Badgers like junior Popeye Williams at outside linebacker
Popeye Williams has been on Wisconsin's recruiting radar dating back to last fall.
Monday, the Badgers, led by assistant coach Bob Bostad, extended an offer to the 6-foot-3, 225-pound rising junior from Westfield High School in Indiana.
"I've been talking to Wisconsin ever since our season ended," Williams told BadgerBlitz.com. "I give a lot of credit to my coach because he's been in contact with them a lot and talking with their coaches.
"My coach spoke highly of me to Wisconsin and they offered once they got a chance to see my film and get to know me."
UW likes Williams, who had 24 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as a sophomore, at outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme.
"I've talked to Coach Bostad during the school year and that's who I talked with today (Monday) when I called," Williams said. "I don't know much about Wisconsin right now but I'm really interested in them. They said they don't just throw offers out to anyone. They are recruiting me as an outside linebacker, kind of like how they used T.J. Watt.
"My coach and I have been working on my two-point stance at outside linebacker. I love it because I feel like I'm athletic enough to do it. I like playing standing up - I'm just as comfortable in a two-point stance as I am in a three-point stance. I also feel like I can cover, so that's no problem for me."
Wisconsin joined a scholarship list for Williams that previously included Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Penn State, Toledo and Western Michigan.
"I'm hearing the most from Cincinnati right now, along with Penn State, Kentucky and Indiana," Williams said. "I'm supposed to call Indiana on Thursday and see what's going on with them because they have been on me pretty hard.
"When things open up I want to visit Kentucky, Penn State and Wisconsin. I want to say Purdue, Indiana and Michigan State could be close to offering."
Williams' first name is actually Gerrick, but the nickname Popeye has been around since the day he was born.
"That's (Popeye) not even my first name," Williams said. "I've always been called Popeye because when my mom saw my ultrasound picture, I was making a muscle like Popeye. So my mom gave me the nickname right away as a baby and it's just stuck with me ever since.
"When I came out to Westfield, they couldn't believe it was my name and that people called me that. But then people called me Popeye on the football field and my teachers started to call me that. It just stuck and I guess you can say that's my real first name right now."