MADISON, Wis. – It turned out that Luke Fickell had no reason to worry.
The University of Wisconsin head coach was hopeful that the results on the field wouldn’t cause members of his highly ranked third recruiting class to start rethinking their commitment or, worse yet, reopen their decision-making process entirely.
From the time the Badgers’ 2024 season ended without a bowl game for the first time in 23 years to the first day of the early signing period, Wisconsin's staff only saw one prospect de-commit. Twenty-three kids signed paperwork to join Fickell’s program, a class that ranks 20th in the Rivals.com rankings with 10 four-star recruits from eight different states.
“To see guys not waver,” Fickell said. “That faith and belief that the games and what you see on Saturday isn’t everything. For those guys to hold with us and believe in us … relationships, trust, and belief in this process still win out.”
Adding to the wide receiver depth, we look at the signing of Zionsville (Ind.) High receiver Eugene Hilton Jr. and how his addition improves the program.
Stats
Registering 60 catches for 719 yards and 14 touchdowns his senior season, Hilton finished his high school career with 156 catches for 2,162 yards and 29 scores.
“I found the end zone a lot more,” Hilton said of his senior season. “I think I have always had a thing for that, but I did a better job of creating plays. Whenever we were in the red zone, I was a bigger part than I was previously.”
Recruiting Competition
The 15th commitment in Wisconsin’s 2025 class, Hilton picked the Badgers from more than 20 schools. He had other Power-Four offers from the likes of Arkansas, Cincinnati, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Purdue, and West Virginia.
“There was a couple of people that tried to persuade me as I was going through the process, but I just let them know that I made the right decision,” Hilton said. “It was what I wanted to stick with.”
