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 defensive line depth, we look at the signing of Middleton (Wis.) High defensive lineman Torin Pettaway and how his addition improves the program.
Stats
In his first season of organized football in 2023, Pettaway registered 47 total tackles and four sacks. He followed that up with a senior season posting 41 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and nine pass deflections. Named a finalist for the state’s defensive lineman of the year award, Pettaway earned first-team all-conference honors and was named the Big Eight defensive end of the year.
“The biggest improvement I’d say is technique and physicality,” Pettaway said. “I think watching my film from junior to senior year I see hand placement was better, I came in using a lot more (of my) hands, and a lot better bang with my pass rush.”
Recruiting Competition
Officially the 13th commitment in Wisconsin’s 2025 class, Pettaway flipped his commitment from Wisconsin to Minnesota. He previously had flipped his commitment from UW to Minnesota. He had other Power-Four offers from Illinois, Nebraska, Rutgers, USC, and Washington.
“There were still a few schools that had been talking to me since the beginning and had been consistently hitting me up this entire time,” Pettaway said. “It wasn’t crazy like it was in the beginning.”
