UW lineman Michael Furtney's stay in the transfer portal was brief and he is glad to be back in Madison
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
PLATTEVILLE – Michael Furtney’s trip into the transfer portal lasted one week.
The offensive lineman from Milan, Michigan, entered the portal last December looking for a fresh start after Luke Fickell took over as Wisconsin’s head football coach.
He exited the portal one week later and decided to return to UW for his sixth season after a meeting with Fickell and subsequent meetings with offensive coordinator Phil Longo and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr.
The 180-degree turn started when Fickell called Furtney while in Chicago. He asked if the two could meet that night after Fickell returned to Madison. Furtney said yes.
Wisconsin offensive lineman Michael Furtney blocks Purdue defensive tackle Cole Brevard last season.
“We had a great conversation,” said Furtney, a sixth-year senior guard who started nine of 13 games last season. “I said: ‘Hey coach, my mind is still going in the same direction. But I am open to whenever you hire the OC and O-line coach, to talking to them.’
“Sure enough, when he hired Coach Longo and Coach Bicknell, they got in Friday and I talked to them on Saturday.”
Bicknell Jr. took the initiative to call Furtney to set up a meeting: ‘I called him up and (said): ‘Get your butt over here. Let’s talk. You haven’t even met us yet.’”
Furtney told Bicknell he was looking to start over.
“I said you’ve got a fresh start,” Bicknell Jr. countered. “You’ve got all new people here. So, why would you leave a place that you love just to get a fresh start? We were able to talk him out of it, which was very good for us … He is all bought in and fired up.”
Furtney closed the season by starting at guard in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl and worked at right guard with the No. 1 line all spring. He entered preseason camp with 12 starts, including the nine last season, and 44 games played.
He opened camp as the No. 1 right guard, with Tanor Bortolini at center and Joe Huber at left guard. The guard spots probably aren’t set in stone, however.
Once Jake Renfro (foot) can take over at center, Bortolini likely will move back to guard. The staff will then have to decide which two players will start and who will have to slide into a reserve role.
Furtney explained he was ready to return to UW and compete.
“They brought everything to the table that I wanted,” he said of meeting with Bicknell Jr. and Longo. “And if I get to be with the guys I really care about and in the city that I love, the Motion W, and I get to play for a staff that represents everything I want, it is really a no-brainer.
“I couldn’t get my name out quick enough.”
PLATTEVILLE – Michael Furtney’s trip into the transfer portal lasted one week.
The offensive lineman from Milan, Michigan, entered the portal last December looking for a fresh start after Luke Fickell took over as Wisconsin’s head football coach.
He exited the portal one week later and decided to return to UW for his sixth season after a meeting with Fickell and subsequent meetings with offensive coordinator Phil Longo and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr.
The 180-degree turn started when Fickell called Furtney while in Chicago. He asked if the two could meet that night after Fickell returned to Madison. Furtney said yes.
Wisconsin offensive lineman Michael Furtney blocks Purdue defensive tackle Cole Brevard last season.
“We had a great conversation,” said Furtney, a sixth-year senior guard who started nine of 13 games last season. “I said: ‘Hey coach, my mind is still going in the same direction. But I am open to whenever you hire the OC and O-line coach, to talking to them.’
“Sure enough, when he hired Coach Longo and Coach Bicknell, they got in Friday and I talked to them on Saturday.”
Bicknell Jr. took the initiative to call Furtney to set up a meeting: ‘I called him up and (said): ‘Get your butt over here. Let’s talk. You haven’t even met us yet.’”
Furtney told Bicknell he was looking to start over.
“I said you’ve got a fresh start,” Bicknell Jr. countered. “You’ve got all new people here. So, why would you leave a place that you love just to get a fresh start? We were able to talk him out of it, which was very good for us … He is all bought in and fired up.”
Furtney closed the season by starting at guard in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl and worked at right guard with the No. 1 line all spring. He entered preseason camp with 12 starts, including the nine last season, and 44 games played.
