MADISON, Wis. – It’s clear the direction Luke Fickell intends to push the University of Wisconsin in the recruiting classes to come
After quickly cobbling together a small recruiting class in less than a month after being hired, Fickell and his staff scoured the country to recruit and receive commitments from 20 known prospects combining physicality, speed, and play-making abilities.
Half the Badgers class comprises four-star recruits, which is why it currently is ranked 20th in the country by Rivals.com, and addressed depth needs and deficiencies at every position. Adding to the depth on the offensive line, we look at the upcoming signing of New Brighton (MN) Irondale’s Emerson Mandell and how his addition improves the program.
Stats
Mandell’s senior season didn’t yield a lot of team success. The Knights finished 1-8, either losing agonizingly (three games by one possession) or in a blowout (five losses by at least 19 points). Mandell started on both sides of the ball all season, mainly playing right guard before getting some right tackle reps near the end of the season.
“I still feel like I had the opportunity to play against some competition, especially in the all-star game,” Mandell said. “It was still fun. (Playing both ways) certainly helps diversify the skills you are using and making sure you aren’t using one specific thing. It helped me as an athlete.”
Recruiting Competition
The 15th commitment in Wisconsin’s 2024 class, Mandell committed to the Badgers over other favorites Iowa State and Minnesota. He had additional offers from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Penn State, Purdue, Syracuse, and Texas A&M.
