With high school football set to kick off inside the state Thursday evening, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at 10 in-state prospects for Wisconsin recruiting fans to watch this fall.
Note: Prospects are listed in alphabetical order. This is not an exclusive list and does not represent the only in-state athletes Wisconsin is currently recruiting.
1. De Forest junior tight end Jackson Accuardi
Offers: Central Michigan, Duke, Illinois, Iowa State and Louisville
Why watch: Wisconsin currently a few tight ends who grade out a bit higher in the 2025 recruiting class, but Jackson Accuardi is certainly someone to keep an eye on this fall. The Badgers saw the 6-foot-7, 225-pound prospect at camp this summer, and Accuradi should be on campus a few times for games at Camp Randall during the season.
"I've talked to Coach (Nate) Letton a couple times and I really like him," Accuardi told BadgerBlitz.com. "I got to work with him at the camp and I thought I performed well. Coach Letton gave me a lot of advice and he gives it to you straight, which I really like. I think I did a good job and I have of stuff to work on in order to get better.
"The coaches like what they've seen out of me and they want to continue to watch how I improve and grow as a player. I'm not new to football but I was more of a basketball player growing up and now I'm focused a lot of football. So it's a little bit different for me."
2. Germantown junior linebacker Cooper Catalano
Offers: Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin
Why watch: Germantown's Cooper Catalano emerged this offseason as Wisconsin's top inside linebacker target in the 2025 class. The three-star prospect has visited no less than six times and is expected back in Madison again for the season opener against Buffalo.
"I really love Coach Tress (Mike Tressel) and he asked me if I wanted to come down and start the process early with Wisconsin," Catalano told BadgerBlitz.com in June. "He said he wanted to coach me up a little bit and I thought that was a great opportunity for me to get coached up by a great college coach.
"Coach Tress emphasized that I'm their No. 1 guy at inside linebacker. And then during the camp he said he liked how I moved and my speed, stuff like that."
3. Green Bay Notre Dame junior tight end James Flanigan
Offers: Illinois, Iowa State, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Notre Dame, Penn State, Stanford and Wisconsin
Why watch: Wisconsin was the first school to offer James Flanigan during a junior day visit in January. His father, Jim Flanigan, played defensive tackle at Notre Dame, and those two schools are considered early favorites to land the four-star tight end.
"He (Jim) says wherever I want to go is where I want to go,” James told Rivals.com. “He's good about that. He's been through this process, so definitely trust him and what we're doing right now."
4. Bay Port senior linebacker Landon Gauthier
Committed to: Wisconsin
Why watch: This spring, Wisconsin secured a commitment from in-state linebacker Landon Gauthier, a three-star prospect from Bay Port High School. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior was also strongly considering Stanford at the time of his decision.
"His size and athleticism are incredible," Bay Port head coach Gary Westerman told BadgerBlitz.com. "Obviously he's going to start at linebacker for Wisconsin but with his size and frame, you just don't know what he's going to become.
"He's over a 500-pound squat, and to me that's impressive. As far as his 40 (yard dash), I don't know that off the top of my head and I don't want to give out bad information. But in terms of the weight room, he's as strong as we've ever had. When he runs a straight line, he's incredibly fast. Just a special kid."
5. Arrowhead senior offensive tackle Derek Jensen
Committed to: Wisconsin
Why watch: Commit No. 4 for the Badgers in the 2024 class, Derek Jensen chose Wisconsin over offers from Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Syracuse and Virginia, among others. It was roughly two months between offer and commitment for the four-star talent.
"Everything that he was looking for finally came together," Arrowhead head coach Matthew Harris told BadgerBlitz.com. "This new staff is a group that he formed a great connection with, and he also found a great school and a family feel at Wisconsin. On a smaller scale, I think Arrowhead is very similar to Wisconsin and I think he found that same feeling that he gets at home with Arrowhead. That’s ultimately what he was looking for the most and it all came together for him."
6. Verona junior cornerback Tre Poteat
Offers: Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Florida, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State and Wisconsin, among others
Why watch: A 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback from Verona High School, Tre Poteat, the son of former Wisconsin cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat, visited Wisconsin during back-to-back weekends in April. He then returned to UW for camp in June and again in late July for another unofficial.
"The visits were nice and it was great to see a lot of new faces," Poteat told BadgerBlitz.com. "The new coaching staff is very genuine in everything they do and I really love the guys they've added. Yesterday we did a campus tour and I saw a lot of places I actually haven't been to yet. We did the photo shoot and saw the spring practice. It was fun to see all the guys that I knew perform well."
The Rivals250 prospect is expected to be one of the more heavily-recruited prospects in the Midwest.
7. Wautoma junior offensive tackle Michael Roeske
Offers: Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Wisconsin
Why watch: Like Catalano, Michael Roseke, a tackle from Wautoma, has been a regular at Wisconsin since his sophomore year. The 6-foot-7, 290-pound junior was on campus most recently for UW's "Great Madison Race" in late July.
"I would say that they're one of my top schools," Roeske told BadgerBlitz.com. "Just with the history that Wisconsin has is amazing. I feel like they are going to be in the race for a Big Ten championship this year and for years to come. I think you give Coach Fickell a year or two with Wisconsin and I wouldn't be surprised if they're fighting for a national championship.
"I plan on coming back down to Madison for a couple games this fall. Hopefully make it to a couple other schools this fall just to watch multiple offenses play. I am trying to find the school that I feel like I can fit into."
8. Marquette University junior kicker Erik Schmidt
Offer: Wisconsin
Why watch: Erik Schmidt, the No. 1 punter and No. 4 kicker in the 2025 class, according to Kohl's Kicking, picked up an offer from Wisconsin this spring.
"I can do all three: field goals, kickoffs and punts," Schmidt told BadgerBlitz.com. "I also live in Wisconsin, so it's my home-state school. I line up well with their grade because they're looking for a scholarship kicker in the 2025 class.
"I think my kicking is actually stronger. My all-time personal record is from 65 yards out, but that was just in practice. This past season I only had one miss inside 50 yards, so within that distance I'm really confident in my consistency."
Michigan and Notre Dame, among other schools, are also involved in Schmidt's recruitment.
9. Arrowhead sophomore tailback Jacob Siner
Offer: Central Michigan
Why watch: It's early, but Jacob Siner is a candidate for the top in-state prospect in the 2026 class. The tailback from Arrowhead saw varsity snaps as a freshman and is in line for a big sophomore season. Siner has the luxury of running behind future Big Ten tackles Derek Jensen and Garrett Sexton.
10. Catholic Memorial junior offensive tackle Owen Strebig
Offers: Florida, Florida State, Iowa, Miami (FL), Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin, among others
Why watch: Owen Strebig, the top in-state prospect in the 2025 class, visited a handful of schools from coast to coast this spring and summer. Those trips provided opportunities for the Rivals250 talent to rack up 20-plus scholarships, with more likely to come this fall.
The four-star prospect's most recent visit to UW was on March 30, but the Badgers - and other programs - are likely trailing Notre Dame for Strebig's services.
"Getting an offer from the team I grew up watching is truly a dream come true," Strebig told BadgerBlitz.com. "I want to see how different the vibe is between the old staff and the new staff.
"From what I have seen, Coach (Luke) Fickell brings the juice. I'm excited to get on campus and see how he affects the players and staff."
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