Former USC Trojans Linebacker Commits To Badgers

Tackett Curtis was a four-star player coming out of high school who spent one year with USC and will remain in the Big Ten.

The Wisconsin Badgers landed one of the top defenders in the country after former USC linebacker Tackett Curtis announced his commitment to the Badgers, per On3.com.

Tackett is the sixth transfer linebacker to commit to the Badgers this cycle and he may be the most significant. Per On3.com he was the highest-ranked available linebacker in the transfer portal.

Curtis, who played his high school football in Many, La., played for the Trojans as a true freshman after enrolling last January. He participated in 12 games, finishing with 40 total tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. He also recovered two fumbles.

He comes to Madison with three years of eligibility remaining.

The Trojans went 8-5. He joins a Badgers team that finished 7-6 under first-year coach Luke Fickell and has made upgrading the linebacker position in the transfer portal a priority.

Also, Curtis and the Trojans will cross paths again. Wisconsin’s Big Ten opener is against USC in late September.

In his final year of high school football the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder was the 2022 MaxPreps Louisiana High School Player of the Year and won the State Championship game MVP as a senior, leading Many to a 2A state title. He had 112 tackles, 16 for loss, six sacks and three. He was Butkus Award finalist.

He also gained 1,115 yards and 11 touchdowns as a running back. He was a four-star high school recruit who chose the Trojans over Ohio State.

More than a dozen players have committed to join the Badgers in 2024, including linebackers Jaheim Thomas (Arkansas), Leon Lowery (Syracuse), Jahsian Galvin (Northern Iowa), Sebastian Cheeks (North Carolina) and John Pius (William & Mary), along with running back Tawee Walker (Oklahoma), Tyrell Henry (Michigan State), Jackson McGowan (LSU), quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (Miami FL), safety RJ Delancy (Toledo) and long snapper Cayson Pfeiffer (Cincinnati).

Eleven players have declared their intent to transfer from Wisconsin, including offensive lineman Nolan Rucci (Penn State), offensive lineman Dylan Barrett (Iowa State), defensive end Damian Varner (Cincinnati), linebacker Kaden Johnson, quarterback Myles Burkett (Albany), wide receivers Chimere Dike and Skyler Bell, defensive end Rodas Johnson, and linebackers Jordan Turner and Jordan Mayer.