The Wisconsin Badgers are losing one of their running backs to the transfer portal, as Cade Yacamelli announced his intentions to head elsewhere for the 2026 season on Tuesday.

Yacamelli, a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022, hailed from Pennsylvania and was a redshirt junior this season. A regular on special teams, Yacamelli never got a significant opportunity through his four years at Wisconsin, although he had been in the rotation on several occasions.

He finished the 2025 season with 124 rushing yards on 38 carries, going for only 3.4 yards per carry.

“Thank you to Coach Fickell and the entire staff for helping me grow both as a player and as a man during my time at Wisconsin,” the running back wrote on X. “I will always be grateful for the memories and the brotherhood I’ve shared with my teammates.”

“I plan to enter the transfer portal on January 2nd as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.”

In 2024, he had 274 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries, amounting to 8.3 yards per carry. However, he was iced out of the rotation over the final five games, raising questions about his future with the program. Still, Yacamelli, who was told he’d have a bigger role in 2025, elected to return.

Now, he’ll look to spend the last year of his eligibility elsewhere after four years with the program.