During a stop in Cincinnati this week, Wisconsin offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph dropped by Walnut Hills to begin the evaluation process on Seth Blackwell.

A 6-foot-4, 231-pound projected defensive end, Blackwell is excited to be hearing from one of the top programs in the Big Ten.

"Wisconsin came and visited my school today (Friday)," Blackwell told BadgerBlitz.com. "I got a chance to meet coach Rudolph real quick and he was in the middle of evaluating some film of me and a couple of my teammates. So we just followed each other on Twitter.

"Wisconsin is a school I would very much consider attending college. They have great defensive lines - especially defensive ends- year in and year out. Also, the Big Ten would be an amazing conference to play in."

Still in search of his first offer, Blackwell is also hearing from Penn State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Kentucky, Bucknell, Dartmouth, Indiana and Cincinnati, among others.

"Iowa State, Eastern Michigan, Ball State and Miami (OH) have definitely stood out," Blackwell said. "I feel Ball State, Miami (OH) and Eastern Michigan are really close to offering. Iowa State will also return in the spring, and I think one (an offer) could come around from them.

"I plan on going to Miami's (OH) junior day tomorrow (Saturday), actually. I planned on going to Ohio's, but I had a family function come up that will cause me to miss. Other than that, those are the only visits I have set in stone right now."

Academics, according to Blackwell, will play a major factor in his recruitment.

"Definitely academics," Blackwell said. "The high school I attend is the No. 1 public school in the state of Ohio, academically. My books are very important to me. I took the ACT sophomore year and got a 28, and I'm taking it again in February in hopes of a 32. Also, I got a 1390 on the PSAT, so most definitely the academic environment will be big for me.

"My main thing right now is getting my weight up to play defensive end at a high level. I'm around 230 pounds right now and I plan on being at 245 for the season. Gaining weight isn't a problem for me. I actually gained 40 pounds from sophomore season to junior season."

In the 2018 class, Wisconsin has commitments from projected safeties Reggie Pearsonand Trent Ingalls, as well as quarterback Ben Bryant.