Badgers add in-state lineman Ben Barten to 2020 class

Ben Barten's original plan was to wait until after his junior season to make his college decision.

Stratford High School, coming off a 48-0 win over Colby in Level 2 of the WIAA playoffs, is still alive and well. But Barten, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound two-way lineman, committed to Wisconsin a bit ahead of schedule.

The three-star prospect become commit No. 4 for the Badgers in the 2020 class Saturday night. BadgerBlitz.com confirmed wissports.net's report with Barten early Sunday morning.

Barten, who visited Madison most recently for Wisconsin's win over Nebraska earlier this month, could play either defensive end or offensive tackle for the Badgers. He took reps at both positions during UW's summer camp.

"As far as position, they said it’s just a lineman thing, so it’s undecided and I'm unsure at the moment," Barten told BadgerBlitz.com. "I don't have a preference at all - I just want to play. The feedback from the coaches has been very positive. They like what they have seen from my film and it's awesome when I get to talk to them in person."

With commitments from projected tackles Jack Nelson and Trey Wedig in the junior cycle, defensive end could make the most sense for Barten, who also had offers from Iowa and South Dakota State, with strong interest coming from Stanford, Norte Dame, Northwestern and Minnesota.