Del Rosso spoke to an executive director about the condition of the race trails.



Source link

Continue Reading

Wisconsin

7 events happening in Wisconsin Feb. 20-22

Published

1 day ago

on

February 20, 2026

By

7 events happening in Wisconsin Feb. 20-22


WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -Here’s a look at the 7 big events happening this weekend in Wisconsin.

Marshfield Area Cultural Fair

The Marshfield Area Cultural Fair kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday. People of all ages and from many cultures will share stories, music, performances, and food. It’s happening at the UW-Stevens Point at Marshfield campus.

Ben Mulwana at the Grand Theater

Ugandan-born artist Ben Mulwana is taking center stage Friday night at the Grand Theater. Expect soulful lyrics and a diverse range of musical inspiration. You’ll be up close, on-stage with the artist for the show, in a cabaret-style setting. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Celebrate commUNITY

Get ready to celebrate diversity at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds. The Celebrate commUNITY event will be an exciting day of cultural immersion. You can check out more than 50 booths, representing different countries, religions, and community organizations. It starts at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Advertisement

Oshkosh Boat Show

Head on over to the EAA Grounds Friday through Sunday for the Oshkosh Boat Show. Check out a lineup of boats, new and used. You’ll also be able to learn more about RV rentals, campgrounds, docks, lifts, and more.

American Birkebeiner

It’s time for North America’s largest and most prestigious cross-country skiing marathon. 12,000 skiers of all ages, genders, and nationalities will take part in the American Birkebeiner. The adventure continues Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Manawa Snodeo

Snowmobile racing is taking center stage at the Bear Lake Campground and Resort Saturday and Sunday, at the Manawa Snodeo. You can check out four racing tracks, a vintage snowmobile show, hot air balloons, and much more. You can check out all the excitement for $20 a day, or $30 for the full weekend.

Disney on Ice at the Resch Center

The magic of Disney is making its way to Green Bay this weekend. You can see Disney on Ice at the Resch Center. Enter the magical worlds of ‘Frozen’ and ‘Encanto’ as they come to life like never before. sing-along to your favorite songs, while watching world-class skating, aerial acrobatics, and more.

For more local events across central and north central Wisconsin, check out our Community Calendar.

Advertisement

Click here to download the WSAW news app or WSAW First Alert weather app.

Click here to submit a news tip or story idea.

Copyright 2026 WSAW. All rights reserved.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending