Wisconsin football specialist enters NCAA transfer portal
Wisconsin long snapper Eli Stein entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.
Stein joined the Badgers back in December after three years at Arkansas. His departure follows the program's recent addition of former Purdue long snapper Nick Levy in the spring portal window. He reenters the portal with two years of eligibility remaining.
Advertisement
The veteran long-snapper started 23 games during his freshman (2022) and sophomore (2023) seasons at Arkansas. That time included a Freshman All-SEC honor (2022) and an inclusion on the 2023 Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List for the nation's best long-snapper. Stein then lost the Arkansas starting job during training camp before the 2024 season, prompting his departure from the program.
Wisconsin originally brought Stein in to replace 2024 starting long-snapper Cayson Pfeiffer, who graduated after the season. Its late-spring addition of Levy pointed to a change in direction at the position, which likely prompted this latest move.
Wisconsin is set to enter 2025 with a similar specialist unit to the last few seasons, with Nathanial Vakos handling the kicking duties and Atticus Bertrams at punter. Its returner positions are still up in the air, with Vinny Anthony and Trech Kekahuna as primary candidates for the kickoff and punt return duties, respectively.
Advertisement
For more on Wisconsin's spring transfer movement and where former Badgers land, bookmark our 2025 spring window tracker.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin football long snapper Eli Stein reenters transfer portal
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Georgia Tech Football Faces Crossroads Season With New AD Coming
Georgia Tech Football Faces Crossroads Season With New AD Coming originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The past decade on The Flats has been a slow fade from national relevance, but now Georgia Tech finds itself at a critical inflection point. Brent Key, once the sentimental interim, now sits in year three as the full-time head coach with a 14–12 record and back-to-back bowl appearances—the program's first such streak in a decade. Yet the momentum is fragile, and the stakes in Atlanta have never been higher. Advertisement Georgia Tech enters 2025 perched on the edge of two futures. One where it fully reclaims its spot among college football's power programs. The other? A slow slide into irrelevance, watching rivals surge ahead while Tech spins its wheels in neutral. Brent Key's Balancing Act Let's be honest: Brent Key didn't win this job in a traditional way—he was handed the keys during a turbulent transition. Now, with a new athletic director expected to step in following the exit of J Batt, the honeymoon might be over. Key's record—14-12 over two seasons (7-6 in both 2023 and 2024)—is steady, not spectacular. And while bowl games are better than basement finishes, steady won't keep you employed for long in today's arms race of college football. Especially not in Atlanta, a city with SEC-sized expectations and no patience for stagnation. Advertisement The upcoming schedule won't allow him to hide. Georgia Tech's 2025 slate reads like a national showcase: Georgia. Tennessee. Notre Dame. Colorado. Those are more than just games—they're high-stakes auditions. Win, or even compete credibly, and the program could earn an invitation back into college football's exclusive rooms. Lose big, and a coaching search might finally begin in earnest. Where Does Tech Fit in the New ACC? Tech's urgency is only heightened by the ACC's newly introduced revenue model, which prioritizes performance and TV ratings. No more guaranteed slices of the pie—schools that show up in primetime and win reap bigger rewards. So, where does Georgia Tech stand? Somewhere in the middle. This season is a golden opportunity to change that narrative. Advertisement The Yellow Jackets are one of the few programs in the ACC with the combination of brand potential and big-game matchups to cash in. But without tangible results—wins, rankings, and national buzz—Tech risks being just another mid-tier program fighting over the scraps Clemson, Florida State, and now SMU leave behind. J Batt's Blueprint and the Search for a Successor J Batt didn't stay long, but he left a trail of bold moves and financial fixes that gave the program a real shot at relevance. Before arriving in Atlanta, Batt was Alabama's financial engineer, a behind-the-scenes operator helping fund the Saban Empire. At Tech, he went to work immediately: a record-setting $78.2 million haul for the Alexander-Tharpe Fund. A $500 million "Full Steam Ahead" facilities overhaul. Hyundai naming rights for Grant Field. A neutral-site Georgia rivalry game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. These weren't Band-Aids—these were surgical moves to bring Tech football into the modern era. Advertisement Revenue jumped from $29 million to $59 million. Georgia Tech leapt from 66th to 38th in Division I football revenue rankings in under two years. Now, with Batt off to greener pastures, Jon Palumbo—who's been in the department since 2022—takes over. Whether he maintains the same aggressive vision remains to be seen. But make no mistake: the next AD will have full license to make a coaching move if things stall. A Sleeping Giant in a Fertile State There's no reason Georgia Tech should be a middling program. The state of Georgia is a top-5 recruiting haven, and Tech's last two classes—ranked 33rd and 18th nationally—suggest Key has found a pitch that resonates. But closing the gap with SEC programs that dominate the region will require more than just talent—it requires proof of concept. Advertisement The good news? The schedule gives Tech a platform. The bad news? It also gives them nowhere to hide. And then there's the big hypothetical looming: realignment. If the SEC ever comes calling again—remember, Tech was a founding member—it'll be games like these that determine if the Yellow Jackets are ready to come home. Six Years Removed From Paul Johnson and the Triple Option Six seasons ago, Paul Johnson's option-based offense was phased out. The rebuild hasn't exactly gone according to plan, though the transfer portal has helped accelerate the process in recent years. Teams like Colorado have shown how quickly a new identity can take root. Tech isn't that far off—but it needs a signature season to flip the narrative. Advertisement That brings us to 2025. A year where bowl eligibility won't be enough. A year that could cement Brent Key as the long-term answer—or end the chapter before it truly began. Related: Georgia Tech Lands Explosive WR in 2026 Recruiting Win The Bottom Line In the NIL and transfer portal era, programs either adapt fast or get left behind. Georgia Tech has the infrastructure. It has a pipeline to talent. It has the city. What it doesn't have—yet—is proof. 