High school football in Wisconsin officially kicks off Thursday afternoon at 4:00 PM with a contest between Milwaukee South and Milwaukee Vincent.
And to get Badgers fans ready for the 2017 season, we take a look at 17 in-state targets to keep an eye on this fall.
Note: Prospects are listed in alphabetical order
School: Racine St. Catherines (Week 1 at Cudahy)
Stauts: Interest from Wisconsin and Iowa, among others
The word: Brown, who passed for over 1,800 yards with 23 touchdowns as a sophomore, visited Wisconsin and Iowa this spring. He could play on either side of the ball at the next level and is one of the best athletes in the state.
"I love Wisconsin. I loved the atmosphere - there were so many players and people I could relate to and all the coaches were genuine and kept everything realistic," Brown told BadgerBlitz.com. "The medical staffing and facilities really stood out. They have a lot of materials and stuff for recovery and keeping your body in good shape. The top thing would have to have been the sports science and body science room. That's one thing that had me in awe."
School: Whitefish Bay (Week 1 vs. Slinger)
Stauts: Interest from Iowa, Northwestern, South Dakota and Michigan State
The word: Brunner, an all-conference selection as a junior, has intriguing size to play outside linebacker in college, but is also athletic enough to work at receiver or H-back. Look for Wisconsin to get involved this fall.
School: Grantsburg (Week 1 at Cumberland)
Stauts: Offer from South Dakota State; interest from Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota
The word: Chenal and his older brother, John Chenal, visited Wisconsin in mid-June.
"I had one of the best experiences of my life," Leo Chenal told BadgerBlitz.com. "To get to go and see this college and talk to these coaches that I have looked up to for a long time was amazing. We toured the campus and it was very impressive. The staff was very welcoming to us and I loved the town as well. It is a classic college football campus. The ability to swim, fish and hunt also drew me in. To see the success of previous walk-ons that came from small schools like us really inspired me as well.
"I really liked their advanced equipment that they had on hand to be able to test certain things that a player can improve on. They took time to take John and I through each part of the facility so I took in a lot of information, which turned out to be very interesting. In the end, Coach (Chris) Haering discussed where I was at as a recruit. He mentioned that they will watch the first few games of my junior season and if I continue to show my progress and success, an offer may be extended. I am very excited for the future and very happy about what I saw."
School: Kimberly (Week 1 at Fon du Lac)
Stauts: Committed to Wisconsin
The word: Dietzen, who had 56 total tackles and 15 sacks as a junior, played last fall with 2017 Wisconsin signees Logan Bruss and Danny Vanden Boom. And in February, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound prospect from powerhouse Kimberly High School committed to the Badgers just hours after he picked up an offer.
"He’s a blue-collar guy and a hard worker; also a bit of an introvert," Papermakers head coach Steve Jones told BadgerBlitz.com. "He’s quiet, but he’s starting to break out of his shell as he matures. He’s very humble and has a lot of respect from his peers, not only in our football program but across our whole high school. He’s one of the most coachable kids we’ve had here. He’s a sponge; he listens, gives you eye contact and then he’s going to try and go out and do it and he’ll work his tail off until he gets it right."
School: Sussex Hamilton (Week 1 at West Allis Hale)
Stauts: Interest from Iowa and Wisconsin
The word: A projected tight end, Enneking should establish himself as a Division 1 prospect this fall.
School: Wauwatosa West (Week 1 vs. Brookfield East)
Stauts: Offers from Buffalo and South Dakota State; interest from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan State and Northwestern, among others
The word: It's early, but Ertl has a chance to emerge as the top in-state prospect in the 2019 class. The Badgers worked him out at both center and nose tackle this summer during camp and there is strong mutual interest between both parties.
School: Waukesha Catholic Memorial (Week 1 vs. Mukwonago)
Stauts: Committed to Wisconsin
The word: An all-state performer who helped Waukesha Catholic Memorial to a WIAA Division 3 state title this past fall, Goetz is BadgerBlitz.com's top-rated player in the state. The projected linebacker, who had 103 tackles and six sacks in 2016, committed to the Badgers in February.
"Coach (Paul) Chryst said he loves my film and told me that I was a great fit for the program and that he would love to have me a part of it," Goetz told BadgerBlitz.com. "They like me as a hybrid linebacker who can play both inside and outside."
