Benzschawel tradition will continue on at Wisconsin

Commit No. 1 is in for Wisconsin in the 2021 recruiting class, and it's a name Badgers' fans should be quite familiar with.

Friday afternoon, UW landed an early pledge from sophomore offensive tackle JP Benzchawel, whose older brothers, Beau Benzschawel (senior offensive guard) and Luke Benzschawel (sophomore tight end), played for head coach Paul Chryst this past season.

Additionally, Scott Benzschawel, the father to all three, played football in Madison from 1983-87.

"I didn't wake up this morning and think that I was going to get offered by the University of Wisconsin today," JP Benzschawel told BadgerBlitz.com. "So, yeah, I was pretty surprised.

"Coach (Chris) Haering and Coach (Joe) Rudolph have talked a lot about how they liked the fact that I came through so much adversity with my injury last year. They loved that I’m so dedicated to the weight room and, overall, liked the way I played."

A 6-foot-7, 265-pound prospect from Grafton High School, Benzchawel accepted Wisconsin's scholarship on the spot. He is the second in-state prospect in the 2021 class to hold an offer from the Badgers, along with Muskego safety Hunter Wohler.

"It is a really cool feeling to continue what my family has been so invested in for years," Benzschawel said. "Pretty much my entire family, including my aunts, uncles, grandma and grandma went to Madison. So for me to continue that legacy and to have the chance to play on Saturdays - that’s a really cool feeling and I’m grateful for that.

"It was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. I’m a Wisconsin guy born and raised and I couldn’t see myself playing anywhere else. Obviously my family played a huge role in the decision as well. There is really no where else I would want to play college football besides the University of Wisconsin. Of course I have seen the campus and such many times and it all is great, along with a fantastic education."