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 defensive line, we look at the upcoming signing of Joliet (Ill.) Catholic's Dillan Johnson and how his addition improves the program.

Playing the left defensive tackle in Joliet Catholic’s 4-3 defense, Johnson could line up as a one-technique, a three-technique, or nose guard. His presence on the line helped his defense hold teams to 15.6 points per game in a season that ended with a second-place finish at the Class 5A level.

“Overall, I think my year went pretty well,” Johnson said. “I focused on getting better at pass rush, focused on improving my stance, and getting better at feeling (whether the play will be) run or pass. Unfortunately, as a team, we took second (at state), but it was a great year overall.

“I was better at disrupting the run game. At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t getting much blowback. I was staying on the line more. I don’t want to say two-gapping it, but I wasn’t playing the one-gap as I should have. As the year went on, I felt I got better and better at just making sure I had my gap, getting rid of my man, and making sure I flowed to the ball.”

The 18th commitment in Wisconsin’s 2024 class, Johnson flipped his commitment from Northwestern, where he was previously committed for two months. He had 15 other offers, including Power-Five scholarships from California, Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri, and Washington State.