BadgerBlitz.com - Havenstein opts for the red and white

October 22, 2009

Jon McNamara
BadgerBlitz.com Publisher

Robby Havenstein's good news for the Wisconsin coaching staff had to wait a few hours longer than he anticipated, but once he got Kerry Cooks on the phone, his message was simple and to the point.

"I just told him I wanted to wear the red and white," Havenstein told BadgerBlitz.com Thursday night about his verbal commitment to UW this week.

"Originally, I gave Coach Cooks a call Monday or maybe Tuesday night but he was out on a recruiting trip. He then called my high school coach the next day and I got a chance to talk with him right after our lifting class first period. He was pretty happy with the news."

The massive offensive lineman from Frederick (MD) Linganore choose UW over offers from Penn State, Maryland and Wake Forest, among others, with the game day experience during his official visit vaulting the Badgers to the top of his list.

"When I went up there on an official visit, I got a chance to talk with the coaches about being so far away," said the three-star prospect. "I got a chance to hang out with the players and they were a bunch of really cool guys. I really liked the town and everything up there.

"The game day atmosphere was really crazy and the coaches told me it would be a selling point and something to see. After taking it all in, I completely agree with that and the Jump Around that they do before the fourth quarter is absolutely amazing. It's crazy.

"As for the academics, I went there the first time with my uncle and got a chance to talk with a professor, who was a real cool guy. You can't go wrong with the academics at Wisconsin."

Havenstein, who reported a height "between 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8" and weight of "around 340 pounds," will likely play tackle when he arrives on campus next summer.

"My school run blocks about 75 percent of the time so I have a good base and feel for that," said Havenstein, who has a cousin that attends UW. "I have pretty decent feet for a high school player but that will need to get quicker at the next level. I'm always working on getting faster and getting my feet going, along with my pass protection."

Landing Havenstein, Wisconsin's 16th known verbal commitment in its 2010 class, was another huge get for Cooks, who is working well in the Maryland area during this recruiting cycle.

"When he came down I thought he was a real cool guy and I liked the fact that he didn't try and sell me anything," Havenstein said. "He wasn't giving me BS about the school. He's a real good guy and when my family got to meet the rest of the staff, they felt the same way about them."

Distance may have also worked in Wisconsin's favor in Havenstein's recruitment.

"I've been in Maryland most of my life and I've been taking trips up to Michigan since I was a little kid and I have family in that area," he said. "They are all big Michigan and Michigan State fans and I really liked making the trip there every summer--that was kind of the highlight of the year when I was young for that vacation. So, for college, I wanted to go somewhere far away so I could start over and experience a new part of the country."

Havenstein joins in-state prospect Dallas Lewallen as the two offensive linemen in UW's current class, a group that could add around six or seven prospects before Signing Day in February.

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