School: Madison Memorial (Week 1 at Middleton)
Stauts: Interest from Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin
The word: A prospect in the Badgers' backyard, Jordan is a raw but intriguing athlete. He could play linebacker or even receiver at the next level.
School: West De Pere (Week 1 at Shawno)
Stauts: Interest from Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Central Michigan and Wisconsin
The word: Karchinski certainly has a college frame at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds. Look for more colleges to take notice this fall.
School: Southern Door (Week 1 vs. Winneconne)
Stauts: Interest from: Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue and Cincinnati
The word: A 6-foot-2, 210-pound rising junior, LeCaptain has already visited Wisconsin twice and camped in Madison this summer. The Badgers like him at tight end.
"I first started talking to Wisconsin after this past season," LeCaptain told BadgerBlitz.com. "I visited for the Minnesota game and then again in the spring. They like how I can play a lot of different spots on the field. I went to camp as a tight end and that was an awesome experience.
"The visit this fall was awesome. We got to walk around the stadium and were on the sidelines for warm-ups. We then got to see the locker room after and it was really cool to be right by guys like Vince Biegel and TJ Watt."
School: Port Washington (Week 1 at Homestead)
Stauts: Interest from: Wisconsin
The word: An all-conference selection on both sides of the ball as a sophomore, Lippe has already taken an unofficial visit to Wisconsin.
School: Menomonie (Week 1 at Oshkosh North)
Stauts: Committed to Wisconsin
The word: A 6-foot-5, 215-pound prospect from Menomonie, Platter is expected to play outside linebacker for Wisconsin. That high school has produced Badgers in the previous two recruiting classes - Mason Stokke in 2016 and Alex Fenton in 2017.
"Coach (Paul) Chryst likes my length and he likes my grit," Platter told BadgerBlitz.com. "He likes my motor and likes the fact that he can count on me working hard based on where I'm from. He likes what the people of Menomonie have brought to Wisconsin. It definitely helps to have guys from my school end up there."
Platter chose UW over an offer from Northern Illinois and interest from Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan and Minnesota, among others.
School: Bay Port (Week 1 - Thursday - at Sheboygan North)
Stauts: Committed to Iowa
The word: Plumb is solidly committed to Iowa, but he's included on the list because there's still a long way to go before Signing Day. While Wisconsin's 2018 class is pretty well, maybe the staff makes a play for the projected offensive tackle later this fall or winter.
School: Homestead (Week 1 vs. Port Washington)
Stauts: Interest from Wisconsin, Syracuse, Central Michigan, Iowa and Iowa State
The word: Raddatz, from powerhouse Homestead High School, is being looked at by a handful of schools early in the process.
School: Waunakee (Week 1 vs. Fort Atkinson)
Stauts: Interest from: Wisconsin, Iowa, Arizona State and UNLV
The word: Ryan was on campus twice in the spring and most recently for Wisconsin's summer camp in June.
"The spring game was a great experience," Ryan told BadgerBlitz.com. "The group meeting where several coaches spoke was insightful. What I learned was what makes a Badger a Badger - being smart in the classroom, and being strong through physical and mental toughness. It's also being dependable for your teammates and coaches and doing what you say you are going to do.
"I especially like the message that every player's story in recruiting is different. A great tip that I learned was to not waste your energy worrying about other peoples' recruiting process. Instead, worry about things you can control and improve yourself. I was ale to meet (assistant recruiting coordinator) Paul Meunier and we discussed the importance of attending Wisconsin's camp. It was also cool to be able to see my fellow teammate, Blake Smithback, receive an academic scholarship during the visit."
School: Eau Claire Memorial (Week 1 at La Crosse Logan)
Stauts: Committed to Wisconsin
The word: Sampson, who picked Wisconsin over offers from Illinois State, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois and Western Illinois, among others, was commit No. 9 for UW in the 2018 class. The Badgers are expected to begin the two-way standout at tight end next summer.
"They really don't know yet," Sampson told BadgerBlitz.com. "They just think I'm a big athlete who can move really well. I don't care where I play. I'm a bit more comfortable at defensive end but I'll do whatever they need me to do."
School: Port Washington (Week 1 at Homestead)
Stauts: Interest from: Wisconsin and Northwestern
The word: Spicer visited Wisconsin last fall and has started to pick up interest from Northwestern. He played last fall with Badgers' signee Tyler Beach.
