Al Johnson is off to a great start on the recruiting front during his first spring at the University of Wisconsin.
Friday evening, UW's first-year running backs coach helped land a commitment from Jaquez Keyes, a four-star running back from Ironton High School in Ohio. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior chose UW over offers from Pittsburgh, Iowa, Coastal Carolina and Army, among others schools.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Keyes, commit No. 4 for Wisconsin in the 2023 class, picked up an offer from the Badgers during an unofficial visit in April. Last fall, Keyes rushed for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns.
UW will likely take two scholarship running backs in the current cycle. Nate White, Dylan Edwards and JT Smith remain high-priority targets for the staff at the position.
Keyes currently has an official visit scheduled to Wisconsin for the weekend of June 17.
From Rivals.com's Clint Cosgrove:
"When you turn on the film of Keys you cannot help but get excited. This is a prospect with good size and a ridiculous ability to make plays in confined space. He has a high motor, great change of direction and comes with bad intentions every time he makes a tackle.
"The intriguing thing about Keys is his versatility. While I look at his film and see him as a difference-maker on defense, there are other teams who see him as a feature running back. Look no further than Wisconsin offering him to play in the offensive backfield this past weekend. Whether it be offense or defense, there is one thing for certain: Keys is a playmaker who will get the crowd juiced by the way he plays."
_________________________________________________
*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den
*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel
*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)
*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45
*Like us on Facebook
