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Wisconsin lands 1st Team All-AAC OL Jake Renfro from Cincinnati

The Badgers may have found their replacement at center for Joe Tippmann.

The Wisconsin Badgers continue to add significant pieces via the transfer portal, landing 2021 first-team All-AAC center Jake Renfro from the Cincinnati Bearcats, potentially filling the void left by center Joe Tippmann, who declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Renfro’s commitment comes after offensive coordinator Phil Longo sent out a shocking tweet that Wisconsin was expected to add five more players via the transfer portal to bolster their roster.

Renfro immediately broke onto the scene, playing seven games as a true freshman in 2020, while starting six games.

The former Cincinnati center followed that performance up with a strong 2021 campaign, being named the All-AAC first-team center, but missed the entire 2022 season due to injury.

Renfro may be head coach Luke Fickell’s biggest grab and likely slots in as the replacement to Joe Tippmann at the center position after the two-year starter declared for the NFL Draft last month.

The interior offensive lineman is now the second offensive lineman that Fickell has nabbed from Cincinnati via the transfer portal, as the Badgers added Joe Huber, who started at right tackle for the Bearcats in 2022.

Renfro is the sixth transfer that Fickell has landed since being appointed as Wisconsin’s new head coach, joining Huber, defensive end Darian Varner, quarterbacks Nick Evers and Tanner Mordecai, as well as defensive back Jason Maitre.

Based on Longo’s tweet, it appears that Wisconsin has more magic in the books.