Inked for the Wisconsin Badgers: Three-star Running Back Nate White

With the early signing period for high school football players beginning on Dec. 21, BadgerBlitz.com dives into a closer look at the commits who have signed with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Let's take a look at Milwaukee Rufus King running back Nate White, who officially signed with Wisconsin on Wednesday after committing to the program in May 2022.

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The 4th commitment in Wisconsin’s 2023 class, White is a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. He is rated the No.40 running back by Rivals.com and the No.1 prospect in Wisconsin.

White committed to the Badgers over six other scholarship offers: Iowa State, Minnesota, Northern Illinois, Purdue, Vanderbilt, and Western Michigan.

White entered the 2022 year as an intriguing in-state prospect, extremely talented and impactful from the quarterback position but not someone who was going to play Division-1 football under center. However, White having 1,163 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns in nine games his junior season was hard to ignore.

White attended a pair of Wisconsin games and an Iowa State one in 2021, took a junior day visit to Nebraska, and got his first two Power Five offers from the Cyclones and Purdue. The big offer came from Wisconsin in early March during a Badgers junior day.

There was no snap commitment from White, who continued to go through the process and took more visits. By the end of May, however, it became clear to White that the Badgers – who were the first school to start recruiting him – were the choice for him.

“There were a good amount of schools that reached out to try and get me to visit (during the coaching change. I didn’t really go into a lot of talk with them, so I can’t really remember all of them that were involved. I never seriously thought about visiting other places. I really like Coach Fickell and what he’s bringing to Wisconsin. I’ve seen his history and what he’s been doing. I think he can make some good changes here.”

“He started the year at tailback for us, and then out of necessity he moved to quarterback. So he brought us stability there, and it's great to have a playmaker at that position. We're still playing around with where he can do the most damage and be the most effective for us next season. Knowing that you have a guy who can take it all the way, along with the stability, that was perfect for us.

“Wisconsin is looking at Nate as a running back but I think that he's just a playmaker, and those type of guys are worth having on the field. I think Nate is willing to do whatever he needs to do to help the team, so they are fortunate in that regard.”

- High School coach Tom Wozniak

Some eyes were raised when four-star tailback Jaquez Keyes was encouraged to seek other options, as the Badgers needed to rebuild some depth at the position. It was a move that forecasted how Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell will use the position and how running back will fit into the offense.

While Keyes was more of a traditional back, White is a speedster who has been clocked as low as 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He’s a big-play threat with the ball in his hands, evident by his junior season stats and rushing for five touchdowns on 10 carries in this year’s season opener. His ability to accelerate in the open field, possess the vision to find the gaps, and the talent to cut quickly, change directions, and shift makes him one of the best in the state.

White will have to add weight and strength to his frame, so the key for him will be to maintain his shiftiness, balance, and burst. If he adds the right weight, considering White has already done a great job of making defenders miss, the in-state could be a dynamic playmaker for a Badgers’ offense that badly needs some more big plays.

White will have to add weight and strength to his frame, so the key for him will be to maintain his shiftiness, balance, and burst. If he adds the right weight, considering White already done a great job of making defenders miss, the in-state could be a dynamic playmaker for a Badgers’ offense that badly needs some more big plays.

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