MADISON – Jake Renfro hopes he isn’t done with college football.
The veteran center’s 2025 season was so ravaged by injury that he plans to apply for a medical redshirt that will allow him to return for a seventh season.
The catch is that he won’t do it with the Wisconsin Badgers.
On Dec. 11 Renfro announced his intention to enter the transfer portal and play college ball in the 2026.
Renfro spent his entire college career playing for Luke Fickell, the first three years at Cincinnati and the last three seasons at Wisconsin.
His career has been marred by injury. He missed the 2022 season at Cincinnati due to a knee injury that also affected his availability in 2023 at Wisconsin. He played in just one game in ’23, the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Renfro, who is 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds, started every game in 2024, but the injury bug bit him again in 2025. He missed the final half of fall camp to due a left knee injury but returned to start the season opener against Miami (Ohio) Aug. 28.
Renfro did not play against Middle Tennessee in Week 2. He returned for the Alabama game but suffered a right ankle injury that caused him to miss the next two contests.
He was back on the field for the Iowa and Ohio State games but was unable to finish the loss to the Buckeyes on Oct. 18. Fickell announced on Nov. 3 that Renfro had surgery and was done for the year but shared no other details.
Renfro announced his plans on X.
“I want to thank Coach Fickell, the entire coaching and training staff, my teammates, and the University of Wisconsin for everything over the past three seasons,” he wrote on X. “I am grateful for the support, development, friendships and memories I have made in my time in Madison.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin center Jake Renfro will transfer, seek medical redshirt
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