2025 is the year to change that. Or else the new AD, armed with J Batt's blueprint and no emotional ties to the current regime, might decide it's time for buzz off. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mets Legend Makes Strong Statement After Historic Pete Alonso News
Mets Legend Makes Strong Statement After Historic Pete Alonso News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Mets are trying to shake off their loss in last year's National League Championship Series and assert themselves as the best team in Major League Baseball. Advertisement They have the best record in the National League at 42-24, and after splitting a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that knocked them out of last year's playoffs, they swept the Colorado Rockies, 3-0. In Sunday's game, Pete Alonso initially hit his 242nd career home run and his 16th of this year to tie with David Wright for the second-most homers in Mets' franchise history. Soon, in the eighth inning, he surpassed Wright when he hit his No. 243. Wright recorded a video in which he congratulated Alonso on the accomplishment. "Pete, what's going on, my man?" Wright said. "David Wright. Just a huge congratulations. You are one of the premier power hitters in the game. You easily passed me. Set Straw (Darryl Strawberry) in your sights and now go get him. Congratulations my man." Wright, who was nicknamed "Captain America," played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, all of them coming with the Mets. He was voted to the All-Star game seven times and won two Silver Slugger awards while going over 100 runs batted in for a season five times. Advertisement Alonso, 30, has been an All-Star in each of the previous three seasons and four times overall. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2019, and so far this year, he's batting .301, which is by far a career high for him. New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) hits in the first round during the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodgers Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports With superstar outfielder Juan Soto relocating to Queens from the Bronx, the Mets are hoping this is the year they finally win their first world championship since 1986. The franchise's all-time leader in home runs is Strawberry, who hit 252 of them with the Mets. He was one of the big stars on that memorable 1986 team that knocked off the Boston Red Sox to win it all. Related: MLB Posts Strong Griffin Canning Statement Amid Dodgers Series This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets help in Game 2 as Thunder roll past Pacers to even NBA Finals
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got some much-needed assistance from his teammates in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and the Oklahoma City Thunder evened the series against the Indiana Pacers with a 123-107 victory on Sunday night. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points in Game 1, but his supporting cast couldn't get it going, and Tyrese Haliburton's jumper in the final second gave the Pacers a 111-110 win . Gilgeous-Alexander had 34 points and eight assists in Game 2 — typical production from the league's MVP and scoring champion. Co-stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren played more like their usual selves on Sunday and ensured the Pacers had no chance to use their last-second magic. Veteran reserve Alex Caruso had another strong performance and Aaron Wiggins provided a surprise boost in Oklahoma City's first Finals win since 2012. 'I thought everyone played better individually, and I thought we played better collectively,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. Wiggins, who barely played in Game 1 and scored three points, had 18 in Game 2 and made five 3-pointers. He said the inconsistent minutes are not ideal, but his goal is to help the team. 'It's the NBA,' he said. 'There's a lot of highs and lows. There's a lot of other guys going through similar things and guys who have just kind of earned their rights. Understanding that, I'm still blessed to be in the NBA and do what I love. At this level, you can't take it for granted. Just continuing to stay ready and take advantage of the opportunities I get.' His performance was a welcome sight for the Thunder. 'He was massive tonight,' Daigneault said. 'Went in there with great confidence. Didn't go until the second quarter and dove right into the game. Great professionalism, great readiness and a huge performance for us in that situation.' Williams, an All-Star who scored 17 points on 6-for-19 shooting in the opener, followed that with 19 points. He didn't shoot all that well — he made just 5 of 14 field goals, but he made 8 of 9 free throws and put pressure on Indiana's defense. Holmgren, who scored just six points in the opener, bounced back with 15 points and six rebounds on 6-for-11 shooting. Caruso, the veteran guard who the Thunder picked up in an offseason trade, scored 20 points and was 4 for 8 on 3-pointers. The Pacers expect Gilgeous-Alexander to score, but they also know they need to do better against Oklahoma City's other players in Game 3 in Indianapolis. 'It's a matter of slowing him (Gilgeous-Alexander) down and limiting the role players,' Pacers center Myles Turner said. 'A few of their guys stepped up tonight. I think Wiggins had a great game. Caruso, he did what he had to do. So it's about limiting their role players and making it tougher on them, at least.' ___ AP NBA:
