With high school football set to kick off inside the state Thursday evening, BadgerBlitz.com takes a look at 15 in-state prospects 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. Germantown sophomore linebacker Cooper Catalano
Offers: Illinois
Why watch: As a freshman, Germantown's Cooper Catalano racked up an eye-popping 130 total tackles in 10 games. Illinois offered this summer, and Wisconsin, among many others schools, is expected to keep close tabs on Catalano this fall.
"It’s my first one and I’m still shocked," Catalano said of the the Illini scholarship. "It motivates me to continue to improve."
2. Racine Horlick senior linebacker Blake Fletcher
Committed to: Air Force
Why watch: Blake Fletcher is firmly committed to Air Force, but the Badgers are showing increased interest in the projected inside linebacker. It will be interesting to see if an offer goes out this fall.
"I’ve told them that they are the only other school I would consider over my commitment to Air Force," Fletcher told BadgerBlitz.com. "However, I let them know that without a fully committable offer, I’m loyal to Air Force and I won’t be taking any visits. When or if they offer, that will change things."
3. Arrowhead junior defensive lineman Jace Gilbert
Offers: Central Michigan
Why watch: Wisconsin hosted Jace Gilbert, a defensive lineman from Arrowhead, during spring camp. He will likely be a visitor again for the Badgers this fall.
"It was the first visit I had and it was a great one," Gilbert told BadgerBlitz.com. "I hope I have more to go.
"It was a great experience to see the college and see some of the players practice. We also saw the great locker room they had, and I had a great time visiting my home-town college. I enjoyed their facilities, taking photos, being able to meet all of the coaches and taking a tour around the whole campus."
4. Catholic Memorial junior offensive guard Donovan Harbour
Offers: Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin
Why watch: Three-star lineman Donovan Harbour is a high-priority target for Wisconsin in the 2024 class. The standout from Catholic Memorial picked up an offer from the Badgers during a visit in March and returned to campus for another unofficial in June.
"The fans really stood out to me," Harbour told BadgerBlitz.com this fall. "No matter how Wisconsin is doing it seems like their fans will always be there to support them. It was great to see the environment at the stadium and then the fans rush the field after.
"Wisconsin is definitely one of my top choices because I've followed them since I was like six years old. I've looked at a lot of colleges and I think Wisconsin is one of the best out there."
5. Slinger sophomore offensive lineman Charlie Hoitink
Offers: Pennsylvania
Why watch: Charlie Hointink is one of a handful of intriguing offensive linemen in Wisconsin's 2025 in-state class. The projected guard from Slinger High School has an early offer from Pennsylvania, the school his older brother, Ben Hoitink, stars at. Iowa State and Wisconsin, among others, have also shown early interest.
6. Hudson senior defensive end Will McDonald
Committed to: Wisconsin
Why watch: Earlier this summer, Will McDonald turned down offers from Akron, Army, Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas, Kent State, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, South Dakota and Fordham in order to walk on at Wisconsin. The three-star senior will join his older brother, third-year end Cade McDonald, on UW's defensive line.
"Cade was so excited and he's been texting me all about Wisconsin since I got the offer," Will McDonald told BadgerBlitz.com. "I told him before anyone else that I was going to commit and he's just so pumped. My brother told me that if he had to go through the recruiting process again, he would go to Wisconsin 100 more times. He has complete faith in the coaches and he loves the staff and the school. I tried to keep my brother out of it a little bit because I didn't want to just follow him to a school, and he didn't want to sway my decision. But he always said that he loved it there and he was probably the most excited out of anyone."
7. Arrowhead junior offensive tackle Derek Jensen
Offers: Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Syracuse and Virginia
Why watch: It will be interesting to see how Wisconsin moves forward with four-star tackle Derek Jensen. The Badgers haven't offered yet, but Jensen was on campus this spring and camped with the Badgers in June.
"I really like a guy that size to have his feet and his twitch and really get into people and show a little bit of nasty - I would say those are his biggest traits right now," Rivals.com recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove said of Jensen. "The thing I like the most about him right now is his upside, natural ability and size. You can’t teach that and I’m going to continue to evaluate him, but I think he has a chance to be pretty good."
8. Middleton junior outside linebacker Sam Pilof
Offers: Iowa State, Penn State, Rutgers and Wisconsin
Why watch: Keeping Sam Pilof home is a top priority for Wisconsin in the 2024 class. The standout from Middleton visited in the spring and was offered by the Badgers after a strong camp performance in June.
"Coach (Paul) Chryst said they loved my attitude and can tell I’m a worker," Pilof told BadgerBlitz.com. "He was just very impressed with my mentality, and I thought he was great to talk to. He’s a great person and certainly someone I would love to play for and look up to. I’m just very grateful for the opportunity to play at the next level. All the staff were amazing at Wisconsin."
9. Verona sophomore cornerback Tre Poteat
Offers: Connecticut, Eastern Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Toledo and Wisconsin
Why watch: Verona's Tre Poteat, who earned an offer from Wisconsin this summer, is the son of cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat, who is going into his second season with the Badgers.
"My dad gives me a lot of advice about recruiting, especially with how to talk to coaches and stuff like that," Poteat told BadgerBlitz.com. "It would be nice to be coached by my dad but I just want to go wherever fits best and wherever gives me the best opportunity to take the next step.
"With Wisconsin, it's a really good campus and environment. It's nice to be around the guys and I like Wisconsin a lot."
10. Stoughton sophomore offensive tackle Griffin Rousseau
Interest: South Dakota State, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Why watch: The buzz surrounding Griffin Rousseau, a 6-foot-6, 280-pound offensive tackle, predates his time at Stoughton High School, where he recently wrapped up his first academic year. In late July, the in-state standout from the 2025 recruiting class took his first unofficial visit to the University of Wisconsin.
"The feedback was good - didn’t go too much in depth on recruiting with them, but they asked how the offseason was going and when fall camp starts and stuff like that," Rousseau told BadgerBlitz.com. "I feel there is definitely a mutual interest, though, and I’m very excited to see a game this fall.
"I love everything Wisconsin has going on right now and the culture they have there. The biggest thing that stood out was how valued offensive linemen are there - it’s OLU and you can tell that right when you walk in. You can tell that it’s a very close group and they’re going to do big things this season. I’ve been a fan of the Badgers since I moved to Stoughton in second grade. It being so close to home really made it an even more special experience today."
11. Catholic Memorial junior tailback Corey Smith
Offers: Boston College, Central Michigan, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee and Wisconsin
Why watch: Corey Smith, a four-star tailback from Catholic Memorial, is one of Wisconsin's top overall targets in the 2024 cycle, regardless of position. The No. 18 tailback in the country has visited UW a handful of times, most recently in June.
"It went really well,” Smith told Rivals.com. “I liked the environment, and I liked the brotherhood of everyone. I talked to their running backs coach, he said he likes my game and how patient I am in the hole."
12. Kettle Moraine senior quarterback Chase Spellman
Interest: North Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Kentucky, Colorado State, among others
Why watch: After undergoing shoulder surgery this offseason, Chase Spellman, who passed for 2,240 yards and 30 touchdown last fall, is expected to be at full strength heading into his senior season at Kettle Moraine. The Badgers are still looking for a quarterback in the 2023 class, meaning Spellman could be an option this fall.
"It’s going to be a business trip everywhere we go," Spellman told BadgerBlitz.com. "This winter has been a straight grind from lifting every morning before school at 5:30 AM to driving two hours to physical therapy. I’ve put in the work mentally and I’m ready to show that off this summer. The amount of film and different cut-ups that I’ve watched this offseason is outrageous. The mental side of the game is what is going to separate me from the rest of the pack. I think that is one of my biggest strengths and I’m eager to show it off."
13. Lake Mills junior athlete Matthew Stenbroten
Offers: Illinois State
Why watch: At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Matthew Stenbroten is one of the more intriguing in-state prospects in the 2024 class. Iowa, Iowa State and Wisconsin, among others schools, are keeping tabs on the junior from Lake Mills, who had 53 tackles and two interceptions last fall.
14. Catholic Memorial sophomore offensive tackle Owen Strebig
Interest: Iowa, Northwestern and Wisconsin
Why watch: Owen Strebig is expected to be one of the more heavily-recruited in-state prospects in the 2025 class. The sophomore is expected to start at left tackle for a loaded Catholic Memorial squad this fall.
From Rivals.com's Clint Cosgrove: "The only thing we knew about Strebig heading into the camp was that he was young, tall and from Wisconsin. When he measured in at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds as a freshman, everything that we previously thought was confirmed, and we soon learned that he was a heck of a football player as well.
"By the end of the camp, Strebig was recognized by many for his incredible upside, which earned him an invite to the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge in June. With his physical gifts, relentless effort and desire to get better every snap, do not be surprised when he becomes a well-known commodity in a few years."
15. Milwaukee Rufus King senior tailback Nate White
Committed to: Wisconsin
Why watch: Nate White, the first and only in-state prospect in the 2023 with a scholarship from Wisconsin, committed to the Badgers in May. As a junior, White rushed for 1,163 yards and 22 touchdowns in nine games. He has been clocked as low as 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
"Right now they're talking about me coming up and playing running back for them," White told BadgerBlitz.com. "I know they have had really strong tailbacks come through there and they think I can fit in that type of offense.
"It feels great to pick up that offer. Everyone here is always talking about Wisconsin, so I think it would be great to play there. Being in Wisconsin, you can't really get away from being a fan of them."
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