He opened camp as the No. 1 right guard, with Tanor Bortolini at center and Joe Huber at left guard. The guard spots probably aren’t set in stone, however.
Once Jake Renfro (foot) can take over at center, Bortolini likely will move back to guard. The staff will then have to decide which two players will start and who will have to slide into a reserve role.
Furtney explained he was ready to return to UW and compete.
“They brought everything to the table that I wanted,” he said of meeting with Bicknell Jr. and Longo. “And if I get to be with the guys I really care about and in the city that I love, the Motion W, and I get to play for a staff that represents everything I want, it is really a no-brainer.
“I couldn’t get my name out quick enough.”
Players mentioned in this article
Michael Furtney
Anthony Madison
Evan Furtney
Cole Brevard
Aaron Blockmon
A.J. Brathwaite Jr.
Joe Huber
Jake Renfro
Recent Stories
How a Wisconsin legend got his German protégé into Badgers pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Marlon Werthmann put his life on hold for the opportunity in front of him Friday at the McClain Center.Werthmann — a 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive ...
Why former Wisconsin football running back Braelon Allen didn't run the 40 at pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Braelon Allen’s sweat covered his shirt and dripped off his beard as he approached a group of reporters Friday.The former University of Wisconsin football ...
How can UW recruit its best class ever? It starts with these five prospects
By Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch has lofty recruiting goals at Washington. He didn’t waste any time laying out his expectations to “do ...
Texas football kicks off spring practice Tuesday. We answer 24 questions for the 2024 team
Things certainly look fresh for the 2024 college football season, especially on the Texas campus.There’s a new conference for the Longhorns, if you haven’t heard. ...
College Football Playoff: Conferences solve their differences (for now) and agree on general framework for 2026 and beyond
The FBS conferences and Notre Dame agreed on Friday to continue the College Football Playoff beyond the 2025 season, signing a memorandum of understanding that paves ...
Latest Player Notes
How a Wisconsin legend got his German protégé into Badgers pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Marlon Werthmann put his life on hold for the opportunity in front of him Friday at the McClain Center.Werthmann ...
Why former Wisconsin football running back Braelon Allen didn't run the 40 at pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Braelon Allen’s sweat covered his shirt and dripped off his beard as he approached a group of reporters Friday.The ...
How can UW recruit its best class ever? It starts with these five prospects
By Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch has lofty recruiting goals at Washington. He didn’t waste any ...
Texas football kicks off spring practice Tuesday. We answer 24 questions for the 2024 team
Things certainly look fresh for the 2024 college football season, especially on the Texas campus.There’s a new conference ...
College Football Playoff: Conferences solve their differences (for now) and agree on general framework for 2026 and beyond
The FBS conferences and Notre Dame agreed on Friday to continue the College Football Playoff beyond the 2025 season, signing ...
Ball security, leadership key as Aztecs look to identify starting quarterback
San Diego State seemingly auditions a new starting quarterback on an annual basis.In the past 12 years, the Aztecs have opened ...
Results and more: A look at what happened at Penn State football’s Pro Day inside Holuba Hall
Most of those at Penn State’s Pro Day Friday were relatively quiet throughout the afternoon’s workouts, but there was one ...
Defense dominates first two weeks of Oregon State spring practice as Beavers ready for 2-week breather
CORVALLIS – Oregon State hit the break of spring practices Saturday, not exactly the midpoint but a good place to assess ...
Dillon Gabriel to have similar input, autonomy as Bo Nix had in Oregon’s offense
Published Mar. 16, 2024, 6:26 p.m.By James CrepeaEUGENE — Dillon Gabriel will have much of the same autonomy as Bo Nix did ...
Two transfers, one underclassman who impressed in Missouri football's spring game
With that, spring camp’s a wrap.Missouri football held its Black & Gold spring game Saturday in front of a healthy crowd ...